From the Mayor – 31st August 2023

WELCOME to this week’s column. The weather has improved a little and I hope you have all been making the most of it. The town’s open spaces, gardens and allotments are looking splendid and it’s good to see so many people and families enjoying them.

Over the last two weeks, I have taken the opportunity to pursue two areas of interest of mine.

Firstly volunteering. After a meeting with Magda Swietlik, the Active and In Touch Cafe manager, I now volunteer one morning a week by making sandwiches and general duties. I have not yet graduated to making my own espresso! I will also be volunteering at the Victoria Park Community Cafe over the next few months too.

Away from cafes, I have been coordinating the construction of a fire exit pathway at the new Fair Frome premises, working with Lanka Grimes of Fair Frome, Spencer Carkeet, Westward Landscape, plus other volunteers.

Secondly, I have been cleaning bus shelters!!

September is Catch the Bus month, a campaign taking place across the country. As part of this work and in preparation, I have organised bus shelter cleaning in the town centre. I was assisted by Peter Travis, co-chair of FAVBUG. The two bus shelters needed the removal of posters and notices, graffiti and some serious weeding!

Peter and I are now masters in tape and glue removal as well as graffiti removal. It was very heartening to see so many people using the various bus services passing through the town centre as well as all the positive and encouraging comments about our cleaning! We hope you have noticed the difference.

The next phase of cleaning will take place at other Frome Town Council bus shelters and then on to the rest around town.

Please report to me any concerns you have about bus shelters, any new graffiti or damage too.

Peter and I will be at the FAVBUG stall in the Market Place on Saturday 2nd September, promoting Catch a Bus Month and supporting Frome buses and services. Come and say hello and collect a timetable and FTC Frome bus map.

As one Frome resident commented during our cleaning, “There’s always a bus shelter to clean somewhere in Frome but you are doing a grand job.”

So, if you would like to volunteer and accompany me on the next bus shelter cleaning assignment, please get in touch. You will look good in a hi-vis vest!

And try and ‘Catch the Bus’ in September, use the car less, help the environment and try volunteering.

Take care of each other and contact me or any of my colleagues if we can be of any help.

Cllr Philip Campagna