RUH Maternity News: TIn February, cousins Frankie, Connie and Maddox were all born within the space of a single day at the Royal United Hospitals (RUH) Bath NHS Foundation Trust.
The rare coincidence took place on Friday 6 February when Georgie from Bridgeyate, South Gloucestershire, gave birth to identical twin girls Frankie and Connie and her brother Billy and his partner Kiera welcomed their son Maddox shortly after.
Georgie said: “It still feels surreal that we all became parents on the very same day. We joked about it happening and then it actually did!
“It was a very emotional day for us all, one our family will never forget. It was so special seeing the cousins all together and being able to pop down the hall and see one another on the ward.
“The staff at the RUH have been amazing. They kept us calm, reassured and supported throughout, and we can’t thank them enough for the care we all received.”
Baby Maddox arrived right on his due date, while twins Frankie and Connie made their appearance a little early. With identical twins occurring in just 1 in 250 births and only 4–5% of babies born on their due date, the family’s triple arrival makes for a truly extraordinary coincidence.
Alice Park News: A rare sapling from the iconic Sycamore Gap tree, which stood at Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland before being illegally felled in 2023, has been planted in Alice Park in Bath.
The sapling is one of 49 ‘Trees of Hope’ grown by the National Trust from the seed of the felled tree and gifted to local communities across the UK.
The Alice Park Trust, which manages Alice Park on behalf of Bath & North East Somerset Council, successfully applied for the sapling which has been named ‘Tree of Life’ and is dedicated to children and young people living in care or care experienced.
The planting event, on Saturday February 21, included representatives from Alice Park Trust, Bath Urban Trees, the Chair of Bath & North East Somerset Council and care experienced children and young people. A care experienced resident and Off The Record spoke about what the tree represents to them.
Councillor Joanna Wright, Chair of the Alice Park Trust, applied to the National Trust for the sapling. She said: “I am delighted that the sapling has been planted in Alice Park for all the young people who are looked after in B&NES. The park is a place for them to connect to and creates a vision for hope and regeneration, highlighting their role in a future that fosters commitment to their wellbeing and that of the environment. Thank you to everyone who supported us to secure this rare sapling which means so much.”
Alice Park was given to the young people of Bath in 1937 for children to play in and is a well-used destination park. Bath & North East Somerset Council is the sole trustee of the park, which is managed by the Alice Park Trust Sub-Committee under delegation of the Charitable Trust Board.
Parking news: Councillors have agreed to further consultation with local residents about proposed changes to parking charges.
This includes proposals to introduce charges based on vehicle size for residents’ parking permits and changes to all day parking at Bath’s three Park & Ride sites.
Initial public consultation on the proposals ran from 17 October to 7 November, attracting 490 responses and 660 comments.
Feedback from the consultation:
50 per cent of respondents supported introducing size‑based charges or discounts for residents’ parking permits, with 44 per cent opposed.
38 per cent of respondents supported increasing the 24-hour parking charge at Park & Ride sites from £3 to £4 for motorists who don’t use the bus service, with 37 per cent opposed.
31 per cent of respondents supported increasing visitor permit charges, which haven’t been changed since 2013, with 59 per cent opposed.
Plans to extend parking charges at Bath Hill East car park in Keynsham to include Saturdays will not go ahead after feedback from residents and businesses highlighted concerns about impact on local footfall and affordability.
The Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) public consultation will take place later this spring.
Running for SADS: Staff from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Bath, part of the Dunstan Catholic Educational Trust, recently took part in the Bath Half Marathon to honour the memory of Will Thomas, the 23-year-old son of Simon and Ann Thomas, who tragically passed away in 2022 from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS).
The team ran to raise funds for CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), a charity dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac deaths in young people through awareness campaigns, genetic research, cardiac screening, and support for bereaved families. The St Mary’s staff team’s efforts have already raised nearly £6,000.
Each week at least twelve young people in the UK die suddenly as a result of undiagnosed heart conditions. CRY aims to save young lives and to help those affected by young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). They do this by providing support, information and screening services.
The school encourages anyone who would like to support the campaign to visit the JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/simon-thomas-5
Reading news: Despite the digital era, reading is still vital for children to learn and thrive. 2026 has been designated the National Year of Reading to try to increase the number of people, both children and adults, who enjoy reading as well as recognising its’ continuing importance in everyday life.
One step towards this is World Book Day celebrated each March in many schools where The Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP) places volunteers.
The volunteers work with pupils on a one-to-one basis helping pupils improve their reading skills, confidence, and enjoyment.
Laying secure foundations at an early age not only benefits the pupils but brings a feeling of satisfaction to the volunteers knowing that their small commitment of time can contribute a child’s future.
If you would like to explore more about RSVP do email schools@rsvp-west.org.uk or contact the BANES organiser joan.whitehead@rsvp-west.org.uk
Female Footballers: If you didn’t spot the crisis at Twerton Park in the sports news which has seen the male senior team struggle to avoid relegation you may have thought it was all doom and gloom for the football club. Not so, as the women’s team are in fine form.
The team have enjoyed a string of wins including netting 14 goals in three games in March with a six nil win against Paulton.
Sitting in mid table of the Shield Services Group South West Regional Womens Football League Bath City Women’s FC look set for another season in the division.
They play on a Sunday at Twerton Park for home games and have increasingly seen the numbers of spectators for their matches increase as the woman’s game rises in popularity.
Bath Voice and Local Democracy Reporters
The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment, but are employed by regional news organisations. A total of 165 reporters are allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Bath Voice. These organisations range from television and radio stations to online media companies and established regional newspaper groups. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities, second-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
Bath Voice Monthly Newspaper is distributed free to thousands of homes and some supermarkets – distributed from the first of the month. Harry Mottram is the News Editor
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