What we have written about Ken Bird

Gazette nets £300,000 in 'biggest ever' appeal

The Somerset County Gazette is spearheading the biggest fundraising campaign in the paper’s history, to help cancer sufferers. The paper has teamed up with Macmillan Cancer Relief to run the Cash for Cancer Relief appeal to raise £485,000 to aid

True justice 'first' thanks to the News

Britain is to have its first Community Justice Panel – thanks to a campaign in the Chard & Ilminster News. The pioneering Somerset scheme, which aims to deal with vandals and other petty villains on a more local level, has

Abused children get a lifeline through weekly paper's push

Generous Somerset County Gazette readers have donated more than £1,000 to a child protection charity’s Festival of Trees to help support abused children in Somerset. Gazette editor Ken Bird said: “Yet again, our loyal readers have come up trumps. “The

Gazette's 'biggest' is ready to roll

The biggest campaign in the history of the Somerset County Gazette is about to take to the road. Its £120,000 Stop It Before It Starts campaign will lift off in the New Year to educate primary school children about the

D-Day battle is on for Express

A battle to ensure proper recognition for the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings next year is striking a chord with readers of the Yeovil Express. Petition forms are flooding back into the newspaper office after they were printed in

Injured woman gets help through paper's appeal

A campaign in the Somerset County Gazette has resulted in generous donations for the victim of a brutal assault three years ago. The Fund for Lisa was set up after Lisa Taylor was left brain damaged following a physical attack

Milestones reached thanks to Gazette

Two fund-raising appeals in Somerset have reached key milestones thanks to the County Gazette. The newspaper has been backing the NCH’s Supporting Somerset’s Youth appeal throughout the past year and it has now hit its £200,000 target. Money raised will

Special edition to mark first anniversary of tragedy

The Bridgwater Mercury has produced a special edition to mark the first anniversary of a tragic fire, which claimed the lives of three young people. After the blaze, which took place in Friarn Street last February, the Mercury launched Lily’s

Scanner fund hits target – and it's still rising…

The Yeovil Express and its readers have helped to give Yeovil District Hospital a great Christmas present with news that the Fund A Scanner Today Appeal has smashed through its £25,000 target. The total now stands at £26,560, which will

All smiles in south Somerset as campaign takes root

The Yeovil Express has secured a breakthrough in its bid to bring NHS dental care to the people of south Somerset. A new dental care centre was opened this week, bringing the first opportunity for many patients in the area

Rivals boost appeal total

Money is rolling in for the Yeovil Express Fund A Scanner Today Appeal – and the latest donation came from a most unlikely source. Its Northcliffe-based weekly rival, the Western Gazette, has sent in a cheque for £1,000 to take

Let us train your news staff:Regional daily taunts weekly

Rival newspapers have become involved in a battle over posters put up after the tragic death of a youngster on mud flats in Somerset. As a result, the Western Daily Press has invited Bridgwater Mercury reporters to its offices for

FAST appeal seeks speedy result

The Yeovil Express has launched the FAST Appeal to raise money for a new scanner at Yeovil District Hospital. The Fund A Scanner Today Appeal hopes to raise £20,000 towards a planned £65,000 investment by the hospital’s bone density unit

Kids protected by paper's backing for £120,000 project

The Somerset County Gazette and Bridgwater Mercury are backing an ambitious project to combat drug and alcohol abuse among Somerset schoolchildren. The £120,000 scheme aims to create a specially-adapted mobile classroom to give 16,000 primary school pupils advice about substance

News staff take a trip to Downing St

A petition boasting more than 2,000 signatures is now at Downing Streetbegging the Government to improve access to NHS dentistry. The petition, from readers of the Yeovil Express, was delivered byeditor-in-chief Ken Bird, accompanied by chief reporter Steve Sowden and