Index:Wiltshire

22/02/2025

Well done! 👏 👏 👏

We are shining a light on Severn Freewheelers, a charity made up of volunteers who support our patients by transporting blood, medicines, samples and breast milk around the south west of England.🏍

In 2024, the incredible team carried out 2,180 trips - down from 2,776 in 2023.

This year, the 107 volunteers covering our local area will work every day to provide quick and safe transportation so that patient can receive the life-saving treatments and blood donations that they need.🩸

Go team, and thank you for all you do for our communities!

14/02/2025

Please, no!!!!!

This is what we could just end up with if Seven Capital does not agree to working with the Canal Trust in Swindon.
This will have no environmental gain! It's ugly and not welcoming.
Protecting a wider green corridor for the future renovation of the canal channel and improvements of the area is hugely important.

So let's walk together this Sunday to protect the canal line at the Oasis site in Swindon.
Sunday 16th February. Starting at Harcourt Road, Swindon at 11am set off.

Come and join us for a gentle stroll down the western flyer up to the Sheppard Street underpass/London Road.
Our guides will be on hand to answer questions, but let's group together to show support for saving this heritage route from construction.

Book your place here 👇 Free.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protect-the-north-wilts-canal-line-march-tickets-1243294881459?aff=oddtdtcreator

The petition 👇
The link to the petition is at https://chng.it/nRrVKCFMkX

YouTube 👇✅
https://youtu.be/LUf7kyaU-iA?si=S7VlW2emPK1_vHUZ

The details:

The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust strongly objects to the two outline planning applications for the Oasis site (S/OUT/24/1426 for residential development and S/OUT/24/1427 for employment units). The objections stem from the applications’ failure to accommodate the restoration of the Wilts & Berks Canal, as mandated by Swindon’s Local Plan Policy EN11 (Heritage Transport). This policy requires the safeguarding of the canal’s alignment to ensure its long-term re-establishment as a navigable waterway.

Key points raised by the Trust
1. Policy EN11: Heritage Transport safeguards the canal for long term restoration:
• The canal’s alignment must be protected or alternative routes provided where affected by development.
• The proposed developments encroach on the original canal route, directly violating Policy EN11.

2. Historical and Strategic Importance
• Restoring the canal through Swindon is vital for achieving the significant economic, environmental, and social benefits for Swindon
• Swindon at the centre of the southern canal network will benefit most from the complete restoration of the canal.

3. Benefits of Complete Canal Restoration
• Economic: £54M annual GVA and job creation
• Health & Well-being: £138.6M annual savings from improved public health
• Heritage & Community: Enhanced cultural and environmental value with increased property values.

4. Public and Political Support

The link to the petition is at https://chng.it/nRrVKCFMkX

• Thousands of signatures and widespread support highlight the canal’s public importance.
• Cross-party political support exists for safeguarding and restoring the canal.

5. Developer Engagement
• Despite efforts by the Trust to collaborate with the developer, meaningful engagement has been limited
• The Trust has proposed alternatives that minimize impacts on development while preserving canal continuity.

Resolution Sought:
The Trust insists on safeguarding a protected route for the canal within the outline consents.
Failure to safeguard the canal at this stage will result in irreparable damage to its continuity and the wider restoration project.

Conclusion:
The Trust’s objections emphasize the canal’s role as a critical asset for Swindon’s development. Both projects must integrate canal restoration to align with policy requirements and unlock the full range of economic, environmental, and cultural benefits for the community.

www.wbct.org.uk

18/01/2025

😔

10/01/2025

The Wilts and Berks Canal Trust joined the Wichelstowe Joint Venture team to witness the significant progress.

09/01/2025

The team are showing true grit and are out on the roads again this evening! Go carefully! ❄️

Here’s more about the routes we grit: https://ow.ly/tjeK50QoKFe

08/01/2025

A free way to help our local blood bike charity!

05/01/2025

Can you help? 🤔

New year, new opportunities!

Volunteers are an integral part of the Great Bustard Group, and the opening of our new visitor centre has created 2 new roles. We are looking for a visitor centre host to join us one morning a week to welcome visitors and share the story of the Great Bustard project. No experience needed, training will be provided. We are also in need of an online shop assistant to come in once a week, to help with packaging and postage of online shop sales. Again, no experience is required.

If you're interested in either role, please email us at [email protected].

05/01/2025

Great work in tricky conditions!

04/01/2025

Canals bring benefits for leisure, wildlife and wellbeing. Well done Wilts & Berks Canal Trust

Is it full yet?Buy me a coffee! - https://ko-fi.com/courtabovethecutPlease Sponsor me Here for my Walk 1,000 Miles Challenge for the ...

24/12/2024

Happy Christmas to everyone volunteering in the coming days 🎄🎅

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone, but especially to all our much-loved volunteers and supporters, who enable our service to run 365 days a year.
And yes, our riders, drivers and coordinators will be out there over the entire holiday period, supporting our NHS.

19/12/2024

Good luck to all taking part! 🎄 🎅

So grateful to all our friends and supporters at Savernake Community Hospital in Wiltshire for holding a Christmas Trolley raffle in support of us.
As ever, they are coming up trumps for us. Merry Christmas to everyone involved

04/12/2024

If you would like us to collect your real Christmas tree, you have until 11.59pm on Tuesday 7 January to register. We’ve teamed up with to collect and recycle real Christmas trees in return for a donation to raise vital funds to care for local people at the end of their lives in your community.

Trees will be collected from the following areas on Saturday 11 January and Sunday 12 January: SN1, SN2, SN3, SN4, SN5, SN6 6, SN6 7, SN25 1,SN25 2, SN25 3 and SN25 4
To book a collection, visit www.prospect-hospice.net/treecollection

04/12/2024

Great way to support blood bikes on duty in Wiltshire and Swindon without spending any money! 👏 👏 👏

12/11/2024

Super event supporting our blood bikes - Severn Freewheelers EVS ❤️ 💙

11/10/2024

Ooer!

Luck. Sometimes you create your own, sometimes it is gifted and sometimes a combination of both.

You may recall an appeal earlier this month for Lee Staples, who was wanted for several offences.

Information received enabled us to make further enquiries and ascertain that there was a good chance that we may find him travelling around on a bus. Not knowing exactly which bus did not deter our officers and after several tenacious attempts, we eventually located the right one with Mr Staples on board. A different mode of transport and destination was then offered to him...

To everyone who provides information about our appeals and gives us that little bit of luck - thank you. You help us make Swindon safer.

We would also like to thank all those on the buses, including the drivers, for their patience and tolerance at the unexpected stop. A slightly different trip than the one you were expecting.

You can continue to provide information and intelligence via 101, our website or anonymously via Crimestoppers