Latest news with #Worle
BBC News
05-08-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'There's hidden talent in Weston which people don't see'
Pupils say they have been inspired to aim high after a summer school with talks from self-made millionaires, MPs and local at Weston-super-Mare Pier, the course on Thursday and Friday was open to young people from Weston-super-Mare, Worle, and surrounding 2024, only 27.7% of 18-year-olds in Weston-super-Mare applied to university, the lowest rate since 2013, the town's MP Dan Aldridge - who founded the summer school - a pupil who took part, said: "There's a lot of hidden talent in Weston that people don't see. There are a lot of smart kids here who will make a big impact but they don't get the opportunity to because they don't know politics." She said the summer school had allowed her to meet people with similar interests."I want to see more things like this, not just in Weston but everywhere, because politics is not talked about enough. "So many young people won't know that they enjoy politics because they don't know what it is," she added. Mr Aldridge said he would have benefited from the programme when he was younger."One of the frustrations I always had as a young person growing up here is that change was always happening over there and not here, the opportunities were over there and not here," he said."And that's not true anymore. It's about giving them the tools and they can just run with them," he Aldridge said he hoped to address concerns about limited opportunities for young people in the area with the summer a student who also took part, said the class had helped her feel more confident. 'Keeps people going' She said it was important to see an event taking place in Weston-super-Mare, rather than a bigger place like Bristol, as it engaged more local people."All the people who have spoken here have made it clear you can do what you want to do," she Scott, an entrepreneur from the town who was one of the mentors, said he hoped the talks could inspire student going through difficulties. "When you're facing hardship, sometimes you can't see a way out. "When you hear from somebody else who's been through hardships and they have gone on to do great things, I think it keeps people going," he said. Student Ben said he had found the experience "very insightful" and it had encouraged him to think about politics as a career."I want to improve people's lives for the better and impact my local community as I want to improve the local area."Stuff like this helps engage young people and helps them know what they want to do in the future," he speakers at the event included Casey Calista from Meta, Freddie Cook from Snap, Niels Stevens from Adobe and MP Leigh Ingham, among summer school is set to return next year.
BBC News
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
D-Day veteran celebrates 100th birthday
A D-Day veteran who joined the Royal Marines - despite not being old enough or able to swim - has celebrated his 100th Butt went to Juno beach on a landing craft on D-Day after enlisting with the marines in 1943. "I went in as a boy and came out as a man. It made me," he Butt, who lives in Somerset, went on to have four children, eight grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and two great great about what he had learned during his 100 years, Mr Butt said: "I've been happy and never had money, money doesn't help and doesn't bring happiness." Mr Butt said he remembered his time with the marines fondly and had a "wonderful time" in Tahiti."The marines taught me everything I know, my way of living. Everything has to be perfect," he kept many souvenirs from his times with the marines, including his original kit bag, crossing the line certificate and his "housewife kit", which contains the original wool and needle. He was never issued a D-Day medal because he joined up at 17 after lying about his age, but his daughter said the Royal Marines were in touch with the French government to try and get him World War Two, Mr Butt moved to Worle and worked in the quarry industry until he retired at met his wife in Weston-super-Mare and married her in 1947. They were together until she died 11 years ago. Music group, The D-Day Dollies, performed wartime favourites at Mr Butt's birthday party in Shepton Mallet on Saturday and members of the Royal Marines and his family attended."We love him so much, you can't say anything without getting emotional because he's a really big part of our lives," his granddaughter Gemma Lazarevic, who travelled from Australia to see her granddad, said."He's very kind, generous and he's just shown us so much love. We feel very privileged to be his family," she added.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- BBC News
Man in his 80s dies in house fire in Worle
A man in his 80s has died following a fire at a residential services were called to a home on Church Road in Worle, Somerset, on Sunday evening, Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) found a fire in the garage which had spread to the main house, AFRS said, which required two high pressure hose reels and two 45 metre jets to extinguish.A man in his 80s was declared dead at the scene, while another resident was taken to hospital. A spokeswoman for AFRS said: "Our sincerest condolences are with the family and all those affected by this tragedy."The cause of the fire is thought to be accidental ignition."
