The Avalon & Poldens LCN project – ‘Step, Ride, Thrive’ is all about enhancing active travel opportunities and rural connections to the Avalon Marshes, a group of nature reserves on the Somerset Levels. The project will make it easier, and healthier, to explore the Avalon Marshes.
Before the project began, the reserves has no direct public transport links, and with 31% of the LCN residents not having access to their own transport, this meant lots of residents were missing out on the opportunities the Avalon Marshes have to offer.
Step, Ride, Thrive addresses this through three key strands:
Explore the ‘Step, Ride, Thrive’ Website for more information:
This project is part of the wider renewal and revitalisation of Bridgwater. It focuses on cultural development, enhancement of public spaces, and the promotion of community health and wellbeing.
The project has three key strands:
Bridgwater Town Council are developing a Cultural Strategy as part of their Animating Bridgwater project to guide the future of creativity in the town. That means better support for music, heritage, arts, workshops and community spaces- and they want to hear from you!
Why take part? Your answer will help shape decisions about:
Who can take part?
Everyone! Whether you take part in culture or just enjoy attending – Bridgwater Town Council want to hear from you. Scan the QR code to have your say.
Chard Town Council is launching KIND – the Knowledge, Information, Networking Directory – a central digital hub designed to support the health and wellbeing of all Chard residents by providing clear, easy access to local services, activities and resources.
KIND will bring together:
This large grant is going towards funding a Community Engagement Officer who will oversee the project and liaise with stakeholders and reception team members who will be available to support members of the public to use the directory.
The directory will also be available in printed versions in key community spaces for offline access.
Key project aims:
The ‘Drayton Link’ is an active travel project aiming to join the village of Drayton with the Curry Rivel to Langport Active Travel route.
Active travel in this context includes cycle routes to reduce the use of cars as well as leisure users and the needs of walkers, push or wheelchair accessibility and mobility scooters.
Project aims:
The aim of this project, building on the successful completion of the Exmoor LCN Moorland Foodbank Scoping Project, is to fund staffing costs of a part-time manager to develop the Moorland Foodbank into a community resource.
With their building secured, the Foodbank now aims to continue to provide support for those living in southern Exmoor, whilst also addressing some of the difficulties that lead to a lack of food resilience.
Project aims include:
Adventures in Your Neighbourhood is a series of community festivals in different areas area Frome and Chard.
Four ‘pop-up’ festivals will take place across neighbourhoods in Frome and Chard Town Centre. The 4 festivals will be co-designed by working groups of local people in each neighbourhood.
Longer term co-created projects developed over time between artists and community groups working together will run alongside the pop-up festivals. These will be led by partner organisation Terrestrial (a Frome-based community arts producer) who specialise in collaborative projects. A key aspect of Terrestrial’s work is supporting projects with people who don’t normally feel invited to lead their own creative projects.
Project goals:
This project is centered around enhancing mental health and wellbeing across Glastonbury and has two key branches:
1. Glastonbury Mental Health Network’s (GMHN) “The Snug” Sessions:
The Snug is a safe and inclusive space open to all members of the community. Glastonbury Mental Health Network hosts two weekly events and the grant will enable them to expand these sessions to the St Dunstan’s House. These sessions are incredibly valuable in promoting mental wellness, providing opportunties for social connection, creative expression and support.
2. Part-funding the Facility lead role at St Dunstan’s House Community Health and Wellbeing Centre:
St Dunstan’s House is set to open Summer 2025 and will provide a central venue for NHS and social care services, national and local charities, local businesses and community groups to collaborate and offer holistic health services. The grant will be used to fund a dedicated Facility Lead who will oversee the centre’s operations and start planning activities within the centre.
This project is to enhance the health and wellbeing of young people across Minhead by establishing a dedicated full-time Young People’s Health Coach Role hosted by Minehead Eye. This will ensure strong collaboration between the Minehead Eye Youth and Community organisation and the West Somerset Primary Care Network’s Living better Neighbourhood project.
Key deliverables:
This project involves transforming the now vacant space at the Old School Centre in Porlock into a Community Hub aimed at providing more community-led spaces, expanding on existing community library services, and create a multi-purpose area for continued used for the community led by the community.
Key deliverables:
1. To transform the now vacant space at the Old School Centre, previously occupied by the information centre, into a community hub to provide more community led services.
2. A small part of the funding will go towards the reburfbishment and year 1 utilities costs.
3. The main part of this grant will go towards staffing costs for the community hub.
This LCN wide project is all about getting young people more engaged and helping those who might be struggling. It offers outreach services like games, sports, and social events to build trust and steer them away from anti-social behaviour. The aim is to give 13-19 year olds something positive to do while making the community safer.
This project is part of Taunton Town Councils’ Town of Sanctuary Strategy and Action Plan 2025-28. The project identifies Taunton Town Councils’ commitment to ensuring that refugees are better embedded into Taunton and is designed in collaboration with refugee chariities Taunton Welcomes Refugees, CHARIS Refugees and RAFT.
This project aims to create a culture of welcome accross Taunton to increase social cohesion and build a compassionate and inclusive community.
Key deliverables will focus on ensuring that refugees are better embedded into Taunton. This includes:
The King’s Arms is situated in the heart of Wellington and Wellington TC are going to take on a lease of the ground floor. The aim is to set up a Community Hub based on an Early Intervention model to support the most vulnerable adults, children and families and young people at the earliest opportunity possibility.
This grant will support staffing costs at the Community Hub.