Beyond the Festival: Somerset Life Dives Deep into the Spirit of Pilton Village
Often, in the big narrative of the festival, Pilton, the village, and its story take a back seat. But that shouldn’t be the case. For me, Pilton and Glastonbury Festival are truly inseparable—one creates the other, and vice versa. There’s an unmistakable creativity, ingenuity, and independent spirit that drives something so unique and extraordinary in…
Read MoreThe future of Somerset Community Hospitals
In recent weeks, the future of community hospital beds across Somerset has become a major concern for residents, local councils, and health advocates. Plans proposed by NHS Somerset Foundation Trust suggest significant reductions and relocations of inpatient beds at facilities including West Mendip Hospital in Glastonbury, Frome Community Hospital, and other sites. These changes are…
Read More“This lack of transparency has caused considerable distress to staff and raised alarm within the community” Street Parish Council
Street Parish Council held an extraordinary meeting to address the controversial repurposing of beds at West Mendip Hospital in Glastonbury. They’ve also issued a powerful press release demanding answers. This follows my urgent call for greater scrutiny of NHS Somerset’s secretive plans—why are they keeping our local communities in the dark? We deserve transparency and…
Read MoreWells City Council Oppose Community Hospital Beds cuts
I, along with a resident, attended the Wells City Council Full Council meeting on July 24th. During the session, the resident spoke to the Council, urging them to respond to NHS Somerset’s decision to cut local hospital services, despite the plans not being made public. The City Council expressed deep concerns regarding NHS Somerset’s decision…
Read MoreCommunity hospital beds could be closed or relocated, questions need to asked and answered by NHS Somerset
As Vice Chair of Somerset Council’s Adults and Health Scrutiny Committee, I am calling for urgent transparency from NHS Somerset regarding proposed changes to our community hospitals. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has shared its plans only internally with staff, without engaging or informing the wider community. This raises concerns, especially as these plans include potentially…
Read MoreMonthly round up of Somerset Council news
Transforming Social Care Challenges into Success: Somerset Council’s ‘My Life, My Future’ Wins National AwardSomerset Council’s adult social care transformation, ‘My Life, My Future,’ has received national recognition, winning a prestigious Local Government Chronicle (LGC) award. The programme has saved £10 million over the first two years, significantly improved support for residents across the county…
Read MoreMy Unique Role with Glastonbury Festival – Being the Elected Councillor where the Largest Greenfield Music and Performing Arts Festival in the World is held
Not many elected councillors in the country can say they oversee a community that welcomes over 200,000 visitors in one weekend—especially in a village of fewer than 1,000 residents! As the Councillor for Pilton in Mendip South, I have the unusual privilege (and sometimes challenge) of representing a small community that transforms into the world’s…
Read MoreLet’s imagine ….
Let’s Imagine’ is a series of imagined conversations between refugees and high-profile political figures. The experiences of the featured refugees are based on true testimonies and represent their lived accounts.
Read MoreRefugee speaks out as councillors clash over housing pressures and immigration by Sajjad Jabarkhel, speech at Somerset Council Full Council, May 22nd, 2025
My name is Sajjad, and I am originally from Afghanistan. I currently live in the UK as a refugee. I am here to speak against [the Conservative] motion—not because I dismiss the real and growing pressures on housing in Somerset, but because I believe it risks misrepresenting the challenges we face and, more importantly, the…
Read MoreFacts and fiction about housing, refugees and asylum seekers in Somerset
We all have a duty to determine fact from fiction or there is a high price to pay, when this leads to anger and hate in our communities. Once facts, over fiction, are considered, we are then entitled to have our own opinion. Maybe the facts won’t change your opinion, but that shouldn’t mean that…
Read More