Uffington Village Shop – Security Appeal. There has been the most amazingly generous response to this appeal. In only seven days the target of £5,000 has been reached and an order has been placed for a new front door and metal shutters to improve security, with installation scheduled for the week commencing 10 July. A full report will be made once the work is complete and all invoices paid.
The Parish Council bank account remains open for any further donations which will be held in reserve for a time, in the event that more security improvements are needed. Please pass this on to anybody who you might have contacted about the appeal.
Local news and events
Elizabeth Rosser. There will be a Celebration of Elizabeth's life in St Mary's Church Uffington at 13.30 on Thursday 6 July; all are welcome.
White Horse WI. Next meeting 7.30 pm on Wednesday 28th June. We are delighted to be welcoming Marea Brown to our next meeting at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 28th June at the Thomas Hughes Memorial Hall. Marea will be talking about & demonstrating the art of Indian Block Printing and you will also have the chance to create your own tea towel or tote bag in the colours and design of your choice if you would like to. For more information about Marea do visit her website www.artofjaipur.com
Everyone is welcome. Catherine Blaxhall, WI Adviser, Oxfordshire WI.
5 July. Gordie Mackeeman and His Rhythm Boys, Baulking, July 5th. Tickets for Gordie and the Boys are now in short supply so if you want to see ol' Crazy Legs in action get in touch via 01367 820282 or through Cow Muck Promotions on Facebook.
16 July. The Micron Theatre Company will be at Marcy Fields near Whitehorse Hill on Sunday 16 July, at 2.00pm. More information: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/9131d610-c170-a39f-e398-da84084b2f50/Marcy_Digital_16_July.pdf
20 July. Red Arrows Display at the Defence Academy. A flying display will take place on 20 July 2023 at Shrivenham Station. The display is being held to mark the graduation of our Advanced Staff Course and will include aircraft displaying for approximately 30mins, which may cause excess noise in the surrounding area.
General Information.
David Johnston MP. Please find attached a revised version of David's article for June: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/a8bb1497-9fb9-77a2-4d36-5794bf296f08/David_Johnston_Article_June_.pdf
Track Day Toyz – Baulking. Steve & Lee at Track Day Toyz Ltd would like to thank everyone for their custom over the past 11 years & to clear up rumours of bankruptcy & closure! Lee has taken the step to retire after a special birthday but will still be around to help out when needed. Steve is hoping to stay in the Uffington estate that has recently been taken over by a new landlord & looks forward to providing continuing support to his customers.
From the Vale
Cycles recycled to help Vale residents get on their bike. Residents in Abingdon can now get active and healthy using donated bikes with the new Ride Revolution project. Ride Revolution is a pilot project, set up by Vale of White Horse District Council, that will take unwanted bikes through donation, scrapyards and recycling centres and get them restored or repaired with the support of students ... You can see details on our website by clicking this link
Ukrainian housing officer Olha now helping others find their feet. Supporting Refugee Week, Olha, who works as part of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils' Ukraine Support, shares her experience leaving Ukraine, arriving in the UK, finding work and accommodation, and settling in her family to life in the UK. Olha arrived in the UK in May 2022 and came to the ... You can see details on our website by clicking this link
Let's talk rubbish! Tell us what you think of our waste services. What do you think of your local household waste and street cleaning services? That's what South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils want to know as they launch their new waste services survey.
The two councils are asking people to share their views and experiences of waste services across the districts, including household waste, recycling and food waste collections, bulky waste collections, street cleaning services, customer services and the councils' waste and recycling information. The feedback from the survey will help to identify what aspects of these services people are happy with as well as the areas which could be improved. Your opinion really does matter to us – take the survey now by visiting southandvale.gov.uk/WasteSurvey
Comments are open until 11.59pm on Monday 10 July 2023.
County news
Oxford United's proposals for the land known as 'the Triangle'. See: Oxford United's proposals for the land known as 'the Triangle' (mailchi.mp)
Road closure - 13 to 14 July. The Woolstone Road will be closed between the Fernham Road / Broad St junction to the junction at Lilac Cottage from 13 to 14 July, from 08:00 to 17:00 each day, to facilitate carriageway repairs. Limited access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles and for frontages within the closed section of road, subject to the progress of the works. Suggested Alternative Route: via Woolstone Road, High Street, Broad Street and vice versa.
From the Churches of Uffington Benefice
Please find attached the Weekly Sheet for Sunday 25 June: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/ff92f973-ec5f-6e84-c4e9-3602b2131032/wsh_2023_06_25.pdf
For all information, please see: https://www.uffingtonbenefice.com/
Next week. Apologies - no newsletter next week. Please submit any items for the next one by Wednesday 5 July.
