Community news roundup: Rotary shop is pops up again this October

THE Rotary Club of Wellington’s ever-popular Bric-a-Brac sale at the Pop-Up Shop, in Fore Street, Wellington will be back again in October.

The Pop-Up Shop will be open for business from 10 am to 4.30 pm, on Monday, October 5 to Saturday, October 10, so please pay us a visit and pick up a bargain. You never know, you may find something you never knew you wanted!

If you have good quality items gathering dust at home please drop them into the shop when we are open. Alternatively, call 01823 663581 to arrange collection. We welcome donations of good quality china, glassware, ornaments, toys, board games, etc. In fact, anything we can sell to raise funds for local charities and good causes.

Brian Withers

The Rotary Club of Wellington - President

WHO says owls only come out at night? Well the one at Wellington Medical Centre is certainly not nocturnal and is proving to be a real game changer for patients and staff.

Dr Joe Collings who is one of the GPs at the practice had approached the League of Friends asking if we would fund the purchase of a Meeting Owl, at a cost of £1,999.

Well most of us had never heard of this device, but apparently it is an all-in-one, 360-degree video conferencing device that uses artificial intelligence to automatically zoom in on whoever is speaking - think of Zoom or Teams but with extra whistles and bells.

Convinced that this was going to benefit patients we agreed to the funding and we are so glad we did. It’s been in use for a while so we contacted the Medical Centre to see how they were getting on with it. Dr Collings told us: “The meeting owl has been a game changer - it has been very useful indeed across the board but it has really shined with Multi-Disciplinary Teams, and has even been used in clinical teaching too.

“It is used multiple times across the week so there are lots of examples I can think of, but one recent example comes to mind in particular, relating to a multi-disciplinary team meeting for a younger vulnerable patient (and their family) where it was possible to bring together the child’s GP, the parent’s GP, the health visitor, the family’s social worker and a paediatrician working remotely in the hospital to discuss the complexities of this individual’s care and come up with a cohesive plan.

“This kind of meeting has been previously attempted online but has often not been very successful due to sound and video quality, however in this case, it was perfect and really highlighted to me what a difference the meeting owl has made!

“We had a very successful meeting and came up with a good plan to safeguard some of the concerns around the child and plan their ongoing medical care.

“Another example on a different thread was a recent significant event analysis where it allowed us to connect to our entire team at the medical centre and wider primary care network for an important piece of learning surrounding an adverse event; in order to prevent a recurrence and learn from something that went wrong. This would not previously have been possible, or at least would have been very ineffective over Teams due to the large number of people present.

“We are really grateful to Wellington Hospital League of Friends for this - it has been a real help.”

It’s really good to hear the funds you, our supporters, help us raise is being put to something which is having such positive results.

Thank you for your continued support.

Diane Grabham

Vice-chair & Press Office

Wellington Hospital League of Friends

WELLINGTON Monument Rotary Club recently received some First Aid training from Sarah Lithgow of St John Ambulance. Some of us had previously undertaken training, and were surprised at how strenuous giving CPR can be. We later presented a cheque to Sarah to help with local fundraising.

Ada Mournian

Club Secretary

AUTUMN sees the return of the Wellington Museum talks which are held at the Wellington Prep School Hall at 7.30 pm. Members are £3 and non-members £4.

September’s talk is on Thursday evening, September 24 when the museum will be welcoming Dr Adrian Webb, MA, PhD, FRHistS who will be talking about the trials and tribulations of top secret chart and map making in Taunton and Bath and preparations D-Day.

This is sure to be a fascinating look into the top secret world of map making and the preparations for what was to be a decisive part of World War 2 and is sure to be very popular with everyone.

The museum looks forward to welcoming you on the evening of September 24.

The museum is at The Squirrel, 28 Fore Street, Wellington and is open Monday to Friday 10 am to 4 pm and Saturday 10 am to 1pm.

Mike Menhenitt

Wellington Local History & Museum Society - Chairman

THE Devon charity Christian Response to Eastern Europe (cr2ee) who take humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Moldova is brilliantly supported by Wellington Methodist Church and friends.

Their latest collection of donations - new as well as good quality secondhand clothing for children included nappies, bedding, stationary, and toys.

Candles and candle stubs are also needed as these are converted into larger candles for heating, lighting and cooking, particularly in Ukraine.

Thanks also to the many people of Wellington and surrounding area who support the charity including Shooz of South St.

Please contact 07773579809 if you would like more details on how to support the work of cr2ee.

REMINISCENCE Learning is delighted to introduce our new weekly adventures for people living with dementia or memory loss and their carers. From canal trips and woodland walks to coastal visits and beautiful countryside destinations, each friendly, supported outing is designed to help participants explore new places, connect with others, enjoy stimulating experiences and create lasting memories.

Our adventures have taken us to Tiverton Canal, Fyne Court, Knightshayes, Tarr Steps, Haldon Forest, Lyme Regis, Horner Woods, Steart Marshes and more.

Starting on Thursdays from September 17 meeting at 9.30 am at the Cottage Hospital, Wellington. Light refreshments and transport included. Contact the team to book on 01823 668676.

We are looking for friendly, caring volunteers to help us, either by supporting our activities on the day or by driving our minibus. Your time could help someone enjoy companionship, meaningful activities and a valuable sense of connection, while also providing much-needed support for their carer.

If you would like to make a real difference in your local community, we would love to hear from you.

THIS, for me felt like a long time since the last meeting, due, to the very long, very hot weeks we’ve been experiencing this summer, while I was unable to go far for the excessive heat. I’m sure a lot of you can identify with this, finding days pass without going over the doorstep. Happily this season seems more natural and comfortable.

Anyway, this meeting was our Open Day and subscription day. Lots on offer with our group activities being highlighted to a packed hall with queues being dominated by the subscription table we, on the committee, were delighted to see after all the hard work going into the meeting. We were delighted to host some 65 members, 28 guests, of which 17 signed up for membership.

For the first time we had decided to entertain a Tombola stall which was accepted with enthusiasm and raised £80 toward our prospective 40th anniversary celebration in 2027. Thank you to everyone who contributed by providing items or buying tickets. None of that would be possible without you.

The details of the itinerary for the next year are not yet past the planning stage, but we are hosting a members party with celebration cake being made which may include a cream tea while offers to help sew a banner, are still open.

A ‘Picnic in the Park’ is being looked into as well as individual groups taking a leading role in their particular areas of interest. We are hoping to sponsor a flower bed in the town’s Edwardian park as a commemoration.

I didn’t get to all the group’s tables but I know that both the Current Affairs and the Writers Group had new signings, so I hope did every group. The general impression, at the close of the meeting with comments on the Tombola in particular, were that everyone present had had an entertaining morning and would the Tombola be repeated in the future.

Our next meeting is Monday, October 12 at The Rugby Club, Corams Lane, Wellington.

Why don’t you join our expanding gang of inquisitive participants? I’m sure you will find something you’ll enjoy.

Anne Dearness