Isn’t Summer great? The weather hasn’t been as good as we could have hoped, but there are so many events and celebrations happening here in Frome – and as luck would have it, the rain stayed away for them!
On 31st August, I visited Super Roots Outdoor Kids CIC’s free community go-kart derby at Weylands. It really took me back to my childhood, when we used to build what we called ‘trashers’ from old pram wheels, planks of wood and odd lengths of rope. Groups of kids, parents and grandparents were working in teams, creating go-karts from scrap materials that would carry the brave driver over the grassy racetrack to victory. It was fabulous to see people get stuck in together, working towards a shared goal and having fun.
On a slightly more grown up note, I was invited to talk to Frome Rotary at one of their regular evening meetings. I took the opportunity to explain the work that FTC’s Engagement Team has been doing to gather information from people at multiple events and locations around town to help formulate our priorities for the coming years. We’ve heard how much our residents value the green spaces and community connections around Frome, but also how worried people are about road safety, the cost of housing, and the loss of face-to-face services.
I was recently invited to the opening of a cultural exhibition in The Round House at Black Swan Arts featuring the Palestinian History Tapestry which illustrates the history of the land of Israel/Palestine from prehistoric times. The tapestries have been made by women within and outside Palestine, many of whom live in refugee camps across the Middle East. The tapestry is unique and likely to be the largest collection of illustrative work ever produced by Palestinian embroiderers. The Palestinian spirit of ‘sumud’ (steadfastness) shines through the images.
Focus Frome invited me to their 5th Birthday Celebration at St John’s Cottage. Focus is a safe place providing low-cost professional counselling to people in Bath, Frome, Wells and the surrounding areas. The Frome site has grown over the last five years and now hosts a team of 10 person-centred counsellors who are available for adults, young people, children, couples and families. It was a privilege to meet the team and I’m sure they’re going to be helping many more local people over the coming years. If you think you might benefit from their support, you can book an initial assessment by calling the Frome Practice Manager and counsellor, Lucia Chadwick, on 01373 485051.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the monthly meetings of Frome Town Council, and there’s always an opportunity to ask questions, or just listen in to the discussion. We try to keep it as informal and accessible as possible and you can join in person or online, or watch recodrings of meetings on the Frome Town Council YouTube channel. Details are on our website at https://bit.ly/FTC-council-meetings.
