2. Chard, Langport, Ilminster and Crewkerne Neighbourhood Team

Chard, Langport, Ilminster, and Crewkerne are rural areas with many small villages.

About our neighbourhood

Welcome to the Chard, Langport, Ilminster, and Crewkerne Neighbourhood Team page. My name is Ingrid Edginton, and I’m your Connect Somerset Champion. I work with Holyrood Academy, a member of the Cradle-to Career Partnership along with Chard Community Hub, addressing disadvantage gaps in school and the local community.

Chard, Langport, Ilminster, and Crewkerne are all historic market towns, each with their own identity, surrounded by many outlying villages and hamlets in working countryside.    Transport can be challenging for many, in accessing employment and services. Isolation is difficult for many, not least for an ageing population and increasingly diverse communities.  Chard has some of the most deprived wards in the country and is often ranked he most dangerous small town in the county.

There is a wealth of organisations and groups passionate about their communities, increasingly working together, to improve the quality of living in this beautiful area.

Contact your Connect Somerset Champion: Ingrid Edginton

As a professional, you can contact the Champion in your neighbourhood. They can help you understand the local early help offer, improve local processes, increase early help and plan for the future based on local needs.

Email Ingrid Edginton

Phone: 07852303637

Neighbourhood Profile and Staff Directory

Neighbourhood profile

The Neighbourhood Profile Transform Strategic Insight Report (TSIR) will offer highly customizable views of areas in Somerset, covering various geographies and attributes over time. It is being designed to provide insights into the populations known to Somerset Council.

Launching June 2025

Neighbourhood Staff Directory

The Neighbourhood Staff Directory provides you with the contact details of those professional colleagues working within each neighbourhood.

Launching June 2025

Success Stories

Chard Antenatal Project

Our Champion for Chard, Langport, Ilminster and Crewkerne has through the creation of a shared community space been busy building the relational practice within the neighbourhood.

The Boden Centre is a place where everyone is welcome. It’s a dedicated space for the community of Chard to meet up, access services or join in with groups. The space is self-funded with a heart to help and serve those who need it.

Through Connect Somerset, this champion secured the building which created a foundation for muti agency teams to come together to learn and connect. With the existing knowledge and trusted relationships our Champion has in this neighbourhood we have enabled a soulless building to have a heart again.

Via external grants funds we have appointed an Early years lead and Hub Centre Manager to coordinate the offer from the Boden Centre for the community.

Through the diverse local partnerships, the multi agency team have fostered increased provision e.g. FOREST through the Public Health team, maternity services from Somerset Foundation Trust and outreach services from Holyrood Academy – all of which have been embedded within the community alongside the Chard Community Hub community offer.

Chard, Langport, Ilminster and Crewkerne Neighbourhood Meetings

Neighbourhood Meetings are designed to provide valuable insights and updates on various topics relevant to the community.

View all Neighbourhood Meetings

Community hubs in Chard, Langport, Ilminster and Crewkerne

The community hubs offer support to families and residents. To find out the locations of the hubs in Chard, Langport, Ilminster and Crewkerne, please take a look at our directory.

View all Chard, Langport, Ilminster and Crewkerne hubs