Dear Editor,

I have just returned home from my daily visit to the High Street and I was so pleased to see so many people out enjoying the sunshine and shopping locally.

Families were enjoying the seating in the Hollies Garden, children running around, more youngsters in evidence with their skateboards and bikes, clearly off to the skatepark, people enjoying a coffee outside the locally run cafes watching the world go past, motorists stopping to let people cross the road.

All ages, all walks of life, and all having a great time, as far as I could tell.

How many other towns/villages are able to enjoy the facilities that Midsomer Norton has to offer?

I came back feeling so pleased to be alive and living in this lovely part of the world.

Sharon Adams

Midsomer Norton

PS: Any naysayers wanting to reply to this and argue otherwise, do not waste your time, it will not make the slightest bit of difference to my outlook on life!

Dear Editor,

I want to share something I only learned recently, because I think most people genuinely do not know it either.

When a mother cow gives birth to a male calf, that calf has no place in the dairy system.

It cannot produce milk, and it is typically not a breed suited to beef production.

So, it is killed.

Last year in Great Britain, this happened 60,745 times before calves even reached eight months of age, over six every hour, according to figures Animal Aid obtained from the Rural Payments Agency.

The numbers are shocking.

But, what also shocked me was where it happens.

More male calves under two months old are killed on farms than in slaughterhouses.

Nearly six in 10 calves killed with no regulatory oversight, within metres of their mothers.

I do not think most people are heartless.

I think most people simply do not realise that purchasing dairy comes with a devastating consequence, for thousands of male calves, and for the mothers who bring them into the world.

Alex Harman

By email

Dear Editor,

I joined Mary’s Meals as a volunteer in May, 2025, having always wanted to be involved with a charity.

But, as a busy third-year university student with a part-time job, I believed it was impossible.

Then, the calling arrived.

In April, 2025, my mother sent a message about a fantastic charity she had been introduced to during Mass and believed was meant for me.

Reflecting now, I am grateful my mum encouraged me to be part of this wonderful family.

I fell in love with the international school feeding charity and bought the book ‘Give’ by Mary’s Meals founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow.

I felt called to become a volunteer.

I understand how difficult it is for people, especially students, to give their free time, and I was in the same position.

It was only after starting my volunteer journey I truly understood the time I gave to charity was not lost, it was time given to children who needed it most.

Church talks are not just church talks, they feed children.

Fund-raising is not just fund-raising, it is supporting dreams.

Volunteering is not just about giving back, it is about enriching your life.

I found purpose and decided to dedicate my time, even if only a little, to helping Mary’s Meals feed children.

I have also been a child, and thinking many children can only dream of the opportunities I had makes me more passionate about Mary’s Meals’ mission.

‘What can I get from volunteering?’- everything.

Volunteering gives the opportunity to contribute to a larger mission, the possibility to meet like-minded people, the chance to improve your academic and professional skills, and a sense of accomplishment.

Being a student is challenging, sleepless nights, long assignments, and early-morning lectures.

But, if we can find a little time to give to charity, our lives can change, and in the process, we can help change the lives of hungry children.

Looking at pictures of smiling children you have supported and helped is a feeling hard to put into words.

If you want to change your life and that of millions of children, join Mary’s Meals and take part in a mission you will never forget.

To learn more about Mary’s Meals, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk.

Alessandra Cavaliere

Mary’s Meals volunteer

Dear Editor,

Lymphoma Action are delighted to announce the return of our national conference, taking place on Friday, May 8, in York.

Anybody affected by lymphoma is welcome to attend, whether they have received a diagnosis themselves or are supporting a loved one.

Readers might be interested in this unique opportunity to hear from lymphoma experts, meet others affected by the condition, ask questions, and share experiences.

We will be joined by medical professionals who will talk about why lymphoma causes symptoms and the side effects of treatment, and our dedicated wellbeing sessions will offer practical tips for day-to-day living.

Attendees will also hear the personal story of somebody with a lived experience of lymphoma.

There will be plenty of time to connect with others affected by lymphoma throughout the day, and to find out more about the services and support Lymphoma Action has available as the UK’s leading charity dedicated to this type of blood cancer.

Our national conference will be held in The Milner York Hotel, in York.

Tickets cost £30 per person, including lunch and refreshments, and prior booking is essential.

For further information, or to book your place, please visit: https://lymphoma-action.org.uk/conference

Amanda Harris

Lymphoma Action

Dear Editor,

THE Government with the crisis over the Middle East oil are willing to help families, elderly, disabled, with energy bills for those less fortunate.

Everybody else who suffers pays higher bills, are taxed through the roof, plus paying ridiculous amounts of council tax.

The Government are putting it to councils to help with the energy situation.

The councils who are better off will have to foot the bill and the other councils who waste communities’ hard-earned money will get out of helping communities.

So, the Government are palming it off to councils so the Government look like they are caring for people when at the end of the day all they think of is taxes and somebody else to blame as they waste as well.

The country is a disaster, the wrong people are running councils and Government.

Linda Sparks

By email