THE County Gazette is in the news this year as we celebrate 180 years of bringing the people of Somerset the news.

We’re organising lots of fun initiatives to mark the occasion and we want you to join in.

We’re asking you to get behind our efforts to raise £180,000 for St Margaret’s Hospice by organising fundraising events.

Several of you have already signed up for the Great Somerset Walk at Wimbleball Lake on Exmoor on Sunday, March 20, after we reported on it last week.

And hopefully more of you can come up with a host of other ways of supporting a great charity.

You might even like to take part in the 300-mile London to Paris bike challenge from September 7 to 11 in aid of St Margaret’s, which ends up at the Eiffel Tower.

Participants must pay a £200 registration fee and pledge to raise £1,600 sponsorship.

  • WE’RE asking 180 readers to help save hundreds of lives by signing up to the NHS Organ Donor Register over the coming year.

All you have to do is visit organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 1232323.
An NHS Blood and Transplant spokesman said: “We are delighted to back the County Gazette campaign encouraging people in Somerset to sign up as donors.

“Organ donation saves lives – it’s as simple as that. But in order to save more lives, we need to ensure that many more people make the decision to donate their organs and record that decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

“Every donor is precious and in the UK last year, more than 1,000 people helped others after their death by donating their organs.”

If you decide to sign up, let us know – email 180@countygazette.co.uk or call 01823 365100.

Related

And don't forget that we’re looking for your 180 reasons for Why I Love Somerset.

We’ve already had some response from readers - but we’re looking for many more.

Maybe it’s the beautiful countryside, a park where you like to go for a sit down, your school or college, the people or the food and drink.

Whatever it is that you feel makes Somerset such a special county we want to hear.

Send us your stories and photos with a brief explanation and your details to 180@countygazette.co.uk