COVID -19 news
Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread
Find out how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of coronavirus. (This contains a lot of general advice). Updated: 10:24am, 28 July 2021
Local matters
Uffington Wed Walk - 4 August 2021
Hi Everyone. July was a very jolly walk with eighteen of us enjoying the ideal weather as we admired the views on our way up White Horse Hill. See attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/images/1c21d07b-66dc-27af-675b-8e9519c2ce70.jpg
For August we have planned a walk to Compton Beauchamp where the small chapel with its intriguing and unique arts and crafts decorations will be our turning point for the return journey. With the opportunity to stop off at the White Horse pub in Woolstone for refreshments for those who would like to on the return journey. Meeting at Uffington Village Hall car park at 9:20am for a 9:30 start. Visiting family, friends and dogs are all very welcome to join in.
From: The Wed Walking Group committee: Joe, Hilary, Pamela and Verity
Do share details of our walking group with friends. A walk from Uffington village car park at 9:30 on the first Wednesday of every month, no obligation to attend regularly and no need to send apologies. Just come along and join in when you can. If anyone would like to be added to the mailing list to be advised of the planned walk each month just e-mail: veritycavanagh@gmail.com
Verity Cavanagh
veritycavanagh@gmail.com 07975 861790
Recycle your computer ink cartridges and support charity
Don't put your used computer ink cartridges in general waste for landfill. Please give them to me and I will get them recycled. It's better for the environment and they will earn a donation to the Suited & Booted charity, which helps homeless and vulnerable unemployed men by providing them with smart clothes for their job interview. I will happily take all types of computer ink cartridges: any make of printer, black or coloured, original or remanufactured. Just pop them through my letterbox.
Hookside, Upper Common, Uffington. Thanks very much.
Mike Thomas Tel 07803 035603
Music for a summer evening, at St Mary's Church Uffington on 8 August
See attached poster: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/1759fac8-4307-52cc-7acf-76ec7f3aa898/Summer_evening_Sunday_8_August.01.pdf
Contact Juliet Moss on 01367 820598, or julietmoss@hotmail.co.uk
Summer News from the Ridgeway National Trail. Almost 2000 people are shaping ideas for a new Ridgeway riding route. Support is growing for the proposed Ridgeway riding route for cyclists and horse riders through the Chilterns between Goring and Ivinghoe Beacon. An online survey has so far collated feedback from 1,834 people. Respondents have shown an interest in circular rides, organised events, bicycle hire, electric bikes, horse riding holidays, using local stables and charity fundraising events. Opportunities for local businesses to develop new services have been suggested. Take a look at the survey results here.
More information on the website: https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/the-ridgeway/news/
Volunteers (non advice roles) needed at Citizens Advice
See attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/36fb1797-af0f-d76d-4591-92a38b71250e/Citizens_advice_Volunteer_non_adviser_July_2021.pdf
County matters
Footpath 9. The footbridge on Footpath 9 from the Fernham Road over the stream into the Waylands estate and on to Broad Street via the allotments, and vice versa, has been replaced by a bridge suitable for horses. OCC Highways have made this provision for pedestrians and horses for when the Fernham road is closed for bridge repairs in August – more on this nearer the time. Horses may use this bridge and the Footpath whilst the road bridge is closed; riders are requested to walk whilst on the footpath and to treat it with respect.
District Council matters
Your annual voter registration letter is coming - please check the details! Residents in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse are being urged to check the details on a letter they will receive from their district council from the end of July. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils will be sending a `Canvass Communication Form' to every home. You can see details on our website by clicking this link
Councils expand their free activity trails for children for the school summer holidays. From Monday 9 August to Monday 30 August South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils are running FREE Litter Bug Detectives Trails for children in 19 sites, including the Jubilee Field in Uffington, across southern Oxfordshire with the chance for schools to win litter picking equipment. The trails are being managed by local town and parish councils and follow on from a successful pilot of the scheme in four parks at May half term.
