| From Amanda Richens, Community Information Networker for Vale and South, of Age UK Oxfordshire:
We will be bringing a village network bus to the Village Hall car park from 1.30pm to 3.30 pm on Tuesday 14 February. We will be offering free information and advice on any matters which may be concerning you, particularly on the community support services and social opportunities which are available. We find that many people simply do not know how to access these services.
The van has internet access so we will be able to offer basic IT support or signpost people onto lessons around the locality. We can offer user-level advice on your tablets, i-pads and smart phones and we will be able to get you on-line to demonstrate how they work – but please note that we are not able to offer specialist technical support.
Film Afternoon. We also have a film license and all the necessary equipment to have a one-off cinema afternoon for the over 50s in the Village Hall one weekday afternoon in April; tea/coffee and cake would be provided along with the film screened on a large projector screen. If this is of interest please let Amanda Richens have some feedback – either on 14 February or by e-mail / telephone to: amandarichens@ageukoxfordshire.org.uk or Tel: 0345 450 1276.
Vale Community Projects
Over £52,000 has been awarded by the District Council to support community facilities. Further information is at: http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/news/2017/2017-01/more-£52000-awarded-vale-community-projects
These awards include a grant to match one given by the White Horse Show Trust to Uffington Parish Council; both grants are for £6,721, to help with essential repairs to the external walls of Tom Brown's School Room. The Parish Council is extremely grateful to both the WHST and the Vale; it will also be contributing to the costs, which are estimated to be £22,500. These grants will enable us to make a start, but we will be seeking additional funding to complete the task.
The Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize – 22 and 23 April 2017 - From the Friends of the Ridgeway: As part of our work of preservation of the Ridgeway, we have established an annual arts competition and prize – the Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize. The aim of the competition is to bring The Ridgeway to life not only as a long distance trail but as an artistic inspiration, and to show The Ridgeway, its history and environs, in all their aspects throughout all seasons. The theme is 'The Ridgeway: history, ecology, and landscape across the surrounding environs'. There are separate classes for painting, sculpture, photography and writing (poetry or prose).
The competition Rules and Entry Form were circulated some months ago. There will be an exhibition of works submitted for the competition as part of the Ridgeway Friends Day. It will be open to the public on Saturday 22 April and Sunday 23 April 2017 from 10:00am to 5:00pm in the Thomas Hughes Memorial Hall, Uffington, located in the centre of the beautiful and historic rural village of Uffington in the Vale of the White Horse.
The results of the competition will be announced and prizes awarded at the Ridgeway Friends Day on Sunday 23 April 2017. Please put the date in your diary and come along to the exhibition; If you would like further information please contact Anthony Burdall, at: Tel: 01367 240713, Mob: 07841352938, or Email: anthony.burdall@burdall.net The attached flyer gives details: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/48b40e43-b83e-4c59-b881-6ac98bf47bf4/Friends_of_the_Ridgeway_Swire_Ridgeway_Arts_Prize_Prizegiving_notice.pdf
From Oxfordshire County Council: Changes to councils in Oxfordshire
We have published our 'One Oxfordshire' draft proposal to abolish all six councils in Oxfordshire and replace them with ONE new council for the whole county, saving £100m in the first five years - money that could be used to improve local services and keep council tax down. Oxfordshire currently has six councils – one county council and five district and city councils. We believe the current system is complicated, wasteful and no longer financially sustainable. Without change, important local services could be reduced and some may be cut altogether.
This is called a 'unitary' council. It would be simpler, offer better services, respond better to local priorities and be lower cost. This is what we mean by ONE Oxfordshire
You can join the debate and make your comments at: http://www.oneoxfordshire.org/
Benefice Weekly Sheet
The weekly sheet is attached here: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/0b4baf92-9d5e-4f5a-83bd-b306e57392af/wsh_2017_01_29.pdf
From The Repair Shop - New BBC 2 Show Looking For Sentimental Items:
The Parish Council has received the following:
My name is Ryan and I'm on the casting team at Ricochet TV part of warner bros TV production UK www.ricochet.co.uk
We are making a new television show for BBC 2 called "The repair shop"; the show looks into repairing beloved and interesting possessions for people who would like to see them restored or repaired back to their original working order. The kind of items we have come across so far have ranged from inherited pocket watches to grandfather clocks, from rocking horses to drawn carriages, even from toy cars to VW campers. We have a team of experts who cover all trades such as blacksmithing, ceramics, clockmakers, upholsterers and carpenters.
