CHEW Valley Flower Club will be welcoming Lesley Hunt to their club when they meet on Monday, September 8.

The event, which will start at 7.30pm, will see an evening of flowers and fun as attendees will be able to watch her create wonderful flower arrangements.

Taking place at Compton Martin Village hall, refreshments will be available to all, while flower arrangements will be raffled at the end of the evening.

Tickets for the event are available for £8 each.

CHEW Magna Badminton Club is looking for new members to join them in September to take part in the 2025/2026 season.

The club is made up of a group of people from various Chew Valley villages, many of the team’s players have played for many years.

They play at 7.30pm on Thursdays from September through to April at St Andrew’s Church in Chew Magna.

Anyone who would like to learn more about the club, or would like to pick up a racket and join them, is encouraged to call the club’s chairman using the phone number 01761 453145.

A SUPPORTER of Safe Haven For Donkeys will be hosting a garden party in Stowey Pensford to raise funds for the group.

Janet Parsons will be holding the event on Sunday, September 7, from 1.30pm to 5.30pm at Hollowtree House on Folly Lane.

There will be plenty available at the event, from tea and home made cakes to raffles, craft stalls, bric-a-brac as well as plenty of plants to admire.

Live music will also be on display at the event, as the Vintage Cheddar Rock Band look to provide plenty of live entertainment throughout the afternoon with rock and roll songs from multiple different decades.

Entry to the event is via donation.

Safe Haven for Donkeys was set up in 2000 to help the thousands of working donkeys in Israel and Palestine.

Their sanctuary in Israel provides life-long care to around 180 unwanted and abused donkeys of all ages but the charity’s work does not stop at the sanctuary gates.

They also have a rescue centre in Arrana, in the West Bank, which is home to donkeys who have suffered abuse and neglect.

THE Valley Arts Harvest Home Hoedown returns in 2025 with Squeeze Fiddle Pluck – the Mendip Hills’ own high-energy ceilidh band.

From accordion to mandolin, the caller will lead guests through dances like the Gay Gordons and Strip the Willow.

The event will take place from 7.30pm from Saturday, September 6 at Chew Stoke Harvest Home.

Tickets for the event include a light supper with vegan and vegetarian options available.

No experience is needed to attend this event, meaning guests of all abilities can enjoy it.

CHEW Valley School are celebrating with some pleased parents and students at GCSE results day.

The school, which is located in between Chew Stoke and Chew Magna, saw many strong individual performances and impressive achievements across a wide range of subjects, which highlighted the strong efforts put in by both staff and students.

Chew Valley School teaches children from the ages of 11 to 18, guiding students through their GCSEs, BTECs and A-Levels.

Gareth Beynon, headteacher at Chew Valley School, highlighted how impressive the work done by this year’s cohort is, particularly as they began secondary school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Beynon, headteacher, said: “This year group have been brilliant to work with. They managed to overcome some incredibly challenging times in that they missed KS2 SATS, started secondary school in the COVID-19 pandemic and yet have flourished to achieve some fabulous results today.

“With a broad spread of grades and many students exceeding expectations, the results reflect both academic excellence and personal triumphs. We are incredibly proud of them.”

Their successful GCSE results came in one week after A-Level results had been made available to Year 13 students, who had been described by head of Sixth Form Harriet John as a “privilege” to teach.

Thank you to those who attended the Chew Valley Area Forum’s meeting at Chew Valley School on 26 June.

Police: PCSO’s Martin Bragg and Sarah Hewlett attended to give an update and take questions. They reported an increase in the theft of motor vehicles in the area as well as theft from them. Number plates are also being stolen. There has been some anti-social behaviour in Pensford and Bishop Sutton and speeding cars around the lakes. It is possible to report most issues online. You can also find details of your local beat team online. Crime statistics can be found on the Police.UK website.

Energy in Your Community Project: During the meeting, Ellie Bryant – Project Manager at Bath & North East Somerset Council, highlighted this project which will give three communities in Bath and North East Somerset the opportunity to develop a small scale renewable energy project (eg wind farm, solar farm etc). This would be set up and owned by the community with the benefits to be retained by the community. The deadline for registering was 5pm on August 4.

Chew Valley Reconnected: The Forum heard from Phil Heath – Chair of the Chew Valley Reconnected Partnership and Zoe Hancock – Green Infrastructure Programme Manager, B&NES. Their presentation, which includes contact details for them, is attached.

Avon Needs Trees: Tom Le Fanu – Head of Engagement, Communications and Fundraising at Avon Needs Trees, gave an update on the Lower Chew Forest and Great Avon Wood. His presentation is attached and again, includes contact details for the projects.

Local Plan: Jackie Clayton – Head of Sustainable Economy with Bath & North East Somerset Council, gave the attached presentation on the Local Plan. This was followed by a World Café session which allowed those present to share their thoughts on local development; transport and sustainability.

The Local Plan will identify locations for new development over the coming years and set out planning policies. These form criteria that new proposals for development must meet in order to secure planning permission. It is therefore important to give your views while the Local Plan is being developed. Formal consultation on it will begin in early October.

Next Chew Valley Area Forum Meeting: The next Chew Valley Area Forum meeting is scheduled for Thursday 25 September at 6pm. We are unable to hold it at the school but are exploring other venues and will confirm as soon as possible.

Thatchers have announced that the especially high temperatures this summer have resulted in its earliest ever harvest.

The cider makers, who are based out of Sandford, Somerset, have made their harvest of apples ten days ahead of schedule.

They claim it is the first time in its over 120 year history that they have begun picking apples from their orchard before the August Bank Holiday.

Richard Johnson, head cider maker at Thatchers Cider said; “We had an excellent spring, where the warm weather and bountiful blossom gave us good pollination, meaning the trees are laden with fruit.

“The apples are slightly smaller due to the lack of rain, but the flavours are intensified.”

A dog and her handler are celebrating after clinching the top spot at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival.

Kirsty Armitstead, from Yatton, Somerset along with her dog, Cuba, triumphed in the Intermediate Kennel Club Agility Stakes quarter-final on Thursday, August 7, a win which qualifies them for December’s semi-final.

Ms Armitstead said: “To win against so many partnerships I really admire was really surreal; I'm still in shock to be honest.

“Cuba has been spoilt with a new toy, cuddles and lots of treats - although she'd be happy to just play more agility.

“I've been doing agility for seven years, but Cuba is only in her third competitive season and she's making lots of my dreams come true so hopefully there's more to come in the future.”