LocalReach Shepton Mallet May 2024

Join our army of LocalReach Community Editors...

If you are community minded like us then we would love you to send us your local news, events and information. We give 100 words free of charge and want to help at least 50-75 local; clubs, groups, associations, schools, churches each and every month.

Simply go to our web site www.localreach.co.uk and fill in the form on the Community Notices page. We want to especially help the all the clubs, groups, associations, schools, churches that have very little income for advertising. Please spread the word!

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Are you looking for more business?

Advertising in LocalReach is a fantastic way to reach all your existing, and potentially new customers.

LocalReach is delivered by Royal Mail to all homes & businesses in your postcode area every month. It is packed with community notices, interesting articles and local businesses. A massive 98% of our advertisers rebook every month so we must be doing something right!

So, if you are looking for more business then contact us now. To advertise just go to our web site www.localreach.co.uk and fill in the contact form or email hello@localreach.co.uk

Community Notices are free of charge

Please visit www.localreach.co.uk and click on Community Notices page

Deadline is 29th April for the June issues

For Business Advertising call 01749 600388

or visit our website www.localreach.co.uk

Deadline is 29th April for the June issues

DO YOU RECEIVE A COPY OF LOCALREACH EACH MONTH?

LocalReach is delivered each month by ROYAL MAIL to ALL of the Shepton Mallet/BA4 postcode areas, including all towns and villages within the postcode areas, to every resident and business, totalling 8,944 copies each month.

We take non deliveries very seriously and in the event of a non delivery being reported to us we follow the Royal Mail’s complaint procedure.

If you are not getting your monthly copy by the end of the first week of any month please send us an email to hello@localreach.co.uk with the full address of the non delivery and we will ask Royal Mail to investigate and report back.

Glastonbury Tor as you have never seen it

Norman Parker will be exhibiting with Shepton Artists for the first time in May. Having been inspired by Hokusai’s Thirty-Six views of Mount Fuji Norman set out to paint 100 images of Glastonbury Tor. He describes his work as neosurrealism and explains that he likes exploring the marvellous and irrational, in finding beauty in strange things. So don’t expect anything traditional about Norman’s interpretations of the Tor. He is only three paintings away from his target of 100 so we are really excited to have inspired him to exhibit with us and to finally complete the project.

The exhibition will feature 10 artists whose work can be seen at Create@no8 and at the Art Bank in Shepton Mallet, starting with a private viewing on May 2nd. Search Facebook ‘Shepton Artists’.

Learn! Laugh! Live! with u3a

If you are no longer working full time, you may be looking around for interesting things to do, with the possibility of making new friends. So why not join u3a, a national organisation with a branch in Shepton Mallet. Our website, where you can see all the things we get up to and find out how to join, is www.sheptonmalletu3a.org.uk

Or you could come along to our next monthly Speaker Meeting on Thursday 2nd May at the Salvation Army Hall, 10:00am - 12:00pm. It’s only £3 with tea/coffee!

Baltonsborough Car Boot Sale

Sunday 5th May

Baltonsborough Village Hall and Playing Fields, 9:00am - Noon. Free entry for Buyers. Sellers 8:00am/Buyers 9:00am. £8 per pitch if booked in advance, £10 per pitch on the day. £11 Table Hire available on the day. Cash only. £10 Refundable deposit on return of the table. Bacon butties and hot drinks available in the Hall.

Please book your pitch via email janhorwoodsmith@gmail.com

Defibrillator Project - UpdatesMaking A True Difference!

The Donate For Defib W-s-M Project has installed 3 further defibrillators for venues in Weston super Mare over the last month. A defibrillator donated to the project by BEESWIFT Ltd, has been given to the Community Response Team in Weston, this defibrillator will also be used on the MavisBus when in operation. An Only Fools and Horses fundraising evening is being held at the Tropicana on May 10th, to raise funds for defibrillators, tickets on sale soon. For further information please email, donatefordefib.wsm@ gmail.com

Royal Air Forces Association Midsomerset Branch – May Meeting

RAFA-MSB next Branch Meeting is on Monday 13th May at 11:00 am in Wells Golf Club, Blackheath Lane, Wells, BA5 3DS. The Meeting will include a Presentation by a Guest Speaker. The meeting will conclude with an option for a Pub Lunch and drinks from the Golf Club Menu and bar. The Branch covers BS25, BS26, BS27, BS28, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA16, TA10 & TA11 postal areas. RAFA Members, Current and ExRAF and Reserves Personnel, Current and ExCommonwealth Air Forces Personnel, Members of RAF Family welcome. Contact Secretary: rafa. midsomerset@gmail.com or 01458 224057

Spring into action from home with Age UK Somerset

Keeping active is vital for our health and wellbeing. If for any reason you can’t get out, there’s no need to miss out on your favourite exercise class- you can join in from the comfort of your own home with Age UK Somerset’s online classes. Specially designed for people over 55, you can join Tai Chi and Pilates.

