Jill Dando News
By Oliver M, 15, Jill Dando News Correspondent Young people from across North Somerset gathered for the first time last week at Weston-super-Mare Town Hall to discuss their future and share the issues and concerns faced by thousands of young people across the region. Each school and group involved was
Schools
By Schools Correspondent Preston Chorley, a Year 7 student at Monkton Wood Academy, has claimed victory at the Weston Beach Race 2025. The event featured around 60 boys and girls from his age group, all competing on 65cc bikes. In a fiercely competitive race, Preston led for most of the
People
By Josh Bell, Charities and Schools Correspondent The Donate For Defib Weston-super-Mare Project made another valuable community connection this week, as members were warmly welcomed by the Royal Sands Community Group for a CPR and Early Defibrillation Awareness presentation. Over coffee, cake, and plenty of smiles, 25 residents took part
Mental Health
By Mental Health Correspondent Brentford FC is installing a collection of benches in West London to encourage its community to open up about mental health. With the first installed in time for World Mental Health Day on Friday 10 October, the benches are being placed in parks local to the
Mental Health
By Mental Health Correspondent Every year, World Mental Health Day (10th October) reminds us how important it is to care for our minds as much as we do our bodies. This year’s theme focuses on promoting awareness, reducing stigma, and encouraging everyone to take small, meaningful steps to protect
Animals
By Animals Correspondent Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in North Somerset has unveiled its biggest and most colourful pumpkin harvest to date – celebrated with a record-breaking jumbo elephant mosaic made from an astonishing 11,000 home grown pumpkins and gourds. The annual pumpkin harvest is a tradition born six years
Jill Dando News
By Oliver Masley, 15, Jill Dando News Correspondent at WCSA Newsroom Worle Community School Academy’s (WCSA), in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, music department never fails to deliver excellence in the arts. Its alumni have gone on to become members of prestigious groups, receive scholarships, and perform in stunning venues such
Animals
By Animals Correspondent A dedicated animal welfare advocate from Wales has been recognised for her outstanding commitment to improving the lives of dogs. Vanessa Waddon, Founder and Director of Hope Rescue in Pontyclun, South Wales, has received a Challenge Coin from animal welfare charity, Naturewatch Foundation, for her work leading
News
By Conservation Correspondent A groundbreaking project has seen 20 giant “oyster reef cubes” deployed off the North East coast of England to help restore the near-extinct European native oyster to UK waters. In a UK-first, marine conservationists from ZSL and Groundwork North East and Cumbria placed the textured, concrete-like blocks
News
By Community Correspondent A former Geology student at the University of Leicester has been reunited with his compass after around 60 years, after it was found in a charity shop with a note to return it to its original owner. Volunteers at Martock Charity Shop were able to reunite David
Jill Dando News
By Jill Dando News Pupils at Minerva Primary Academy had a very special slippery visitor this week – a royal python named ‘Jinga’. The children enjoyed a fascinating presentation on how to care for and look after pet snakes. Royal pythons, also known as ball pythons, are non-venomous constrictors from Africa,
Jill Dando News
By Jacob Kemp, Jill Dando News Correspondent As I cast my beady eye over the latest developments at the Labour Party Conference, I am reminded of the first time I interviewed a politician, and what a first politician it was! During the Summer of 2019, as the Brexit debate raged
News
By Community Correspondent Free food, good vibes, and a space to chill – The Salvation Army in Nottingham is inviting students from NTU and UoN to its brand-new ‘Breakfast-Style’ Brunch, running every Wednesday from 8 October to 19 November 2025 at William Booth Memorial Halls (WBMH) on King Edward Street. The
News
By Charities Correspondent F&F exclusively for Tesco is launching colourful sock brand Stand Out Socks in selected stores across the UK this October, which coincides with Down Syndrome Awareness Month. The vibrant and meaningful Stand Out Socks range will be available in over 200 large Tesco stores which
People
By Community Correspondent It was a moment of quiet hope and healing when Christiana Sophia Conway walked into her local hospital carrying a large box filled with over 60 handmade cotton bags—each one a small, tangible act of compassion for women experiencing pregnancy loss. Just three years earlier, she
News
By Josh Bell, Charities and Schools Correspondent Donate For Defib, the award-winning community project dedicated to expanding access to life-saving defibrillators, is delighted to announce an exciting new collaboration with the University of Bristol. Project leads Andy, Sarah, and Josh met with an esteemed team of Clinical Experts — Professor Graham