Village news 16 June 2023 Local news and events
Pop-up Caf̩ on Broad Street Р11 till 2 -ish on Saturday 17 June. Please support Sarah and Tony, using local produce, at Belmont House, Broad Street, tomorrow. More information attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/images/464a7190-c4bb-9e25-c83f-6c9fc507528f.jpg
Sunday 18 June. Afternoon Teas start in St Mary's on Sundays from 18th June throughout the summer, with delicious home-made sandwiches and cakes. Open 2.30pm till 5.30pm. Enquires - Fay Forster 01367 898071.
Uffington Farmers Market. This Sunday from 10.00 am.
Shellingford School Summer Fun Day – 17 June, from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm. More information here: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/images/f12a0eb5-4b97-9a44-d45f-4eaef4a1008c.jpg
General information
Open Gardens, Dog Show and Children's races. Thank you to everybody who helped in any way with the Open Gardens, Dog Show and Children's races. Delighted to say we have raised £1400 after expenses to be shared equally between St Mary's Uffington and the White Horse Gardening Club. Fantastic effort all round.
David Johnston MP. Please find David's latest article attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/c7704bd4-877a-69ae-c191-ad0dc7a531e7/David_Johnston_Article_June.01.pdf
Refugee Week - Homes for Ukraine. 19-25 June is Refugee Week, a time to reflect on the plight of the 100 million people worldwide (according to the UNHCR) who have been forcibly displaced, principally because of conflict or persecution. In 2022 the war in Ukraine displaced 8 million people internally and forced 6 million to leave the country. The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam has made thousands more homeless.
Britain has been a leader in accepting refugees under its Homes for Ukraine scheme, and we have three lovely Ukrainian families who have been made very welcome in our own community. However, the Diocese of Oxford and its partners have a waiting list of over 750 Ukrainians seeking sanctuary in this country. They include mums who want to get their children to a safe place, college students who want to continue their studies, pensioners who are struggling to find medication and the basic necessities of life, farmers whose fields have become unusable because of landmines, and many more. The Ukrainians are a resilient, hard-working, very appreciative people, who are themselves generous beyond their means.
Could you find a room in your house and a place in your heart to accommodate a Ukrainian refugee or refugee family? The first month will be challenging, living with new people and helping with a lot of paperwork. However, it is a hugely rewarding experience. The Diocese of Oxford will deal with everything before they come to England, including facilitating video matching calls (with a translator) and visa applications. Once they arrive, there is generous financial support from OCC. Ongoing advice will also be available from the Diocese.
If you might be interested in hosting and would like to find out more - without any obligation - please contact us: Mike and Felicity Thomas, 07803 035603, ukmcthomas@gmail.com
Helicopter Training. An Uffington resident has commented recently on the number of low flying military helicopters that fly over and near Uffington during the average day, and sometimes after 11.00 pm at night. These are RAF Benson-based Chinook and Puma which have been engaged recently in an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) night phase of training. The good news is that phase of training is drawing towards an end, so the increased level of activity directly attributable to the night phase should tail off. Clearly, OCU activity is essential, but the Station have said they will see if it is feasible to give residents a break over the summer months.
Uffington Parish Council has now been added to the list of local villages notified of any unusual flying, and the following has been received: 'This email serves as notification of the Royal Air Force Air Cadet Muster on Saturday, 17 June 23. Multiple Chinook aircraft will be conducting air experience flights between 09:00 – 15:30. Additionally, between 13:10 – 13:30 there will be a flypast of F35, Texan and Lancaster aircraft.
From the Vale
Come and say hello! New drop-in session on support. Our friendly Community Hub team will be at The Beacon in Wantage on Friday 16 June from 1pm, joined by Wantage Community Larder and Vale Community Impact. We'll be offering cost-of-living information and support. YouMove will also be on hand to offer advice on helping people get active. Meet our Community Hub team Our Community ... You can see details on our website by clicking this link
Have your say on air quality. Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils have put together a new plan of action for the next four years to improve air quality in the districts and now they are asking residents to have their say on the proposals. You can see details on our website by clicking this link
CCTV to target Abingdon toilet vandals. Individuals deliberately damaging public toilets in an Abingdon park now risk being caught on CCTV. Following repeated and costly vandalism, Vale of White Horse District Council has installed the cameras overlooking the entrance to the toilets in Abbey Meadow. The facility is well used throughout the year and is especially important during the summer months ... You can see details on our website by clicking this link
County news
YourOxfordshire - Men's health, clean air and Oxford United's stadium. See: Men's health, clean air and Oxford United's stadium (mailchi.mp)
From the Churches of Uffington Benefice
Please find attached the Weekly Sheet for Sunday 18 June: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/cca1a56f-19b9-d27a-9d7e-40cfc24deb49/wsh_2023_06_18.pdf
For all information, please see: https://www.uffingtonbenefice.com/
Uffington Village Shop - Security Appeal Uffington Village Shop – Security Appeal
Many of you will know the Village Shop was broken into in the early hours of 9 May and that it was not the first time it has been attacked. Sadly, this was a particularly nasty break-in.
