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Pub walk for charity
THE Butcombe Brewery Pub Walk, in aid of Arthritis Research UK, will take place on Easter Saturday April 19th. The 9.5 mile circular walk from Butcombe Brewery’s popular pub, the Fox and Hounds at Charlton Adam, goes through Charlton Mackrell, open farmland and woodland, and past the imposing church spire of Kingweston. It’s largely flat walking but with a steady climb through woodland, on tracks, paths and quiet lanes, with several stiles. Dogs must be kept on leads and participants need to be reasonably fit and mobile and suitably dressed. It costs £12.50, which includes a glass of mulled wine and supper. Details: Susie McCallum: 01225 313632 07736 157798 s.mccallum@arthritisresearchuk.org
A decade of service
THE hospital car service run by Mendip Community Transport has just celebrated its tenth birthday. The not-for-profit company that provides transport for the mobility impaired, elderly, sick and rurally isolated was launched at the end of 2003. It now has 73 drivers and covers the whole of the area served by Mendip District Council and a large part of the area served by Sedgemoor District Council. During the current financial year MCT expects its drivers will make over 8,000 journeys. MCT chief executive, Mike Curtis, said: “The NHS no longer provides non-emergency hospital transport so over the years demand for our services has grown dramatically. “MCT is a lifeline to those patients who are frail and elderly and cannot use conventional transport.” MCT’s hospital car service won the Queen’s award for voluntary service in 2011 and is always seeking new volunteer drivers. Details: Mike Curtis or Mike Forbes on 01749 330100. For further details of the hospital car service, phone either Phil Butcher or Sarah Sheldon on 01749 330100.
CHARITIES
Calendar is simply “grand”
The cast and crew with Stuart Lees
EVERCREECH Amateur Drama Group has raised £1,000 for research into leukaemia and lymphoma from the sale of its “alternative” calendars ahead of their production of Calendar Girls. Stuart Lees, South West Regional Manager for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research received the cheque at the village’s Bell Inn. He said: “Every penny raised helps us in our mission to beat blood cancer, by stopping people from dying and making patients’ lives better. We wish to thank Evercreech Drama Group for their support and raising such a magnificent amount of money for research into leukaemia and other blood cancers.” Photographs for the calendar were shot by Charlie Pritchard-Williams. Bron Cooper – “Miss January” – said the photo shoots were a good bonding experience for the girls prior to the big night of the show itself. Martyn Jessop, the director of Calendar Girls, said: “I was overwhelmed by all the hard work the cast and crew put in to make the production such a huge success.”
Back row: Nicki Vowles, Katharine Smith. Front (l:r): Lois Venn, Jill Osborne, Stuart Lees, Kath Bridge and Bron Cooper
There are still a few calendars available at £7.50 each. Contact Greg Jessop on 01749 831122 for more information.
MENDIP TIMES • MARCH 2014 • PAGE 29
(Photos courtesy of Charlie Pritchard-Williams: www.charlottephotography.co.uk)
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