I am currently working with the Town Team to put up the Christmas lights.

I am pleased to say that we have now finished servicing them all and are three-quarters of the way through putting them up.

We also have a group of volunteers who are helping decorate the 100 trees that have now been delivered, these will be going up outside the shops in the coming days. I hope to see you all at the switch-on event which takes place on Saturday 26th November from 6pm.

I would like to thank all the volunteers and marshals that work behind the scenes and on the road closures, without them out them we could not hold the amazing events that take place in the town.

Somerset residents struggling to pay the bills this winter could be eligible for support through the Household Support Fund. The County Council has been allocated £3.8m to distribute before March 31st 2023 as part of the third round of funding provided through the Government’s Household Support Fund.

This funding will be used to provide food vouchers worth £10 a week to children eligible for Free School Meals during the school holidays and enable people to apply for support with a range of urgent essentials including fuel, food, and white goods. 

Members of the public in Somerset are invited to have their say on a new draft strategy for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). The Somerset SEND Partnership, which includes Somerset County Council, NHS Somerset, Somerset Parent Carer Forum and local education providers, have launched a consultation for the public to feedback on their updated SEND Strategy.

The strategy was shaped by extensive engagement with children, young people and families and sets out how services will be delivered and led over the next three years. The consultation is open and will close on Friday 23 December.

We continue to hold our councillor surgeries on the first Saturday of the month between 10am and 12pm in the Guildhall, if you would like to contact me please feel free to call on 07736 310805 or email jason.baker@somerset.gov.uk