Alex Parnham-Cope

Age Advantage, a St Monica Trust-funded project based at The Stable in Weston-super-Mare, is helping people over 55 tackle loneliness, improve confidence and develop skills for volunteering, employment, further education and possible self-employment. Its activities include social groups, arts, digital skills, artificial intelligence and employability workshops. Since launching in January 2025, the project has recorded 427 attendances involving 127 participants, with organisers highlighting individual progress alongside the statistics. Coordinator Ade Bowen is seeking more participants, particularly local men, and the project works with the YMCA and North Somerset College to connect attendees with wider support and training opportunities.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service is opening applications for wholetime firefighter roles to residents anywhere in the UK, removing its usual service-area residency requirement. Registrations of interest will run from August 10 to 16, with successful applicants progressing through online questionnaires, ability tests and a formal application process for a training school planned for spring 2027. Applicants must be at least 18, have the right to work in the UK and meet physical fitness requirements, but no specific qualifications are required. The roles include responding to fires, road collisions, chemical incidents, water rescues, medical emergencies and animal rescues, alongside community safety work. Fully qualified firefighters earn £40,358 plus benefits.

ProDog Raw will host the two-day ProDog Beach Fest at Weston-super-Mare’s Beach Lawns on August 15 and 16 to mark the company’s tenth anniversary. The festival will feature dock diving, flyball, agility, scent work, canicross, dog-care talks and a charity fun run led by world champion Ben Robinson. Proceeds will support Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary and RSPCA North Somerset. Tickets cost £10 for adults, while children under 16 and dogs enter free, with attendance capped to reduce overcrowding.

A fire outside Weston General Hospital in Weston-super-Mare forced the emergency department to close overnight and led to the evacuation or internal relocation of patients after smoke entered corridors. Patient May McManus described the experience as traumatic but praised doctors and nurses for returning to care for patients, obtain ventilators and ensure medication was available. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust said everyone was moved to safety under its fire protocols, while Avon Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that crews extinguished the blaze with no injuries reported.

Little Starz Nursery in Worle evacuated children and staff after an accidental garden fire on Meadowbank affected nearby vehicles, trees and properties. The evacuees sheltered at St Mark’s Primary School, and no one was seriously injured. Crews from six Avon fire stations brought the blaze under control, isolated utilities and made the scene safe; the nursery later reopened and resumed normal operations.

Two men were arrested following an altercation in the car park of a Tesco store on Station Road in Weston-super-Mare. Police reported that a 22-year-old man claimed he was racially abused by a 26-year-old before the situation escalated. The older man was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences and assaulting an emergency worker, while the younger man was arrested on suspicion of assault. Tesco is assisting police with their enquiries.