Linda receives MBE for working with young offenders

THE head of children’s social care in West Somerset, Linda Barnett, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List.
Linda Barnett (pictured) began her career in social services in the London borough of Haringey in 1972 and has since worked briefly in education and probation, and has managed Somerset’s Youth Offending Team and since 2004.
After five years managing children’s services across Taunton and West Somerset, she set up and managed Somerset’s first multi-agency Youth Offending Team, which has a national reputation for leading the field in restorative justice in schools, parenting work, mentoring (the PROMISE Mentor Scheme) and running successful panels where local people support community-based referral orders and youth inclusion panels.
Mrs Barnett said: “It is a great honour and tribute to all the hard work that has been done through the Youth Offending Team and partner agencies working to achieve the very best outcomes for children and young people.
“The most rewarding part of all has been meeting and working with young people in Somerset themselves, and experiencing with them how they have been able to turn their lives around.“
Mrs Barnett is married with two children, Vayla, who recently graduated from Manchester University, and Dominic, who is at the University of Kent, in Canterbury.
She will officially receive her MBE in a formal ceremony to be held at Buckingham Palace later this year.
Photo submitted.

Entertainments committee folds after new councillors refuse to serve

A CHEQUE for £50 has been presented to Home-Start West Somerset as a result of fund-raising by the former entertainments committee of Minehead Town Council.
It could be the last time such a donation is made to a local charity becaue newly-elected Independent councillors who have taken control of the town council have refused to serve on the committee.
The council has therefore had to abolish its entertainments committee, which previously organised events such as tea dances and children’s activities.
Home-Start West Somerset is a voluntary organisation which helps families at home with children under five-years-old by offering support, friendship, and practical assistance.
It aims to develop parenting skills and provide activities for young children and is a particularly valuable service in rural areas where isolation adds to other social difficulties.
Volunteers are always needed and anybody who might be interested in helping can contact Home-Start by telephoning 01643 707304.
It is holding its annual meeting in Alcombe Methodist Church at 10.30 am on Wednesday, July 11, when people will be welcome to attend to hear more about the charity and what it has achieved during the past year, followed by coffee and cakes.

• Our photograph shows Councillors Norman Hercock (left) and Dave Sanders with Home-Start West Somerset organiser Ros Owen. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M030002. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

MP launches Salvation Army Christmas appeal

LOCAL MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has officially launched a charity appeal to bring Christmas cheer to children in West Somerset.
Mr Liddell-Grainger announced the start of the Salvation Army’s annual Pass the Parcel collection appeal when he attended the launch in the Superdrug store, in The Avenue, Minehead.
Superdrug is partnering the Salvation Army for the 2006 appeal in West Somerset, which is running from November 18 to December 18.
Earlier, some of the WWE Wrestling stars appearing at Butlins, together with the holiday centre’s Redcoats, presented gifts to representatives of the Salvation Army to kick-start the appeal.
People are asked to take toys and gifts for children and young people to Superdrug, from where they will be collected by the Salvation Army for distribution to families in need.
Capt Steven Watson, Salvation Army minister in Watchet, said: “The generosity of people living in West Somerset is second to none and has allowed us to bring a little bit of happiness to many children’s lives over the last seven years.”

• Our photograph shows (left to right) Salvation Army minister Capt Steven Watson, MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, and Superdrug Minehead manager Mark Granger. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M1117023. Order photo reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

Open day for CLOWNS

AN open day was held by CLOWNS to encourage local families to visit the charity and learn about the community services it provides, while having some fun at the same time.
CLOWNS, which stands for Creating Learning Opportunities in WesterN Somerset, provides a service for parents and/or carers and also children in rural isolation and areas of need within West Somerset.
A double deck bus has been converted for play and is used to offer recreational and educational facilities as it travels around the district.
There is also a smaller vehicle which takes equipment for Tumbling Toddler sessions to village halls and is used during the school summer holidays to run play schemes in villages and to take toys from the charity’s toy library to isolated communities.
It also collects clean, safe, salvaged materials from businesses for use in the CLOWNS Scrapstore.
The Playbus also carries information on a range of related services, and helps to maximise the impact of visits by working with other agencies which require rural community access.
CLOWNS relies on raising its own funds and is based at the West Somerset Sports and Leisure Centre, Minehead. Anybody who wants to know more about it can contact co-ordinator Kathy Morton on 01643 707190.

• TOP PHOTO - Enjoying the CLOWNS open day fun are (left to right) Kezia and John Elton, Holly Jones Batley, and Ewan Jones Batley. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M1023013. Order photo reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.
• BOTTOM PHOTO - CLOWNS co-ordinator Kathy Morton is pictured with (left to right) Vena Merchant, Jamie Savage, Taylor Campbell, and Xia Furze. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M1023006. Order photo reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.