Pilates - Mondays at 10:00am, £5.

Tai Chi QiGong - Tuesdays at 11:30am, £5.

Find out more here: www.ageuksomerset.org.uk/ onlineexercisesessions

Call 01823 345624 or email

ageingwell@ageuksomerset.org.uk for more information.

Garden View

This month – Nutritious nettles

As a novice gardener I spent a lot of time pulling out nettles from the overgrown patch I inherited when I bought my first home. Fast forward twenty years and I have learned that I was doing the humble nettle a disservice.

Contrary to their reputation for stinging and being a pervasive nuisance, nettles offer numerous (and free) benefits. These include serving as a rich nutrient source for your garden, attracting helpful insects, and even being a delightful edible option when gathered properly.

You can leverage the nutrient-rich nature of nettles by making a homemade, organic liquid fertilizer. Nettles are packed with some fabulous gardenfriendly elements such as nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium, all vital for plant growth.

Any part of the plant can be used, even the older, tougher parts, and the process is straightforward. Chop the nettles and pack them into a sealable container (to mitigate any unpleasant smells) before submerging them in water. Let the mixture sit for about a month to create a potent nettle tea. Dilute this tea with water in a ratio of 1:10 for a nutrient-rich feed, ideal for nurturing leafy greens like kale, chard, and spinach.

Nettles also double as an excellent mulch for bigger plants or fruit bushes and act as a compost accelerator by enhancing the breakdown process

in your compost pile. However, avoid using the roots or seeds, to prevent unintended growth.

By allowing some nettles to grow on your patch, you support the lifecycle of butterfly species such as red admiral, small tortoiseshell, painted lady, and comma butterflies, and also offer a habitat for beneficial insects such as ladybirds, which control aphid populations and other garden pests.

In addition to their usefulness in the garden, nettles are a versatile ingredient in the kitchen. Using gloves to avoid the stings, nettles can be harvested and used just like spinach, boasting a similar high iron content. They’re perfect for steaming or as the base for a soup - blend boiled potatoes and tender nettles with vegetable stock, season and enrich with a spoon of cream for a hearty dish…perfect after a day working in the garden!

Happy gardening,

By Rachael Leverton

LOCALREACH COMMUNITY NOTICES

Are you a local, club, group, association, charity, school or church?

Would you like to publicise your, news, events and information to your community free of charge?

Then simply go to our web site www.localreach.co.uk and click on the Community Notices page, then fill in the form before 1st of each month. You can also upload a photo or logo. We will then publish in our LocalReach Community Magazines delivered by Royal Mail each month.

Your Community Notice will also appear on our Facebook pages. Join our growing army of LocalReach Community Editors.

From Pleasure to Performance

How dopamine affects our productivity

We all have days when don’t seem to get enough done, but if you are constantly berating yourself for being unproductive, you may not actually be lazy, you may be struggling with fluctuations in dopamine, a neurotransmitter made in the body that sends messages between nerve cells. Dopamine is commonly linked to feelings of enjoyment, but it also significantly impacts reward-driven actions, affecting productivity as a result. When you look forward to a reward or participate in an activity that brings you joy, your brain emits dopamine. This makes you seek to replicate the action to relive the associated joy. Hence, for example, the motivation to complete

LOCALREACH COMMUNITY NOTICES

Are you a local, club, group, association, charity, school or church?

Would you like to publicise your, news, events and information to your community free of charge?

Then simply go to our web site www.localreach.co.uk and click on the Community Notices page, then fill in the form before 1st of each month. You can also upload a photo or logo. We will then publish in our LocalReach Community Magazines delivered by Royal Mail each month.

Your Community Notice will also appear on our Facebook pages.

Join our growing army of LocalReach Community Editors.

a 5k run often kicks in once you’ve begun, in contrast to the lower motivation levels before you even put on your running shoes.

