Last year, the council decided to create a new committee – ‘People & Promotion’ – to reflect the priorities of our Town Plan ‘Investing in Shepton’s Future 2020-2024’. This committee is where the council will establish how we strengthen our ties with local community groups and volunteers; how we support the provision for our young people; how we promote and celebrate our town; and how we work in partnership to ensure there are activities and services available for everyone in Shepton.

The People & Promotion committee is also where the Town Council will decide how it can work with the creative community here in Shepton to support the arts in our town. Whereas the arts are often prone to budget cuts in times of economic difficulty, the Town Council has decided to have a budget specifically for the arts for the first time in 2021-2022. In order to decide how best to invest in the arts, the chair of the committee – Councillor Tim O’Connor – is calling on anyone local with an interest in the arts to contact him and join in a public meeting on 17 February. Whether you’re a graffiti artist, a painter, a tap-dancer, a sculptor, a tight-rope walker, an author, a singer, an actor, a musician, the organiser of one of the town’s festivals or just someone with ideas to share, email cllr.t.oconnor@sheptonmallet-tc.gov.uk by 10 February and get involved. We want to hear from anyone who would like to make a contribution to the discussion, no matter how big or small.

Matt Harrison, Chairperson
Shepton Mallet Town Council