The activities are aimed at primary school children and have been produced to promote recycling and reuse messages and explaining the damage litter does to our environment. Each child who takes part can get a free notebook and pencil and if they get all the answers correct, they can request for a personalised Litter Bug Detectives certificate. In addition, there will be a prize of free litter picking equipment for schools whose pupils take part.
How to take part - Go to our webpage www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/litter-bug-detectives-trail and download the trail map of the park to visit (includes Uffington Jubilee Field). The map will show a trail to 13 sites around the park.
- At each site there will be a question on the themes of waste and recycling. The 13 answers will each provide a letter each to make two words.
- Email the two-word answer and your name and address to waste.team@southandvale.gov.uk before midnight on 5 September and the team will send a Litter Bug Detective Certificate.
https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/images/59f6874c-a120-7758-223e-28e6946079a0.png
Book a test drive and join the electric vehicle revolution. Test drive events are taking place in Oxfordshire next month to showcase electric vehicles (EVs) and an innovative new way of charging them aimed at people without off-street parking. You can see details on our website by clicking this link
District Council report for July. See attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/19e1a0dd-ceec-1ea1-14a8-dab4ec51cced/District_Council_Report_July21.pdf
Dog fouling. Further to recent notices on this issue, the Vale has issued a letter to all residents regarding dog fouling. See attached:
https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/263c8a94-4ff4-eb8a-5d0f-aee0c1e25efb/Dog_fouling_letter_all_parishes.pdf
We understand that this is an ongoing issue in most parishes and would like to give you the opportunity to remind your residents that they can use our litter bins for both litter and dog waste, or it can be accepted in kerbside black wheelie bins. We are hoping that this reminder will minimise the number of dog waste bags being littered across our districts.
First tickets for the White Horse Community lottery go on sale. Residents in the Vale of White Horse can help out local good causes and be in with a chance of winning a weekly £25,000 jackpot if they buy a ticket for the White Horse Community Lottery which go on sale this week. Players of the lottery can choose which local good cause they want to support when they purchase tickets – they can even choose to support more than one good cause if they like. Tickets cost just £1 per week with 60p from every ticket sold going to support charities and community groups across the Vale. Supporters of the good causes that have registered for the lottery can buy their tickets from the official website.
Tickets go on sale on Thursday 29 July and the first draw will take place on Saturday 18 September. As part of the first draw the council will donate £100 to five good causes which will be chosen by winners.
To find out more about buying tickets, or if you are a good cause based in the Vale of White Horse that would like to benefit from the lottery, visit whitehorselottery.co.uk
Police matters:
TVP Opens Police Officer Recruitment Thames Valley Police (TVP) is actively looking for people to 'be the difference they want to see' in their communities, as Police Officer recruitment re-opens. The force is now accepting expressions of interest for both Police Constable entry routes, ahead of applications opening for those with a degree qualification on 8 August via the Police Constable-Degree Holder Entry Programme (PC-DHEP). This will be followed by an opportunity for those who do not hold a degree to join via the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) on 1 September.
More information attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/c6c0d752-e138-3a34-49dd-1aa56c680af4/TVP_Opens_Police_Officer_Recruitment.pdf
From the Churches of Uffington Benefice
Please find attached the Weekly Sheet for Sunday 1st August: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/49520f60-8b02-0064-14ab-2c99b50ee98d/wsh_2021_08_01.pdf
Please see the Uffington Benefice web site for resources and links for the Zoom services: https://www.uffingtonbenefice.com/home
COVID -19 news
NHS COVID Pass
How to get the NHS COVID Pass and demonstrate your coronavirus (COVID-19) status when travelling abroad, and domestically at events and venues in England. Updated to reflect that from Monday 19 July, you may be asked to demonstrate your COVID-19 status as a condition of entry to a venue or event in England. Added the conditions of obtaining an NHS COVID Pass for use at domestic events in England. Updated: 16 July 2021 Local matters
Tom Brown's School Museum. I'm delighted to confirm that after nearly 20 months we can finally re-open the museum in Uffington. A number of the displays have been updated & we have our new exhibition 'Valuing Our Environment' with the winning pictures from the local photo competition. We will open from 2pm to 5pm every weekend from this Saturday 24th July. Please come & visit us, bring your friends & family & spread the good news! On Sunday the church will be open in the afternoon for homemade teas so why not combine the two?
