Dr Ellie Chowns

What do you do when something in your home stops working, like the hoover or the toaster? Why not take it to a Repair Cafe, where it could be fixed by volunteers for free! There are thousands of repair cafes across the country and we are lucky to have have two of them...

Very positive meeting with more than a dozen local NFU members on Ed Godsall’s farm recently. Our constructive and in-depth conversations over several hours covered a wide range of issues in farming including land tenure, shifting subsidy regimes, supermarket power,...

The Hillside Centre provides care and rehabilitation - ‘re-ablement’ - to Herefordshire residents who need a bit of extra help in between hospital and home. I was very impressed by the facility and the wonderful caring atmosphere at the centre - the thank you cards on...

Sheds Together is a brilliant initiative that brings people together to work on DIY projects using shared space, skills and tools. I popped in to the Bromyard Shed, hosted by The HOPE Centre and funded by Age UK, to meet coordinator Keith plus Shed users Vince, Bob...

Herefordshire is well known for our amazing local food, and Monkland Cheese Dairy is a a key part of that heritage. It’s been going strong for decades and specialises in Little Hereford and Monkland cheeses. I was lucky to get a personal tour with new owner and chief...

The wonderful St Michael's Hospice is celebrating its 40th birthday this year! I took my mum to the fundraising afternoon tea last Sunday to help them celebrate. They provide amazing care both in the hospice building and through ‘hospice at home’. So many people in...

It was fascinating to visit Ben Andrews' organic farm near Leominster this week and learn about the brilliant work he's doing. We spoke about how farmers like Ben can grow great food and support local nature, the impact of flooding and a warming climate on Ben's farm,...

I had a fantastic weekend campaigning with Green Party Peer Jenny Jones and some of my lovely volunteers. The response on the doorstep was great. Local people want change for North Herefordshire and they know the Green Party have the best chance of beating the...

It was wonderful to meet with so many people in Fownhope last Friday for the final event of my village hall tour - the perfect way to wrap up my series of 31 events all around North Herefordshire. These events have been brilliant. Each one has involved an evening of...

Herefordshire Rural Hub is a fantastic organisation providing a whole range of support and advice for Herefordshire farmers. It was great to have an in-depth chat with Managing Director Kate Speke-Adams about the challenges facing farmers and rural businesses, and the...