Trailblazing Frome is bursting with new ideas

Frome has been hitting the national headlines in recent days with the town council winning a prestigious national award and the town’s Independent market being voted the second best market in the country by the Observer Food magazine.

The town council has won Council of the Year at the National Association of Local Councils’ (NALC) first ever Star Council Awards.

Mayor, cllr Kate Bielby said, “This is great news and a testament to the hard work of all staff and councillors in recent years – but most of all, these awards belong to the people of Frome. I think we knew already but the word is spreading that we live in a very special town.”

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Frome was also celebrating after hearing that the town was placed runner-up in the Observer Food magazine’s quest to find the best market in the country. Tabitha Clayson from The Frome Independent said, “We are really thrilled to be placed as runners-up in the ‘Best Market’ category of the Observer Food 2015 Awards.

“Not only does it put us on a fantastic national platform and in the company of many well respected and long standing markets, but as the ‘Best Market’ category was one voted for by the public, it’s a great endorsement from the very people who come and shop and socialise with us.”

Furthermore, the town council is also making a name for itself as an innovative community force as it leads the way on a number of unique green projects.

The council will this month hold the UK’s first sharing festival, as well as a community feast to use unwanted food as it bids to make Frome the country’s first zero food waste town.

The sharing festival will be held throughout November by SHARE: A Library of Things. Throughout the next few weeks workshops and events will be held to enable the local community to share items, skills and ideas. The festival is thought to be the first of its kind. See the full story on page 7.

The town council has also applied to become the test town for Sainsbury’s Waste Less Save More scheme, which aims to lead the way on reducing food waste across the country. Local group Edventure will hold a community feast later this month using leftover food donated by local people.