We look forward to seeing you. Karen - Curator
Music for a summer evening, at St Mary's Church Uffington on 8 August.
See attached poster: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/f1987443-f11c-05d8-65a9-feb648c2376f/Summer_evening_Sunday_8_August.pdf
Contact Juliet Moss on 01367 820598, or julietmoss@hotmail.co.uk
County matters.
YourOxfordshire: Fresh air, cycling and Oxfordshire's infrastructure.
See: YourOxfordshire: Fresh air, cycling and Oxfordshire's infrastructure (mailchi.mp)
Make sure you have your say on the Boundary Review Proposals, on the future of your constituency.
(For the avoidance of any doubt, this information comes from Oxfordshire Conservatives. I have never included 'party political' matters in these newsletters; but this is important political stuff, not 'party' politics).
The Boundary Commission for England have now conducted a review of the current constituencies across the country and have made proposals which make varying changes to all four constituencies which make up the grouping: Henley, Oxford East, Oxford West & Abingdon and Wantage. The review gives Oxfordshire a 7th Constituency which will include Bicester and Kidlington as well as parts of West Oxfordshire. The (Conservative) party, after consultation with local MP's and Chairs have opted to support these recommendations in their entirety for our county, but that doesn't mean you can't submit your own comments on the proposals. The proposals can be found here: https://www.bcereviews.org.uk/
- You don't have to have an official role to submit a response. You can do so as an ordinary member of the public – get your friends and family to do so.
- Avoid cut and paste submissions. Try and make slightly different points, or word them differently.
- Submissions don't have to be long. For example, if one was to make a point in favour of the new Bicester constituency one might write: "As a resident of Kidlington, I am very happy to become part of a new Bicester constituency, due to the unique nature of our village. I feel this will give us better representation".
Comments must be submitted by 23:59 on Monday 2 August 2021. You can view the proposals here: BCE Consultation Portal (bcereviews.org.uk)
We are advised that the effects locally are: - We propose more significant reconfiguration in the Wantage constituency, which would become more compact while maintaining its two major settlements. We additionally propose that the constituency be called Didcot and Wantage, to reflect both major population centres on either side of the local authority boundary it crosses.
- We propose that the Witney constituency comprises the remaining wards of West Oxfordshire district, including the towns of Burford and Carterton, and extends south across the River Thames into the Vale of White Horse district. This configuration would include the town of Faringdon and the village of Kingston Bagpuize which are both well connected to the proposed constituency via the A4095 (Radcot Road) and A415 (Abingdon Road) respectively.
- The Vale District Council would be spread over three constituencies not two as it currently is; the council boundaries would not change as part of this review, unless a local government boundary review follows as it has previously. This would place Uffington, Baulking and Woolstone into the Witney constituency, whilst Kingston Lisle, for example, would remain in the Wantage & Didcot one.
If you make a comment, it would be helpful if you could notify the Parish Council of your views.
Soldiers of Oxfordshire
SOFO Museum launch Crowdfunding campaign to build WW2 Air-Raid Shelter. See attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/images/459f7616-8168-15e4-c5a3-bc5aaaf3b323.jpeg - Building a life-size WW2 Anderson shelter exhibit for visitors, families and schools to enjoy and learn from
- Expands on popular WW1 Trench display at the museum, built by local Cadets in 2014.
