Award-winning West Somerset artist Garry Floyd has unveiled his next stunning design raising money to help provide for the welfare and wellbeing of NHS Heroes.

This is his second release with the aim of raising as much money as possible for NHS frontline workers. So far he has raised £3395 from the sale of his first charity piece 'Home' and he hopes to raise just as much with this absolute beauty of a follow up in 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. In the tree is a carving which reads “WE💙NHS”.

During this difficult time Garry wanted to do something that could possibly help those superheroes that are constantly putting themselves at risk to help us. Garry said "These people are forever over worked and under paid yet they are essential key workers working under extreme pressures to save lives".

Garry came across an unbelievable charity (non-profit) (although there are so many good charities doing great things) that is directly helping those on the frontline
www.helpthemhelpus.co.uk

You can order 'You'll never walk alone' for yourself or for someone that you know that could do with some light relief or a thank you for an act of kindness during this time. Put a smile on someone’s face whilst also helping to raise some funds for a great cause.

The price is extremely low so Garry can sell as many as possible. He is ending the sale of this print soon so order yours soon. Please share this with anyone who might like his design.

Details...

• All orders dispatched week starting Mon 4th May
• This is a signed open edition print unframed​
• The original is also A4 and supplied unframed
• This is the first ever A4 sized image I’ve produced which also means you’ll be able to find a variety of frames online hassle free to fit an A4 print.
• Please allow 10-13 working days for delivery

🔽SHOP🔽
https://garryfloyd.bigcartel.com/product/you-ll-never-walk-alone

See all of Garry's stunning work:
https://garryfloyd.bigcartel.com/

​A bit more about Help them help us...

This is what they do:
Providing for the welfare and wellbeing of NHS staff on the frontline of the pandemic. Their mission statement is to support, in big and small ways, the welfare and wellbeing of NHS staff as they fight COVID-19. They want to get things going ASAP. The virus is moving fast, so in order to support the staff on the frontline they need to move even faster.

They want to provide an avenue for the public to help out the effort. Their aims are to support the physical, mental, and day to day wellbeing of NHS staff across the nation. Physically to support the protection of our staff on the frontline. Mentally they aim to provide counselling and psychological services. Day to day they want to set up a hassle-free small grants service to support childcare, transport, to provide perks for hospital facilities and more. They want to use their platform to also provide public and professional education resources on coronavirus, and build a cross-professional platform to help share tips and advice.

Somerset West and Taunton Council are running a free webinar to help small businesses and self-employed people learn quick and simple ways of selling online, new ways to generate income overnight and serve existing customers. The webinar will be followed by 3 further free workshops  on specific digital themes and subjects to help small businesses at this time.  
 
The event is on the 23rd April from 2.00-4.00 and people can register online at the following link.

Somerset West and Taunton Council is working in partnership with the Somerset Wildlife Trust to identify and create a number of species-rich wildflower meadows across the district. 
 
The meadows will initially be created as part of a pilot project on Council owned land in Grange Drive, Leycroft Grove and Moorfields, Taunton; Gay Street, Wellington; and at Seaward Way, and Culvercliffe, Minehead.
 
The Council will also be setting aside wild areas in its Green Flag accredited parks at Taunton’s Vivary, Victoria, Comeytrowe and French Weir parks, Wellington Park. and Swains Lane Nature Reserve in Wellington.
 
The initiative is part of the Council’s commitment to protecting and improving biodiversity, identified as a priority in the emerging climate change strategy.
 
In establishing ‘wilder’ areas on council owned land and within its parks, the wildflower meadow project hopes to help boost biodiversity, supporting pollinator species in particular.
 
It will also help to connect existing green spaces which will improve the resilience of the district’s landscape as a whole in the face of a warming climate.
 
The pilot areas are amenity spaces that are traditionally cut every few weeks during the summer months.
 
