Taunton and West Somerset Retired Teachers Group

ON Tuesday, February 21 Taunton and West Somerset Retired Teachers Group welcomed Linda Battle, a volunteer fundraiser for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

Linda gave a very informative talk on the work of the charity which provides an excellent emergency service for the people of Dorset and Somerset within 20 minutes, and to surrounding counties if required.

Since the year 2000 the air ambulance has attended thousands of incidents, sometimes up to eight or nine in a single day in the summer months.

The charity receives no direct funding from the government or the National Lottery and has to fund the operational costs of over £2 million a year itself.

Everyone can help by joining the charity’s own Flight for Life lottery, making a donation or holding a fundraising event. There are over 70 volunteers in Somerset and new volunteers are welcomed.

New members joining the Retired Teachers Group will also receive a very warm welcome. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 21 at 2.30pm in Staplegrove Village Hall and there will then be a break for the summer.

The speaker at the March meeting will be Peter Halse, who will be entertaining the group with a talk about the American Civil War.