TOMORROW a FREE end-of-summer celebration, Taunton Together, will take place for the first time, brought to you by Taunton Town Council.

The event will run from 11am until 7pm on Saturday, September 28, celebrating our rich heritage, community, culture, and diversity, across Taunton town centre.

Come along to enjoy arts, entertainment, delicious food, find out about the diverse cultures in the town and try your hand at something new, with free activities for everyone.

Taunton Town Council said it was "thrilled to be working in partnership" with Creative Innovation Centre CIC (CICCIC), Taunton Theatre Association, Go Create, Somerset County Cricket Gound, Arts Taunton, Taunton Independent Market, Orchard Shopping Centre and the High Sheriff of Somerset and Taunton Minster and many others.

Taunton Together Festival, September 28.Taunton Together Festival, September 28. (Image: Taunton Together)

Performances, acts, artists, food stalls, sports and more will be located across the town centre, with the key focus on Goodland Gardens, Somerset Square (the area next to The Brewhouse), Castle Green, Hammet Street and Taunton Minster and the High Street and Orchard Centre. For more detail on what’s on in each area you can find our digital brochure at www.tauntontogether.co.uk.

To highlight the sporting heart of the town, Somerset County Cricket Club invite you to watch Somerset v Hampshire for free at the County Ground, with no obligation to stay all day, it’s perfect for cricket lovers and the cricket curious!

As part of the vibrant Taunton Together celebration, the High Sheriff of Somerset invites you to “Join in Somerset”. Based in Hammet Street and around Taunton Minster, this element of the event showcases the services volunteer and community organisations provide in Somerset, the things they can help you with, and the opportunities for people of all ages to volunteer or be involved in their work.

High Sheriff of Somerset, Rob Beckley said: “A key part of my role as High Sheriff is to support volunteering and community groups. Unfortunately, we have seen a dramatic fall in the number of people, especially young people, volunteering both in Somerset and nationwide.  

Volunteering brings benefits not only to the charities and communities supported by volunteers, but to volunteers themselves, reducing social isolation, increasing self-confidence, and building essential skills. 

Join in Somerset is a modest, but crucial step to help challenge this worrying trend and highlight the wide variety of volunteering opportunities available as well as show the services provided by the groups. There really is something for everyone.”

To support the overarching message of diversity and inclusivity, Taunton Minster will also host the signing of the Charter for Compassion, an initiative championed by Andy Spragg, a director at The Sangha House in Taunton. The Charter for Compassion seeks to promote compassionate change by focusing on promoting Health, Social Justice, restorative justice, social services, gender partnership, science, research, religion, interfaith, spirituality arts, media, business and Peace.

The Mayor of Taunton, Councillor Vanessa Garside said “I am honoured to be Mayor during the first ever Taunton Together festival, particularly as I have been heavily involved since the initial stages.

It will showcase the masses of talent we have within our community and encourage the sharing of the diverse cultures present, as well as stimulating pride and interest in our town and its heritage.

I’m delighted that the event will include the signing of the Charter for Compassion on behalf of our residents, because we are a town of compassionate people. Becoming a signatory formalises the idea that we will collectively act upon our feelings of kindness, whenever we are given the opportunity.

Our aim is that Taunton Together will encourage greater social cohesion; it is a festival encouraging people to join in, not just observe!”