END OF YEAR (2007) REPORT

Aims

It has been a good year for the Community Activity Project (CAP) project with considerable progress being made towards our four main aims:

to develop a recycling facility.

to enhance the young peoples play provision.

to refurbish the Recreation Field building and establish a range of new active recreation clubs.

to develop a youth project to provide an all year shelter.

Recycling

We are currently awaiting the necessary licence before we can undertake the recycling of cardboard and plastics but much of the planning has been done. We hope to provide a service until the local waste partnership introduces doorstep collections in the future.

Young people

We are in the process of installing new access tracks to the playground to allow easy all-year access with the new toddlers log engine and older children’s play kickboard due to be installed in February. We are actively working towards starting an 8-12year old club as soon as practical.

Activities

The new activities established through CAP include the thriving Active Living Centre (ALC) which has introduced the members to a range of activities supported by a day-time lunch. Further activities are planned for the whole of 2008. The ALC also supports an evening digital photography/computing group and we now have our broadband. In addition we also have a well-established gardening group which meets once a month.

DANCE - New for 2008, working with Active Somerset, is an evening dance session - this starts with a taster session 11 January, 7- 8 pm, at the Memorial Hall. Further info: Graham 01373 813912

Building project

We are currently in the process of improving the rear car park and block paving the access track – eventually providing an easy access route from the road to the playground. The building project kicked off with a major bid to the Big Lottery for a new building which included new changing rooms, a better social area and a small hall to support activity/sport events. Our application to the Big Lottery was one of around 2500 submitted across England with the prospect of 200 grants being offered. We got through to the top 27% which were thoroughly reviewed over a ten month period by the lottery, which included the now familiar but dreaded lottery interview!

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the bid for £325,000 funding was not selected to go forward to the next stage. We are disappointed but knew from the outset that the odds were not good.

The CAP committee are now considering the options for the future and will report further in January.

In the period March to December 2007, we have raised over £28,000 for CAP, which is no small achievement for a small village, and through the strengths of CAP won the Calor Somerset Village of the Year competition.

Fundraising continues

BURNS NIGHT – Our next event is the popular Burn’s night. Saturday 26 January 2008. The feast will be in the Memorial Hall at 7.30pm for 8pm, tickets £10 for a three-course meal and tot of whisky.

CEILIDH/BARN DANCE - This is at Mells Tithe Barn, Saturday 8 March 2008. Bar opens at 7.30pm. Band – Hopping Mad. Tickets £7.50, including supper.

Tickets for both events in advance from:

Dave Pattison – 01373 812570

Vicky Higgins – 01373 812087

Caroline Harris – 01373 812889

Rose Martin – 01373 813680