AS part of our 170th anniversary celebrations, the County Gazette has launched a Community Fund to give a platform to the exceptional voluntary work which goes on throughout our community. We have been asking organisations to write in and tell us why they need fundraising support. We are featuring one group each week in the County Gazette, and this week it's the turn of Taunton Citizens' Advice Bureau.

St John Ambulance Taunton Combined Adults Division OUR aim is to supply good First Aid cover to any organisation running an event indoors or outdoors that under Health and Safety regulations require medical cover.

All our members are unpaid volunteers and as a charity we receive no Government funding whatsoever.

Members are trained by skilled St John and professional trainers to a very high standard, mainly at our HQ in Canon Street, Taunton where we meet every Tuesday between 7.30- 9.30pm.

Taunton currently has around 20 members and covers some 100 events a year, such as Somerset County Cricket, Taunton Vale Polo Club, Taunton Flower Show, Taunton Carnival Committee events, such as Taunton Marathon and 10K run, Taunton Town Civic and Town Centre events; numerous rural fetes and other fundraising events, pantomimes and village hall plays and the Somerset carnival circuit.

We have two fully equipped A&E vehicles each of which cost around £50,000.

Our income is received mainly from public duties, against which requested fees are made, plus generous kind donations received from street collections and other fundraising activities.

However, Health and Safety regulations are constantly changing in light of the often dangerous world we live in, and to this end we now find our HQ, which we are indeed proud of and which was built 30- plus years ago, requires updating.

Clinical regulations now seek to require changing and shower room facilities for members going on and off duty, together with laundry equipment. This, therefore, is a major cost requirement and we seek your readers' generous support to obtain our goal and to go forward in serving our community.

Donations, please, payable to St John Ambulance, c/o H. Mear, 6 Woodridge Mead, Bishops Lydeard, Taunton TA4 3PQ To apply, e-mail communityfund@countygazette.co.uk or write to Community Fund, Somerset County Gazette, St James Street, Taunton TA1 1JR. Include 150 words about the cause and its fundraising need/s, with details of how readers can make donations.

■ The Albemarle Centre ■ The New Build Appeal, St Margaret's Hospice ■ ESCAPE Support Group providing activities for disabled children and their families ■ Mindline Somerset ■ SAB - Somerset Association for the Blind ■ Taunton Well Woman Centre ■ Home-Start Taunton Deane ■ Somerset Wildlife Trust ■ 1st Wellington Scout Group ■ East Somerset Railway ■ Kingsmead School Society ■ Chedzoy Pre-School ■ HELP - Holiday Endeavour for Lone Parents ■ St John Ambulance Taunton Combined Adult Division ■ Somerset Cancer Care ■ Victim Support Somerset ■ The Open Door - Taunton's homeless charity ■ North Town Primary School (new sensory room planned for special needs children) ■ Norton Fitzwarren Village Hall Chair Appeal ■ Norton Fitzwarren Pre-School ■ Moon Bear Rescue (Quantocks based) ■ Somerset Prostate Cancer Support Association ■ Reminiscence Learning ■ Conquest Centre ■ Taunton Sea Cadets ■ Pawlett Village Playgroup ■ Taunton Vale Disability Club ■ Wellington St John Ambulance ■ Selworthy School ■ BIBIC, Pawlett ■ Carer Support Programme (CSP) helping parents who bring up/care for disabled children in the county ■ Labrador Rescue Trust in Somerset ■ Hemyock Pre-School ■ Huish Woods Scout Camp Site - also the centenary year of Scouting ■ Buckland St Mary Pre-School ■ Taunton Beekeepers ■ Holy Cross Church, Hillfarrance ■ Taunton & District Mencap ■ Taunton Women's Refuge ■ Staplegrove Scout Group ■ SASBAH Somerset Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus ■ Taunton Deane Association for Neighbourhood Care ■ Taunton Opportunity Playgroup ■ Ruishton Ladies - knitting ■ Helen's Rabbit and Guinea Pig Boarding and Rescue ■ Taunton Citizens' Advice Bureau ■ Macmillan Cancer Support ■ Railway Runabouts