This attack could not have occurred at a worse time as Rose and Dave Holborow are in the process of completing the sale of their house in Swindon and moving into the bungalow they have had built in Uffington. They have been looking to retire while ensuring the Shop continues to provide the service to our community it has done so well for so many years. This latest attack has certainly been a disaster for them.
The Shop was "back to normal" within a few days and some may think the term "disaster" is over dramatic. However, the cost to Rose and Dave of this attack, mentally and financially, will be considerable. Insurance may not cover the full cost of repairs and they will need to find funds to pay for improved security, such as a metal shutter for the main entrance to prevent yet another attack, and to be able to continue to insure the business.
The Shop is a lifeline for many people in the community, providing a range of services (prescription deliveries, dry cleaning, plants in season etc), in addition to selling food and household materials. The Post Office, including banking facilities, is particularly valuable as banks and post offices continue to disappear from high streets. We should not forget the fact the Shop remained open throughout the covid pandemic and proved invaluable for those who could not leave the village. In short, there are incalculable social benefits to the residents of Uffington and other local villages in the continuing success of the Shop; the more we all use it, the better!
It is now known that the cost of installing a new front door (the current one was a temporary stop-gap to get the business opened again) and metal shutters to improve security will be in the region of £5,000. There is obviously a need to get these repairs completed as quickly as possible. It is thought that there are many people in Uffington and surrounding villages who would wish to show their appreciation of Dave and Rose's work for us over many years by contributing to the repairs. We are therefore setting up an 'Appeal Fund' to raise funds and to show Rose and Dave that their long-term support to our community is much appreciated.
The Appeal will be open for 2 weeks only from today, and the names of those who contributed will be passed to Dave and Rose, unless contributions are made anonymously.
For accounting and audit transparency reasons, Uffington Parish Council is running the project and seeking to raise the necessary funds, both through this appeal and via other grant-making bodies, as we feel it essential that Rose and Dave should be able to complete the work in the shortest possible time, almost certainly before the insurance claim has been processed. It is therefore difficult to know what the final sum required will amount to. However, the Parish Council is willing to ensure that the total cost of repairs and new shutters is available immediately, even if part of this is a loan until the insurance company has paid up.
Please consider donating as generously as possible, to help Rose and Dave get back on their feet and allow the Shop to continue providing a much-appreciated service to our community.
Donations can be made to: Uffington Parish Council. Sort code: 30-99-11, Account No: 00278320 and please reference your payment with 'Shop'.
Village news 9 June 2023 Uffington Parish Council
The Courier. Don't forget that articles for the next edition of the Courier (Summer 2023) are due to the Editor, Giles Dawson, before 17 June. Please send your copy to: courier@uffington.net
Local news and events
Uffington Gardens Open Day, Dog Show and Children's Games - Sunday 11th June 12 noon to 5pm. See attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/1e81e62d-9538-1782-badf-ec1d50fa47f2/Poster_Open_day_and_dog_show.02.pdf
Entry to all gardens will be via a map which will be for sale in the village hall.
Shellingford School Summer Fun Day – 17 June, from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm. More information here: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/images/3a53b6a0-5089-baf5-d903-9d31cad81dbe.jpg
White Horse WI. It was lovely to meet so many of you and to know you are interested in joining a new WI in Uffington. The WI is a great organisation and brings so much to it's members and their community. We have managed to organise a great workshop for our June get together and do hope you will be able to come along.
The next meeting will be at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 28th June, at the Thomas Hughes Memorial Hall. We are delighted to be welcoming Marea Brown. Marea will be talking about & demonstrating the art of Indian Block Printing and you will also have the chance to create your own tea towel or tote bag in the colours and design of your choice if you would like to.
Marea is passionate about crafting and making beautiful things for the home and garden and runs workshops in lovely rural venues in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and West Berkshire - in both Candle Making and Indian Block Printing. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience and loves meeting new people too so she is a perfect fit for the WI!
There is no charge for the meeting and there will be cake! If you would like to create a tea towel or tote bag to take home, there will be a small charge of £3 per item, towards the materials. Everyone is welcome and we are looking forward to seeing how creative you can be! We are really hoping to launch this exciting new WI in July and hope this meeting gives you an idea of what the WI can offer you. Everyone is welcome. For more information about Marea do visit her website www.artofjaipur.com
Catherine Blaxhall, WI Adviser, Oxfordshire WI
County news
The Parish Report for June 2023 is attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/eeaaba51-84a1-415b-59b3-415c83114cea/OCC_Parish_Report_June_2023__.pdf
Oxfordshire's transport and travel bulletin. See: Modular Template Patterns (mailchi.mp)
From the Police.
Herewith the latest scams warnings from National Trading Standards: Scams Newsletter June 23.pdf
From the Churches of Uffington Benefice
There is no Weekly Sheet as yet for Sunday 11 June.
For all information, please see: https://www.uffingtonbenefice.com/
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