FREE first aid training is being offered in South Somerset thanks to Ilminster county councillor Linda Vijeh.

She met Red Cross area manager Heidi Ling this week to hand over a cheque for £3,992 from Somerset County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Fund to provide training.

Councillors are each given £5,000 to promote and support improvements to health and wellbeing in their area.

Linda said: “For the past two years the council has allocated each councillor this money.

“Last year I gave £1,000 to each of the five schools in the division.

“I thought long and hard this year about how the money could most usefully be spent to the benefit of all local people, and to support the overall theme of staying active and healthy.

“I discussed the idea with local residents and organisations and was delighted that it met with universal approval.”

The money means up to 300 people will be able to attend a first aid course. So far, two confirmed courses with up to 30 places available have been organised.

They are at The Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster on Tuesday, November 25, and Tuesday, December 2.

Linda added: “We are arranging further courses in other local venues and details will be available soon.

“To be able to plan the sessions to suit everyone’s needs I am looking for first aid champions across the division to source suitable venues and to let me know when they would like the training to be held so that I can draw up a timetable.

“I think it would be wonderful if every parish and town councillor gained a qualification, too.”

Any group or individual interested in hosting a course or attending one should contact Diane Bale on 07545 787-324 or email her at dbale@gmail.com

In addition to Ilminster, residents of local villages which can apply are: Ashill, Broadway, Chaffcombe, Cudworth, Chillington, Cricket St Thomas, Windwhistle, Donyatt, Dowlish Wake, Kingstone, Horton, Knowle St Giles, Whitelackington and Winsham.