In a 2020 study, found that people with higher dopamine in the area of the brain associated with decision-making were more likely to complete tasks because they focussed on the benefits of finishing. Those with lower dopamine levels focussed more on how difficult the task was.

Wouldn’t it be great if we had a set of tools for managing our dopamine levels? Well, we have five for you.

Hydrate - The neurons in our brain require water soluble electrolytes such as sodium and potassium to communicate efficiently. Even 2% dehydration can negatively impact your productivity.

Restrict social media - When you use social media you’re constantly exposed to new information and anticipating the next reel or message. This causes your dopamine to spike and then fall back to below baseline. Anything else, like revising for history GCSE or hitting the gym seems dull, or too much like hard work.

Move your body - Do you struggle to workout first thing? Try lowering the barrier to entry. Commit to ten minutes of activity instead of 45 minutes. Set a timer and stick to it for a few days. The chances are you’ll get the urge to do more as time goes by. Knowing you only have to do ten minutes makes skipping your morning phone scroll easier too. And because effort was involved the dopamine still spikes but it spikes sustainably, we’re less likely to seek a cheap thrill from scrolling afterwards.

Avoid screens after 11pm - We’ve all heard about the effects of blue light on the brain, but it’s not just blue light, it’s all light. If you’re looking at a screen past 11pm the light stimulation shifts the entire rhythm of dopamine production in the brain, which means that you can wake up feeling demotivated, effectively sabotaging your productivity.

Put your phone in another room if you have to. At first it might feel uncomfortable, but this is just your dopamine system resetting.

Make sleep a priority - Sleep has a huge impact on your ability to be productive. When you sleep, our body releases testosterone and growth hormone which we all need to feel replenished, and our lymphatic system clears out the toxins built up in the brain throughout the day.

While I can’t promise that these tips will suddenly change your whole personality, if you try implementing one or all of them you should notice they have a positive impact on your working day.

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Cat Lady

We used Central Roofing to take down an old flat roof and install another on our business premises at Knight Brothers Garage. The company was very reliable, they turned up when they said they would, the guys that did the work were very tidy and efficient. The work was completed in the time frame they set…we are more than pleased with the finished job.

Anderson

Mah-Jong: A beautiful game filling you with joy and curiosity

The Shipham Inn (SomersetBS25 1TW) would like to welcome new people to join their regular Mah-Jong Group.

Whether you’re a novice, experienced Mah-Jong player or someone who would like to learn to play a warm welcome awaits. My hope is that we can make these enjoyable, social evenings playing a game that originated in the Far East.

1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month: 7:30pm start. Free.

Contact: mark.trenchard53@gmail.com or phone / text 07815681580

The Happy Band Of Ukulele Players

We are a small band of Ukulele players. We like to meet fortnightly in West Pennard Village Hall on a Tuesday afternoon. £3.50 plus refreshments and music is provided.

The idea of our group is to meet to enjoy each others company while playing Ukuleles. Due to

various reasons our numbers have dropped and we would like to continue. Would you like to join us?

Do not worry what stage you are, we are a intermediate group.

So come along and try us out. Phone 01458 850734

We are friendly, welcoming, enthusiastic gardeners. Come and join us

We meet on first Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm in West Pennard Village Hall, BA6 8NL.

We have informative speakers, and organise exciting trips

We offer annual membership or pay at the door for individual meetings. There are refreshments and a raffle. New members always welcome

For more details: www.westpennardvillagehall.co.uk/ gardeningclub or email karenrussell53@icloud.com

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We work on projects of every size, from individual residential properties to substantial redevelopment schemes across the commercial and public sectors.

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✔ Roof maintenance

We work on projects of every size, from individual residential properties to substantial redevelopment schemes across the commercial and public sectors. Our business is built on satisfying our customers and producing great results.

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We give a 5-year guarantee on all completed work, with all our materials under a 10-year manufacturer guarantee.

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ROOFING SERVICES WE OFFER

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✔ Re-roofing

✔ Flat roofing

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✔ New roofing

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✔ Roof repairs

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✔ Roof maintenance

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✔ Flat roofing

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✔ Rubber roofing (EPDM)

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Can pelvic floor exercises help treat incontinence?

You might already be aware of pelvic floor exercises, also known as kegel exercises. Women are frequently recommended them after giving birth, and men after prostate surgery. But did you know pelvic floor exercise can really help with incontinence?

