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Current Issues

John Kelly Obituary

It is with great sadness that the town has learned of the passing of John Kelly, ex-councillor and Mayor of Great Torrington.

John gave many years of service to Great Torrington.  He worked as a local policeman and he was a long-standing town councillor, during which he held the position of Mayor in 1988, 1989, 1996 and 1997.  John was also a keen bingo caller in his spare time and offered his services to other Mayors on several occasions to assist with their fundraising activities. 

On behalf of the Town Council and the community of Great Torrington I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends in their time of grief.

Councillor Doug Smith, Mayor of Great Torrington

Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service 13th November 2022

This year Remembrance Sunday falls on the 13th November 2022. The Royal British Legion will once again hold a Remembrance Ceremony at the War Memorial in the Cemetery, commencing at 10.50am.

There will be some significant changes this year.

1. The Parade Route: The Parade will form at the Old Bowling Green and parade “UP” New Street to the Cemetery.

2. Dismissal at the end of the Service: The Service will be dismissed in the cemetery, contrary to previous arrangements. The mayor will give his thanks followed by “God Save The Queen” – 2 verses. The order for dismissal will allow for those at the back to be the first to leave.

3. Standard Practice: Will move from the Pannier Market to the Town’s Band room in Castle Street. Further information will be sent to individual organisations nearer the time.

Ordering of wreaths will be the same as last year and should be ordered direct from the Royal British Legion in plenty of time. A wreath can be ordered by contacting the Royal British Legion on 0345 845 1945. The wreath will be posted out to you.

Karen Chapman (Town Clerk)

Local Applications for Grant Aid 2023/24

Great Torrington Town Council administers the Commons Allotment Charity. Each year the charity allocates its small amount of funds to locally based community groups. In addition, there are a number of Precept Grants awarded every year.

Applications for either/both grant types during the year 2023/2024 are now open and the application form can be obtained electronically here or in paper format from the Council office. Please contact Charlotte Kirby, Assistant Town Clerk on 01805 626135 between 9am and 1pm Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday or email her on admin@great-torringtontowncouncil.gov.uk for more information.

Please ensure completed applications are submitted no later than 12 noon on Thursday 8th September 2022.

Karen Chapman, Town Clerk

Job Opportunity – Town Clerk

Great Torrington Town Council is looking for a town clerk and responsible financial officer to join their team.

DETAILS

Job title: Town clerk and responsible financial officer (RFO)

Organisation: Great Torrington Town Council

Salary: £34,373-£36,371 (SP 30-32) per annum pro rata

28 hours per week plus evening and very occasional weekend work

Application deadline: 17th August 2022 (12 pm), Interview date: Wednesday 24th August 2022.

County: Devon

Email address: admin@great-torringtontowncouncil.gov.uk

Phone number: 01805 626135

SUMMARY

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of an established but growing town council in an attractive historical North-Devon Market Town.

The council seeks a skilled and resilient person to lead us into the future.

You will need to be able to provide strong leadership and build a wide range of positive working relationships with councillors, staff and partner organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors. You will also need to undertake the statutory duties of the town council.

In return, the council offer a generous salary, access to the local government pension scheme and enhanced holiday entitlement. This is an opportunity for an experienced, solutions-focused manager who is dynamic and innovative, and who will work with councillors to meet the aspirations of the people of Great Torrington. Experience of acting as a town clerk/assistant town clerk is helpful, but not altogether necessary if the right person demonstrates the ability to progress swiftly into the role.

For an informal discussion please contact Karen Chapman on 01805 626135.

A job description and application form are available below:-

JD-May-22-TOWN-CLERK.-JD-and-Essential-Criteria.doc-FDownload
APPLICATION-FORM-2022Download

Post expires at 1:00pm on Wednesday August 17th, 2022

Street Music returns to Great Torrington

We are delighted to announce that from this coming Saturday (23rd July 2022) “Street Music” will once again provide entertainment in Great Torrington town centre on a Saturday morning.

The first act, who proved to be very popular last year, will be Cole Crawford who will be performing outside of the Town Hall from 11am – 1pm on Saturday 23rd July 2022, with many other performers already scheduled to play over the coming weeks – come along to Great Torrington and support them.

FREE Film Screening @ The Plough

In order to mark World Alzheimer’s Day, the Great Torrington Dementia Friendly Community working group is pleased to announce that a FREE showing of the film The Father, with Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman will take place at The Plough Arts Centre on Wednesday 21st September 2022 at 11am.

The film highlights the challenges of family members assuming a caring role for people living with dementia. It focusses on ailing octogenarian Anthony, who is gradually succumbing to dementia and feels abandoned when his daughter, Anne, tells him she’s moving to Paris. Confused and upset, against the backdrop of a warped perspective and his rapid, heart-rending mental decline, Anthony is starting to lose his grip on reality, struggling to navigate the opaque landscape of present and past.

Tickets are FREE for this event: you can contact The Plough Box Office on 01805 624624 in advance to reserve a seat, or just turn up on the day.

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Dementia Friendly Community Working Group

The Town Council’s Dementia Friendly Community working group was established back in 2018 and has been busy since then raising awareness about dementia and memory loss within the local community in Great Torrington.  The group gets involved in a variety of activities including running Dementia Friends sessions, launching a Silent Space in the town centre where people living with dementia and their carers can get some respite from the hustle and bustle of a busy town, organising a free film screening at The Plough of a film raising awareness about dementia and much, much more! 

If you are interested in helping the group out to achieve the important goal of making Great Torrington a Dementia Friendly Community, please do get in touch: we are particularly keen to engage with people who have experience of either working with, or caring for, people living with dementia or memory loss and who are eager to get stuck-in with the practical side of raising awareness throughout the town. 

For more information, please call or email Charlotte Kirby, Assistant Town Clerk on 01805 626135 / admin@great-torringtontowncouncil.gov.uk or feel free to pop into the Town Council’s office for an informal chat.  We are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9am and 1pm.