It’s been a busy time since I got back from my holiday. Thanks to Cllr Anita Collier for writing this column in the last issue. Anita continues to champion road safety issues alongside her other work as a councillor, working with Somerset Highways and the police to make our roads safer.
My wife Anne & I attended the ceremony to commemorate the Centenary of the Laying of the Memorial Hall Foundation Stone at the Memorial Theatre on 20th September. It was great to chat with many of the trustees who manage the theatre, staffed by volunteers who work so hard to provide an entertainment venue that goes from strength to strength. I also had the honour of meeting Anne, Lady Dodd. I had no idea she and Ken were so involved in the project to save the theatre for the town. Chair of Trustees, Richard Lines, outlined future plans to make the theatre more accessible and to make the adjoining Assembly Rooms even more useful for local organisations.
Some of you may remember seeing the imposing figure of the High Sheriff of Somerset, Rob Beckley, at our Golden Anniversary celebrations in Victoria Park earlier this year. Rob kindly invited Anne & I to attend his reception in Taunton Minster at the end of September. It was our first visit to Taunton, and coincided with a new event called Taunton Together, which closed a large area of the city centre to allow many voluntary organisations from Taunton and across the County to set up stalls promoting themselves and asking for support. Although in the short term most were looking for donations, many were also trying to build their volunteer base. Thanks to Yeovil Freewheelers for letting me try one of their vital blood bikes for size!
The importance of volunteers was a theme of Rob’s address in the Minster. He spoke passionately about the value of the voluntary sector, referring to it as the glue that holds society together. He quoted from his visit to Frome that he learned we have over 190 different voluntary organisations in town. He also highlighted that although there are few reliable statistics on volunteering, annual surveys are showing that the number of people who volunteer for three hours per month or more has dropped by 40% over the last decade. He speculated on the possible causes, from grandparents being needed for childminding duties, to the prevalence of working from home which blurs the boundaries between work time and free time.
His message resonated strongly with me. As you probably know I’m involved with a fair number of our local groups, and as Mayor I get to visit many of them each month. The message from almost everyone is that membership is dwindling, and some are at risk of closing for lack of people willing to support what they do. Frome’s residents are generous with their cash – as demonstrated at Frome Carnival which raised over £4,000 for local causes – but people are struggling to commit time and energy to volunteering.
Volunteering can be so rewarding on many different levels. Not only is there the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting a good cause, it’s a great way to meet people with similar interests, and to learn new skills from people only too happy to share what they know. If you are thinking of offering a bit of time, have a look on the FTC website Volunteer page for some ideas. Or think about things you enjoy doing and search for voluntary groups in the town doing the same thing. Also, remember that all 17 FTC Councillors are volunteers, so if you’re interested in shaping the future of our town come along to any council meeting and have a chat.
