The first Somerset Star Council Awards were presented at the Somerset Parishes Conference on Thursday 8 October 2026, celebrating the outstanding work of councils, councillors and clerks across the county.
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners and runners-up, and thank you to every council that took the time to submit a nomination. The standard was exceptionally high.
Created in 2023, Taunton Town Council has achieved a remarkable amount in a short time. It supported the successful transfer of services from Somerset Council, invested £1.2 million across 12 play parks shaped by more than 2,000 responses from pupils and adults, and put over £440,000 into public toilets, including Changing Places provision. It has awarded 85 grants worth almost £393,000, its Taunton Together event drew around 20,000 people, and it achieved NALC Gold status in 2025.
"Taunton was thrown in the deep end and has achieved a lot in a relatively short time."Awards panel
Wellington Town Council turned a long-disused town centre pub into the King's Arms Community Hub, now Somerset's first Best Start in Life Family Hub. Since taking on open spaces from Somerset Council in 2025, its specialist team has made a visible difference to the town, and other councils now seek out its expertise. The council funds local services including Citizens Advice and MIND, planted 4,000 trees in 2024/25, reinstated a youth club and built a pump track.
On top of the success of the King's Arms project, Wellington is committed to ensuring its staff are trained and qualified.Awards panel
West Monkton Parish Council has delivered new cricket, rugby and pump track facilities at Hyde Park Sports Ground, a Lottery-funded project at Maidenbrook Country Park, and an expanded Community Fridge and Garden with local primary school children. It leads the LCN-wide youth project HYPE, runs a warm and cool hub, and hosts regular cafés for pain, bereavement and the wider community. It also negotiated changes to Section 106 agreements so that public open space was transferred to the community.
"West Monkton is doing so much with so little."Awards panel
Castle Cary Town Council
Philippa leads Castle Cary Town Council's work for older and vulnerable people. She founded the Memory Café, which helped Castle Cary become a Dementia Friendly town, and runs Sing 4 All, where tea and cake are always on the menu. When a neighbouring parish withdrew from a 74-tree planting project, she carried on alone through a very hot summer, and most of the trees survived. She reports local issues almost every week and is working on Somerset Prepared and a neurodiverse-friendly quality mark.
"Philippa's style, tea and cake, truly works and needs to be recognised."Awards panel
First runner-up
Otterhampton Parish Council
Steve has driven Otterhampton's "Growing Together" project, with over 30 events tackling loneliness through arts, crafts and gardening, and revived the annual Flower Show and Arts & Crafts Festival. He is now leading efforts to bring the Anchor Inn back as a community pub.
Second runner-up
Nether Stowey Parish Council
A parish councillor for over 18 years and Chair for around 12, John masterminded the refurbishment of the village Clock Tower and has championed affordable housing in Nether Stowey. He made an attempt to retire in 2023, but failed and was quickly promoted back into the Chair.
Taunton Town Council
Tom became Leader of Taunton Town Council at its creation in 2023, aged 28, and has given the new council clear, steady leadership. Under his leadership the council brought public toilet cleaning back in-house, refurbished three sets of public toilets and built its own open spaces team. A straightforward communicator, he took questions from around 250 residents at the Annual Town Meeting and publicly explained how every £1 of residents' money would be spent.
Tom is a highly competent councillor.Awards panel
West Monkton Parish Council
Amy joined West Monkton Parish Council as a part-time Assistant Clerk and has grown with it, completing CiLCA and Level 4 in Community Governance and now working towards Level 5. She has spearheaded Maidenbrook Country Park, Hyde Park Sports Ground and the Community Fridge and Garden. When developers missed deadlines, she led changes to the Section 106 agreement so the council became the legal owner of the public open spaces.
"Small parish clerks must be jacks of all trades."Awards panel
First runner-up
Glastonbury Town Council
Conor has led Glastonbury Town Council's modernisation since 2022, including the £3 million St Dunstan's House Community Health and Wellbeing Centre, a ten-site play park programme and the town's first Britain in Bloom Gold Medal.
Collected on Donna's behalf
Second runner-upTaunton Town Council
Donna has grown Taunton Town Council from three staff to around 80, drove its achievement of NALC Gold status, and has shared its experience with other councils going through local government reorganisation.
With funding from The National Lottery Community Fund and Somerset Community Foundation, Rodney Stoke Parish Council is turning an overflow car park into a community orchard, giving two ancient villages with little open green space a place to meet and grow food. Designed with orchardists, arborists and ecologists, the orchard is being planted and cared for by volunteers, and fifteen trees have been sponsored by residents so far. A gala opening will be held on Sunday 25 October 2026.
"Rodney Stoke brought the community in and turned an overflow car park into an orchard with very little resources."Awards panel
First runner-up
Glastonbury hosted the Avalon & Poldens LCN "Step, Ride, Thrive" project, connecting residents with the Avalon Marshes through a bus route extension, free bike events and guided wellbeing walks.
Second runner-up
Taunton's climate strategy led to a partnership with Wessex Water on projects including Slow the Flow and Tiny Ponds for Taunton, and the town achieved Watermark Town status in March 2026.
Wellington Town Council
Wellington Town Council took on the lease of an under-used former pub to create an inclusive space in the heart of the town, shaped by residents through forums and surveys. The Hub is Somerset's first Best Start in Life Family Hub and Wellington's front door for crisis and resilience support. The Hub Manager role, initially funded by SALC, is now permanent.
"Wellington saw an opportunity rather than a problem with that building."Awards panel
Ashbrittle Parish Council
Volunteers in this small village turned an overgrown plot by the village hall into a boules court, giving every generation an outdoor meeting place. It now hosts matches with neighbouring communities.
Second runner-up
Hestercombe LCN
All eight councils in Hestercombe LCN pooled the equivalent of 5% of their precepts to fund youth provision for young people who feel anxious in new social situations, and every one has since renewed or increased its commitment.
Unfortunately, some of this year's winners and runners-up were not able to attend the ceremony to collect their awards in person. Congratulations once again to all of our winners and nominees, and thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination and to the awards panel for their time.
The Somerset Star Council Awards will return at next year's conference on Thursday 7 October 2027.