UFFINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
ADVANCE NOTICE – JUBILEE FIELD: The Autumn Tidy of the Jubilee Field will be held on Saturday 25th October, 10 am to midday. The Parish Council hopes that as many as are able will turn out to help with various tasks such as laying wood chippings on the path round the pond, clearing around the small beech hedge, strimming where required, helping sow grass and perennial wild flower seed near the pond, and of course, weather permitting, we will have a bonfire. Please come armed with appropriate tools - shears, rakes, barrows etc. Your help will be much appreciated!
Uffington Allotments. There are currently a number of allotments available for rental. If interested please contact allotments@uffington.net
More information attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/images/d71053d1-bc62-437c-450c-4c4086757a2e.png
WHAT'S ON - IN & AROUND UFFINGTON
Friday 14 November – Pudding Party, in aid of Uffington Picnic Fest 2026. More information attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/643261a2-b316-ee69-9800-bb9feda1ef74/Pudding_party_.01.pdf
GENERAL
Shifford Carriage Driving Group Riding for the Disabled (RDA). The trustees of a small Riding for the Disabled Carriage Driving Group (Shifford Carriage Driving RDA) that has recently located to Charney Bassett have been in touch:
'We are in the process of developing the group so that we can offer pleasure carriage drives and lessons to more disabled participants. To achieve that we are in desperate need of more volunteers. More information attached: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/a19805ba-dfef-79ef-1809-f04d2d88024d/RDA_A4_flyer_V2.pdf
And on the website: Shifford Carriage Driving Group | Carriage Driving for Disabled People The Trustees look forward to hearing from you.'
Thames Water. The article in last week's newsletter prompted an Uffington resident to write in:
'I have run into a Thames Water issue that might affect others in the village. Today, I noticed my water bill had shot up from £28/month to a staggering £513/month. Obviously, that is not normal, so I contacted TW; they confirmed it looks like there is a leak somewhere on my side.
After a quick test—turning off my stopcock in the house for an hour and checking the meter readings before and after—I found the meter was still ticking along, meaning water is leaking at a rate of about 1800 litres a day.
Since a lot of us just had new meters fitted around the same time, it might be worth advising everyone in the village to do a similar check. Turn off their stopcock for an hour and see if the meter is still running. This could help them catch any leaks early and avoid a nasty surprise on their next bill.'
As an extra to this, TW will not raise a job to repair this leak until a second meter reading is taken, 15 days after they took the last one.
Thames Water – again. South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO)
Thames Water have announced that they plan to launch the Statutory Consultation on the SESRO project on Tuesday 28 October 2025.
On that date, consultation materials, the latest project design, and details on how to provide feedback will be made available on our dedicated website. We will ensure links to this information are shared with you directly by email on the day. The public consultation will run until 11:59pm on Tuesday 13 January 2026 and will seek input on various aspects of the project, which will be outlined in the consultation materials. We'll also be hosting 9 events across November, including 7 in person and two online where we are inviting communities and customers to come and speak to our team to find out more about the project. Details of the dates for the events are attached here:
More information on how to register for the online events will be set out when the consultation goes live on the 28 October. We have also published our Statement of Community Consultation on our website South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO) - Thames Water Strategic Resource Options which provides details on our approach to the consultation.
Regency tea party hosted by Uffington Museum
As part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, Uffington Museum hosted a Regency tea party in the village hall on Saturday. Guests were treated to a high tea of sandwiches, cakes and scones, all served on beautiful vintage china provided by Timeless Tea Party Hire based in Uffington. Photo attached of the five 'hostesses' in period dress: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/edc6709f-9d52-b207-dd96-ca50cb1dc87f/Tea_party_hosts.pdf
It was great fun with activities for children and a photo booth and we are grateful to everyone who supported us, including the Friends of Uffington Museum who supplied cakes, scones and sandwiches." We had over 60 visitors for tea with some lovely feedback and complements and raised £175 towards running the museum.
The museum will close at the end of October so if you haven't yet seen the Jane Austen exhibition we will be open weekends 2pm to 5pm. Entry to the museum is free, but donations are always appreciated. You can find out more about the museum on the Facebook page or website.
FROM THE VALE
Five frightfully good ways to save waste this Halloween. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are urging residents to enjoy a spooktacular Halloween without letting waste come back to haunt them. Every year, thousands of pumpkins and costumes end up in the bin after just one night of fright. But with a few simple swaps, we can all help save money, ... You can see details on our website by clicking this link
For plenty of recipe ideas, crafty costume tips and spooky waste-saving ideas, visit: whitehorsedc.gov.uk/Halloween
Roadshow celebrates equality and diversity across the districts. `What does equality mean to you?' That's a question officers from South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils will be asking residents on their Equalities Roadshows starting on Tuesday 21 October. Council officers will be travelling across the districts to speak to the public about what the councils are doing to support ... You can see details on our website by clicking this link
(The link to the Vale website includes Roadshow dates and locations)
COUNTY NEWS
The latest news for your communities. See: The latest news for your communities
YourOxfordshire. Help us fix potholes faster, free park and ride journeys and driving at 70. See: Help us fix potholes faster, free park and ride journeys and driving at 70
THAMES VALLEY POLICE
🚨 Wantage and Grove NHPT – ATM Distraction Theft Alert. 🚨 We're warning residents about a rise in distraction thefts targeting people at ATMs across Oxfordshire.
👥 What's happening: Offenders work in pairs, parking away from the area to avoid detection. One suspect loiters nearby, while the other engages the victim in conversation or offers help. While distracting the victim, they steal the bank card. Victims' bank cards are used almost immediately.
🛡️ How to protect yourself:
• Stay alert when using ATMs — especially if approached or distracted
• Cover the keypad when entering your PIN
• Avoid accepting help from strangers at cash machines
• If you feel uncomfortable, cancel the transaction and walk away
• Report suspicious behaviour to police immediately
• If your card is stolen, cancel it straight away
🚓 We'll be conducting increased patrols around ATMs and store car parks to deter offenders and reassure the public. Let's stay vigilant and protect each other. If you see anything suspicious, call 101 or report it online.
FROM THE CHURCHES OF UFFINGTON BENEFICE
Please find attached the Weekly Sheet for Sunday 19 October: https://mcusercontent.com/c90a1a7b6d1f693a28c947f92/files/0b97206f-1f63-fd2d-ea88-a9306203b434/wsh_2025_10_19.pdf
For all information, please see: https://www.uffingtonbenefice.com/
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