Cllr Peter Pilkington, Executive Member for Climate Change, said: “The Council is committed to creating a more sustainable future for everyone, putting climate and environmental responsibility at the heart of everything it does.
We are excited to be developing this project with the Somerset Wildlife Trust who share our belief in the need for ownership and involvement around climate change.

The Council currently cuts an area the size of Belgium in the course of a season, but we are looking to let some of these areas ‘rewild’ by letting the grass grow longer and sowing wildflowers.

This taller grass will allow a range of grass species to develop, increasing the biodiversity in the area. Tall grass is just as important for wildlife as wild flowers, as it gives animals shelter and somewhere to hunt, breed and feed.”
 
Wild flower meadows provide shelter and food for important pollinators, and in particular, bees. There are over 250 species of bee in the UK and they play a vital part in supporting the ecosystem. The UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadow since the 1930s.
 
Jolyon Chesworth, Head of Engagement at the Somerset Wildlife Trust, said:  “There are around half a million football pitches worth of gardens in the UK, plus parks, playing fields, road verges and roundabouts. If managed correctly, our towns and cities can act as havens for wildlife, creating Nature Recovery Networks that connect urban and rural areas to help restore wildlife. Insects, including bees and butterflies, are dying out up to eight times faster than larger animals and 41% of insect species face extinction. However, this initiative to help sow wildflower meadows and ‘rewild’ our parks can play a crucial part in stopping declines. Importantly, these areas won’t just provide a rich source of food but will provide habitat throughout the year for animals to shelter.
 
“It’s not just good for wildlife but for people as well, the sight of a wildflower meadow, teeming with bumblebees and butterflies, enhances our green spaces and our enjoyment of them and all the evidence suggests that towns rich in wild places and wildlife also boost our own wellbeing. We hope this initiative will be just the start of turning Taunton Garden Town into a place where people and wildlife thrive together.”
 
More information on the Wildflower Meadow Project can be found on our website https://www.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/meadow-pilots/
​

​Somerset West & Taunton Council is consulting on a proposed new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to allow it to deal more effectively with anti-social behaviour.
 
A PSPO is a power under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, that allows a council to impose restrictions in particular areas to tackle nuisance or problem behaviour.
 
SWT is reviewing its policy in a bid to make it easier to identify and address issues in Taunton and surrounding open spaces as part of its Streetwise initiative
to ensure a joined up approach to anti-social behaviour.
 
The revised Public Space Protection Orders will allow the Council to tackle a broader range of anti-social behaviour in conjunction with partners, particularly the Police. 
 
The proposed conditions would set the boundaries of what can be regarded as unacceptable behaviour, and the areas it covers which means the Council and Police can enforce measures decisively and quickly.
 
The new Orders could result in fixed penalty notices of £100 or fines of up to £1,000 if convicted of breaching the PSPO in court. They are not designed to make money for the Council, however, any money received in penalties is ring-fenced for Streetwise work.
 
Cllr Chris Booth, Executive Member for Community, said: “PSPOs are designed to ensure the law-abiding majority can use and enjoy public spaces, safe from anti-social behaviour. 
We’ve been working with partners including the Police, to identify issues that could have a detrimental impact on people who live, work or visit the town, many of which are linked to alcohol and drug dependency.
 
Our aim is always to make an early intervention, and to take the opportunity to engage and improve behaviour, but no-one should have to endure behaviour that has a negative impact on them, their environment or the community in which they live or work. 
 
The existing PSPO has been ineffective as it was unfortunately often unenforceable.  We are now restarting this process and want public feedback to be a key part of helping to improve our district through enforceable rules. 
 
We hope people will engage with the consultation process to revise the PSPO powers and help to make our county town and associated open spaces safe and welcoming.”
 
The consultation runs for six weeks from today (2 March) and will give members of the public a chance to put forward comments and suggestions including other locations.
 
The full consultation document is available to view on our website www.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/pspo
 
Paper copies are also available at Deane House, Taunton, and West Somerset House, Williton.
 
Responses can be made using the online consultation portal https://yoursay.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/or by returning the paper questionnaire by freepost.