If anyone has any items that might be suitable to put forward, please contact us at: repair@ricochet.co.uk or call us on 01273 224800.
The Neighbourhood Plan needs your support - still! | If you have not already completed the Housing Needs Questionnaire please do so.
To give more time we are extending the closing date to next Tuesday 31st January. We have a return so far of 25 % for Uffington and every extra form will improve the picture of the future need for housing in our villages.
If you want to have an influence on the number and type of houses to be built here in the next 15 years this is your best chance!
Please help by completing your questionnaire in the next few days; it only takes 10-15 minutes and can be completed on paper and returned to the shop or on line. Thank you.
If you need a new blank questionnaire please email vicechair@ubwnp.net with your address, or fill it in online at http://tinyurl.com/HNA-UffBaulk
Local News - 20 January 2017 | Jack to the Future
Uffington Players presents "Jack to the Future" – a Pantomime – on February 16, 17 and 18. Details are attached here: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/Jack_to_the_Future_Poster.pdf
Benefice Weekly Sheet
The weekly sheet for 20 January is attached here:
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/wsh_2017_01_22.pdf
The Jubilee Field Spring Tidy and Litter Blitz 2017 – Save the Date
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district council are backing a new nationwide campaign to get half a million people out and about cleaning up their local communities in March 2017. The Great British Spring Clean aims to help bring people together to clear up the litter that blights their local streets and parks.
Uffington will be playing its part in this on Saturday and Sunday 18 / 19 March. Please assemble at the THMH car park at 10.00 on Saturday 18 March, equipped with gardening tools.
Didcot Garden Town draft masterplan revealed
The main features of the Didcot Garden Town draft Masterplan include a better connected town centre, with safe cycle routes to multiple locations, a new Leisure Centre in the North East of the town, and the potential to upgrade the station and the access to the railway museum.
You can view the main proposals now at www.didcotgardentown.org.
Wantage Town all-weather pitch proposal | From Sean Hargrave, who now helps out with the coaching at Wantage Town Juniors:
Wantage FC is putting in for permission to build an all-weather, floodlit football pitch behind Wantage Leisure Centre – between the centre and its clubhouse and pitch. The club is interested in, hopefully, securing support from Vale of the White Horse residents for a proposal that would transform how the club, and others in the area, trains people of all ages (we go from junior school boys and girls to over 50s 'walking' football). Dark winter evenings would no longer be a problem and grass pitches could be spared excess use which can render them bare, muddy and sometimes too dangerous to play on during periods of bad weather.
The pitch will be made available to the community and other clubs in the area. When I was looking after Uffington Juniors we had to rent out indoor space at a leisure centre or go to Abingdon for an all-weather pitch. Being able to pop down the road would obviously be far preferable and better for training in comparison to the hard inside surface of a leisure centre.
The proposal is here:
http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P16%2FV3021%2FFUL#exactline
and there's an article about it in the local paper here…
http://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/14983184.Football_club_unveils_plans_for___39_long_overdue__39__all_weather_pitch_plus_school_parking/#
The consultation on this proposal is open until 21 January; please visit the Vale website if you would like to comment on what is said to be a much-needed sporting facility.
Village news 13 January 2017 | Benefice Weekly Sheet
The weekly sheet for 15 January is attached: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/wsh_2017_01_15.01.pdf
Planning application reference P16/V3185/O for a residential development on land at Fawler Road and Station Road Uffington
Further to the open evening held by Redcliffe Homes on 8 November last year, you may wish to be aware that a planning application (Access only) has been submitted to the Vale District Council for a development of up to 44 new dwellings to include up to 15 (35%) affordable units and associated infrastructure.
Should you wish to make a comment the papers are available at:
http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P16/V3185/O#exactline
Mrs Floate is leaving | The lovely and talented Mrs Floate is leaving on Friday. If you would like to express thanks for all she's done to support and inspire children in and out of school, there'll be a card to sign and collection box for a gift in the school office and at the village shop tomorrow, Thursday.
Thank you! Any queries to Catherine Aldridge.
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