IMPORTANT NEWS RELATING TO THE FUTURE OF THE WINSHAM E- LETTER

Those of you who have been receiving the Winsham E-Letter, some for as many as nearly twenty years, may have noticed its erratic publication over the past six months or so. It used to be so regular every week; about two years it changed to being published once every two weeks.

Sadly, in recent months it has become irregular, partly due to personal problems, and since the New Year especially, the irregularity has been due to serious problems with new editions of the software being used for distributing personal copies to individual subscriber's e-mail addresses, in a way that continued to ensure the security of names and e-mail addresses, as well as other technical problems.

Serious efforts have been made, including professional help, to overcome this problem, to no avail. As result, I have reluctantly decided to discontinue the individual mailings, but not the e-letter itself. This I appreciate will inconvenience some three hundred subscribers, and not a decision lightly taken. This step has proved unavoidable.

Overall, the difficulties experienced above may prove ‘a blessing in disguise’, as by reducing quite considerable the time I spend on mailing, and maintenance of the mailing lists it will make it easier to get up-to-date information about village events out to readers more quickly. It may also make it easier for organisers of events to send me material for publication, and also to make comments about recent content.

New editions of the Winsham E-Letters will be announced on the Winsham Parish Web site and on Facebook as soon as they happen.

I expect this to continue to be on a two-weekly basis as a summary, but news of new events will continue to be posted on the Winsham Parish Website, as they are received, and listed in the ‘Headlines’ link to be found near the top of the Home page.

The format of the e-letter will not change as a result of the new arrangements. Please continue to send me your photographs and news of new events or any announcements which you think suitable.

John Sullivan. 12th March 2025

At the end of last year, at the Annual General Meeting for the Winsham Community Shop, shareholders were updated about the shop’s performance. The committee explained that although the shop is currently not profitable, and cost increases remain a challenge, its performance has improved year on year. We are relatively close to breaking even and have used some of our reserves to make up our trading shortfall. 　

We wanted to extend this update more widely to readers of the Winsham e-newsletter and ask for your continued support

The shop and Post Office is at the heart of the village, contributing significantly to the vibrant and welcoming community that defines Winsham today. Run as a not-for profit business it offers a warm welcome, convenience, choice and affordable pricing. 　With the shop premises up for sale we want to assure people that we are doing all we can to ensure that the shop remains up and running, whoever our new landlord may be. In the meantime, we encourage everyone in the village to help us.

As well as managing rising costs, we need to increase the number of customers we have, or the amount that current customers spend with us.　Preferably both. 　As you reflect on your shopping habits please think about how you can perhaps spend just a little bit more with us, rather than at the supermarket. 　Or perhaps you can encourage a friend to visit us for the first time. Or perhaps you have a suggestion for how we can improve our product ranges and services in ways that support the shop and its sustainable future. If you have any great ideas please talk to a member of the shop team or email us at　winshamshopkitchen@gmx.com　- we would love to hear from you.　　

Last but not least, please consider becoming one of our shareholders.　 For only £10 a share you are able to have a say in how the shop is run. 　If you are interested you can use the same email as above to contact us for an application form.　

Thank you.

WINSHAM COMMUNITY SHOP COMMITTEE

For a good many years, Margaret Long has been organising day trips, by coach, to many of the places of interest which surround us, either just to visit the location, or go to a special event. 2025 is no different, and below is a list of the planned trips, with details of cost, etc.

If you have any questions about the detail, just call Margaret on 01460 30457.

A £10 non-returnable deposit to be made on booking.

Latest date for booking is 2weeks prior to visit.

Pick-up points; Winsham-Davies Close, Chard; Old Fire Station, Crowshute.

Trips usually return to Winsham between 6.00/6.30pm.