This is because these exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which support your bladder. When these muscles are stronger, you’re less likely to have leaks. If these muscles are weak, you can’t control your bladder quite so well. So what are they and how do you do them?

They’re very simple. It’s easiest to start the exercises lying down or in a sitting position, and then as you get stronger you can do them standing up. Pretend you’re trying to stop the flow of urine. Pull in and squeeze those muscles. Hold the squeeze for 5 to 10 seconds, then rest for 5 to 10 seconds. Don’t hold your breath or tighten your tummy, bottom or thigh muscles at the same time – keep these muscles as relaxed as possible, and keep breathing!

Once you’ve mastered this technique, try for three or four sets of 10 contractions every day. You should feel the impact in the lower pelvic area - but if you’re in any doubt about your technique, contact a healthcare professional for advice.

The really great thing about these exercises is that as well as strengthening your pelvic floor, you can do them anytime, anywhere. When you’re watching tv, sitting at a desk, driving a car – noone will ever notice! And when performed daily, similar to any other form of muscle exercise, you should feel the improvements in a few weeks.

While not all incontinence problems can be improved using pelvic floor exercises, it’s definitely worth considering. However if you are in any doubt about your condition, as always, we recommend you discuss this with a healthcare professional. And if you need help with products for your incontinence, don’t forget we offer a wide range of washable and disposable incontinence pants and pads, bed and seat protection and much more. Call Arelle free on 0800 389 3597

Joe’s Doors can simply transform your kitchen by replacing the doors, panels and trims. With a huge range of kitchen styles to choose from, this cost effective, fuss free service, can be completed in under two days and best of all you don’t even need to empty the cupboards!

Call now to take advantage of a free survey, free quote and free design service....with no pressure selling.

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Transform your worktops with Quartzize stone overlays

Why replace your worktops when this unique quartz overlay simply fits over your existing surface. Here are some of the amazing benefits:

•Timeless - Looks clean and modern.

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How Hearing Loss Can Impact Dementia Risk

By Simon Swindells, Director and Clinical Lead Audiologist at South West Hearing Care

Did you know that untreated hearing loss can be linked to an increased risk of dementia? It’s true, and with Dementia Awareness Week taking place this month (13-19 May), it’s a crucial time to shed light on this connection. Here’s what you need to know:

The Numbers Speak Volumes: Studies have shown that people with hearing loss, particularly those with moderate to severe cases, are at a higher risk of developing dementia compared to those with normal hearing. The risk can be nearly double for mild hearing loss, triple for moderate loss, and a staggering five times higher for severe hearing loss [Alzheimer’s Society].

Cognitive Function: There are a couple of theories behind this link. One suggests that constantly straining to hear takes a toll on the brain, diverting resources away from other cognitive functions like memory. Another theory points to social isolation. Hearing loss can make it difficult to follow conversations and participate in social activities, which can lead to cognitive decline.

Hearing Aids: The good news is that treating hearing loss may offer some protection. Research suggests that using hearing aids can significantly slow cognitive decline in people at risk of dementia [National Institutes of Health].

Don’t Wait Until May: While Dementia Awareness Week is a great time to focus on brain health, getting your hearing checked shouldn’t wait. If you suspect hearing loss, schedule an appointment with an Audiologist for a hearing test. Early detection and treatment are key.

If you’d like to speak myself or the team for further advice or to book a free hearing assessment, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Street: 01458 555533 | 7 The Bayliss Centre, High Street, Street

Westbury: 01373 823076 | 2 High Street, Westbury

Double cheese and Spring Vegetable Tart

This light and savoury teatime tart has a wonderfully crisp base

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

500g block shortcrust pastry plain flour, for dusting

25g mature cheddar, finely grated.

200g asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed.

100g frozen peas

2 eggs

100g crème fraîche

150g double cream whole nutmeg, for grating

100g watercress

2 x 150g logs of soft, rindless goat’s cheese.

Method:

Take the pastry out of the fridge ten minutes before starting.

Lightly dust the work surface with flour then roll the pastry out into a rectangle.

Scatter the grated cheese over the rolled-out pastry, fold the pastry in half and roll out again into a circle that fits a 25cm tart tin. Leave the edges of the pastry slightly overhanging the edge of the tin. Pop it in the fridge for 20 mins to chill.

Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in boiling water for 3 mins, then drain and refresh under cold water. Defrost the frozen peas.

Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas 6. Prick the base of the tart well with a fork, line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or dried lentils. Bake the tart for 30 mins, remove the parchment and beans, prick again if it has puffed up, then bake for another 10-15 mins until golden brown.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl, add the crème fraîche and cream, season and add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Scatter the peas and most of the watercress over the tart and crumble over half the goat’s cheese. Pour over the creamy egg mixture, then lay the asparagus spears on top. Finally, slice the remaining goat’s cheese and arrange on top, then bake for 25-30 mins until the custard is just set and the cheese is golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin, trim the edges of the pastry. Remove from the tin, cut into slices, and serve with the remaining watercress.

LOCALREACH COMMUNITY NOTICES

Are you a local, club, group, association, charity, school or church?

Would you like to publicise your, news, events and information to your community free of charge?

Then simply go to our web site www.localreach.co.uk and click on the Community Notices page, then fill in the form before 1st of each month. You can also upload a photo or logo. We will then publish in our LocalReach Community Magazines delivered by Royal Mail each month.

Your Community Notice will also appear on our Facebook pages.

Join our growing army of LocalReach Community Editors.

The Memory Police

by Yoko Ogawa

This is a hauntingly beautiful and dystopian novel that delves into the fragility of memory and the essence of loss. Set on an unnamed island, the story unfolds in a world where objects and concepts are systematically disappearing, erased from existence and memory by the enigmatic Memory Police. The narrative is centred around a young novelist who struggles to preserve her memories and those of the island’s inhabitants.

Ogawa’s writing is elegantly simple yet profoundly deep, weaving a tale that is as much a melancholic meditation on memory as it is a compelling story of resistance and survival. The island’s inhabitants, resigned to the relentless loss of their surroundings, adapt to each disappearance with a troubling nonchalance. This eerie acceptance of loss is one of the novel’s most chilling aspects, highlighting the insidious nature of the Memory Police’s power.

The novelist (who is also unnamed), with the help of an old man and a risk-taking editor who is immune to the forgetfulness, attempts to defy the Memory Police by hiding her editor in a secret room. Their struggle against the inevitable tide of forgetfulness forms the heart of the story, illustrating the human capacity for resilience in the face of oppressive forces.

The atmosphere of subtle suspense and creeping dread imbues the story with a quiet intensity. The characters are sketched with a delicate touch, yet they are profoundly relatable in their quest to hold onto their memories and identities. This

struggle against the erasure of memory becomes a powerful metaphor for the larger human experience of loss and the effort to preserve our own pasts.

The Memory Police is not just a story about an authoritarian regime’s control over personal memories; it is also a reflection on the impermanence of existence. Ogawa explores the idea that what makes us human is not just our ability to remember but also our capacity for empathy and connection.

Clem and Crab

by Fiona Lumbers

This is a lovely story about cleaning up our beaches. The story is a simple one: Clem loves to search the beach for things to put in her bucket. After a fun day at the seaside, Clem finds a Crab with its claw tangled in a plastic bag. She wants to take him home and keep him safe, but reluctantly lets him go back to the sea after her sister explains it’s where he belongs. On her way home on the bus, Clem finds Crab tucked away in her trouser leg, and Crab ends up going on an adventure to Clem’s school and inspires Clem to want to help clear the beaches of horrible plastic junk.

The story is fun and easy to follow, and the illustrations are charming. The environmental message is there but it’s never preachy. It’s a nice gentle introduction for children about the importance of taking care of our planet.

By Tash Donovan

Time to talk, time to listen…

Menopause, marked by hormonal changes, can impact eye health, leading to various symptoms. Fluctuations in hormone levels, especially oestrogen, can cause dry eyes due to reduced tear production, resulting in discomfort and blurred vision. Additionally, hormonal shifts may lead to eye fatigue and increased sensitivity to light, making tasks like reading or screen use more challenging.

Moreover, menopause may heighten the risk of ocular conditions like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and glaucoma due to the decline in oestrogen, which plays a role in maintaining eye health.

Using artificial tears or lubricating eye drops can alleviate dryness, while following the 20-2020 rule—taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away— can reduce eye strain from screen use. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and hydration is crucial for overall well-being, including eye health.

Regular eye exams with an eye care professional are essential during menopause to monitor for changes in vision or eye health and address any concerns promptly. By staying proactive about eye health and seeking appropriate care when needed, women can navigate the changes associated with menopause more comfortably and maintain good vision for years to come.