- A funding goal of £2000, with stretch goals include expanded audio-visual elements and themed events
- Rewards for supporting the project include pin badges, guidebooks, family passes and having your name included on a plaque in the exhibit itself. Pledge levels start at just £5.
crowdfunder.co.uk/anderson-shelter-project
District Council matters
People across South and Vale urged to have their say on the Ox-Cam Arc. People across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse are being urged to have their say on the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, a government led project which will have an impact on both districts in the future. The Oxford-Cambridge Arc includes the area between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge and aims to make significant economic, social ... You can see details on our website by clicking this link Please see the Uffington Benefice web site for resources and links for the Zoom services: https://www.uffingtonbenefice.com/home
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COVID -19 news
Traffic light system update for 19 July 2021
Changes to the international travel red, amber and green lists coming into force at 4am on Monday 19 July. 15 July 2021
Local matters
UFFINGTON BAULKING AND WOOLSTONE MINIBUS ASSOCIATION - VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED
The Association was formed to fund and manage a minibus about 40 years ago and the present vehicle is a valued community asset. Until the Covid outbreak it was used for shopping services for villagers of the three communities plus Kingston Lisle, Sparsholt and Childrey, all of which have provided volunteer help. The bus is also available for use by local residents, the school, clubs and associations for their social and educational purposes. We intend, very shortly, to restart services with appropriate Covid risk controls.
That said, the future of the minibus is in doubt unless some new volunteers come forward. Before Covid the shopping services were operated by 12 drivers. We now have 5, having lost the rest for unavoidable reasons. The small team of drivers and helpers has been running the bus for many years, and the present situation is not sustainable. The two different uses of the bus, shopping services and private bookings, contribute equally to the financial health of the Association so if we cannot maintain the shopping services because of a shortage of drivers the Association will cease to exist.
We need willing volunteers over age 25 with a full car licence who feel confident driving a minibus and can spend a morning driving a trip to Wantage every three weeks or so. The immediate need is for drivers but the administrative side of the Association is also in much need of support.
Those able to help can reach John Hatcher on 01367 820417 for more details.
Dog mess. Apologies for raising this subject again, so soon after the last request to dispose of full dog bags responsibly. However, unremoved dog mess is again becoming a problem on the Common and in other areas, including Packers Lane. It is not fun clearing up after other people's dogs.
Please clear up after your dog, particularly with the school holidays imminent and more frequent use of the Jubilee Field by youngsters. Think of your feelings if you or your children bring dog mess into your home on their shoes.
Uffington Farmers Market. 10.00 am to 12.30 pm on Sunday 18 July.
District Council matters
Fun for all the family as splash pads in the Vale reopen in time for the summer holidays. Splash pads at Abbey Meadow in Abingdon and Wantage Memorial Park will reopen from Monday 19 July with guaranteed fun for all the family. The reopening follows the announcement from the government that Covid-19 guidelines around social distancing will be relaxed. You can see details on our website by clicking this link
Leaders Statement - 14 July 2021. Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, delivered her Leaders Statement to Council at the meeting on 14 July 2021. Covid Update: As members are aware, Covid is once again spreading fast and causing the local authorities and health partner's concern. Oxford City has been classified as an Enhanced Response Area ... You can see details on our website by clicking this link
Mobile Phone Rural Coverage Survey
If you would you like to contribute to government policy, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is currently researching the impact of mobile coverage in rural areas. This is part of our Shared Rural Network programme which aims to increase mobile network coverage across the UK to 95%. Now, we want to find out how this programme can help you in your daily life. We particularly want to hear from you if you live or work in rural UK. You can participate via this link: https://dcms.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7QWTy9OUU4PNnmK
or email Laura.Hensel@dcms.gov.uk to request to complete the survey over the telephone.
From the Churches of Uffington Benefice
Please find attached the Weekly Sheet for Sunday 18th July: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/843c043a-76ec-6894-f7c9-e5c3e84d8881/wsh_2021_07_18.pdf
Please see the Uffington Benefice web site for resources and links for the Zoom services: https://www.uffingtonbenefice.com/home
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