Time to talk, time to listen. Book your appointment with us.

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Boot Bargains

Let the car boot sale season begin

Car boot sales are a quintessential British tradition where unpredictable British weather meets an equally unpredictable array of goods for sale. You can haggle over the price of a teapot with a missing lid on one stall and buy a questionable painting that may be a lost masterpiece (spoiler: it’s not) at another. Car boot sales are the adult equivalent of a treasure hunt, where X marks the spot, but ‘X’ is a muddy field somewhere between No-Idea-Where-That-Is and ‘Didn’t-Aunty-SueGet-Married-Somewhere-Near-There.

Jesting aside, if you’re up for a bit of work a car boot sale is a great opportunity to clear out your attic, shed, or spare room while making some cash and enjoying the fresh air.

Begin with a Clear Out: Sort through your items. Anything from vintage clothing to old records, books, toys, and kitchen gadgets can find a new home. Remember, one person’s trash is another’s treasure.

Price to Sell: Be realistic about pricing. Boot sale buyers are looking for bargains. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself what you’d be willing to pay. Label items clearly.

Presentation is Key: A well-organized stall can make a world of difference to how much you earn. Arrange items so they’re easy to browse. Group similar items together and make sure everything is clean. A little bit of preparation can significantly increase your sales.

Be Prepared: Bring plenty of change and bags for your customers. Arrive early to get a good spot. A folding table and chair, a flask of coffee and a sandwich can also make your day more comfortable.

Perfect Your Pitch: Friendly banter and a smile will attract more buyers. Be ready to haggle…it’s an art. The seller starts with a price, the buyer counters with an offer so ridiculously low it’s actually insulting, and eventually, you meet somewhere in the middle, each convinced you’ve outsmarted the other. Just remember that if YOU’RE the one decluttering and selling, the object of the exercise

is to get rid of everything, not take it all back home with you for the sake of a few pence!

And it’s not just about the buying and selling. Car boot sales are essentially a social event, places where you overhear phrases like, “Remember when we nearly set the house on fire with this fondue set?”* or “Do you think anyone will notice this shoe is missing a heel?” *

As the day ends, you head back to your car, hopefully cutter-free and cash-rich if you’re a seller, or arms laden with goodies if you were a treasure seeker. And if you’re lucky you might overhear a puzzled wife say to her husband, “Why did you buy a unicycle when you can barely ride a bike without stabilisers...” **

Whether you are looking to declutter or in search of a bargain, the car boot sale is great British tradition so check out a local one this month. There may or may not be a woman surreptitiously selling a unicycle. ***

By Gemma Brown

*Actual overheard snippets of conversation from other sellers when we held a car boot sale last year!

**I may or may not have been that puzzled wife. ***That woman may or may not be me...

Puzzle Solutions

Mindbender:

1: The fast lane 2: Man overboard

3: Pie in the sky

With libraries shortening their hours and even closing in some areas, it’s time to make use of these wonderful institutions. Here are 5 reasons why.

Save money! Book lending is free, and DVD rental is normally around £1. You can read today’s newspaper, or the latest magazine. Just watch out for the fines if you return items late...

Community: Libraries are great community centres. Mine holds parent and toddler groups, knitting groups, senior citizen coffee mornings and local councillor surgeries. Have a look at what your local library does and meet new people or learn new skills!

The Internet: Most libraries provide free internet access for members, although you may need to book in advance. This gives you the chance to shop, email, work or just muck about on social networks if you don’t have the internet at home.

Education: Libraries are brilliant for academic research. All you need in one place. And if your local library doesn’t have what you need, they can order it in for you. Increasingly, your library membership gives you free access to thousands of online articles and journals too.

Finally

The books! Books are expensive. At a library you have access to your favourite author’s complete works at no cost! It’s also a great way to try before you buy!

By Gemma Brown

I want to see change in shepton Mallet but what can I do?

We believe in the power of community voices shaping our town’s future.

What do you want to see in Shepton Mallet?

Fill in our survey and let your opinions shape future Town Council decisions.

Join one of our working parties to provide ongoing input.

Attend a Town Council meetings and have your say on items on the agenda.

Get in touch with one of the 16 councillors who represent you!

You can find details of how you can get involved in anything listed above and fill in our survey using the link or QR code below.

www.sheptonmallet-tc.gov.uk/vision