We have just moved into the Old Post Office and thought we would introduce ourselves.  We are Nick and Rosie Hawkes. We lived in Abingdon for 30 years but always wanted one day to live in a village in more rural surroundings. We are semi-retired and work part time. We feel we are really settling into this lovely village and thank our near neighbours for such a friendly welcome.  If you are passing by do knock on the door and say hello and hopefully we can meet more sociably soon.

Best wishes
Rosie and Nick

Minutes for December and Agenda for January have been added to this page.

We have a vicar!!
 
As those who joined us will know, the Revd Maureen Turner was licensed as our vicar on Sunday in a virtual service by Zoom.  We were joined by Bishop Steven, Bishop of Oxford,  Archdeacon Judy , the Area Dean, Jason, and his Assistant, Jeremy and the Deputy Sheriff of the County, as well as Lord Faringdon, our Patron.  Quite a line up.  Maureen was supported by over sixty links to probably well over eighty people.  All in all, it was as special an event as it could be in the circumstances. 
 
Maureen is now ‘live’ as it were.  If you need to speak to her, her phone number is  01367 240875.  She will be happy to speak to you.  Either she or I will confirm her regular working days later.  In the meantime she has a lot to get to grips with over the four parishes.  Not an easy task in the present situation.  My first task will be to try to show her the secret of unlocking the church.  Many of you will know, that is not an easy thing!
 
I have included (with her blessing) a photo I took of her on Sunday so that you will be able to recognise her if you see her on a walk around the village.  Of course, she probably won’t be dressed like that!
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Dear all,

We know Vale are now pushing more and more information out through the comms system, but we just wanted to keep you updated with anything that you may have missed, or not yet been sent. An important update below for residents that the Brown Bin Garden Waste service is suspended.
 
Winter Support Grant Scheme
We have launched a new grant scheme to help residents affected by the pandemic buy food and keep their homes warm this winter.   
We have been working closely with Oxfordshire County Council, City and the other districts on this Winter Support Grant following the allocation £1.4million of government funding to Oxfordshire.  Following discussions, the county council allocated around £1M of that funding to providing free school meals. The rest has been distributed across the districts in the county with our share being £150,000 (South £76,006 and Vale £73,430). 
 
Our local information and advice centres, Citizens Advice South and Vale and Wantage Independent Advice Centre will be distributing the funding to those in need, on behalf of the Council. The advice centres can support people with supermarket vouchers for food and fuel vouchers to top up prepayment meters or with paying a heating bill. This will be alongside their usual package of advice and support around budget management, debt and benefit advice and any other assistance the resident may need signposting towards. 
 
If a resident has received a food voucher from a previous scheme, they can still apply for a Winter Support Grant.  
We are in the process of contacting community groups to make them aware of this support and information, which will also be going out on our social media platforms. We urge anyone in need of support to contact their local advice centre. 
 
This funding must be spent by 31 March 2021. 
 
Garden Waste Collections (Brown Bin)
Cabinet member for Environment Cllr Catherine Webber released a statement on the suspension of the brown bin service which can be found here: https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/a-letter-to-garden-waste-customers-in-the-vale/
Collections were due to happen across the Western Vale from Monday onwards, but as of yet we have not heard if and when these collections will resume. Many residents have contacted us asking about Christmas Tree disposal or refunds on a service they are paying for as an addition to thier council tax bills. We will be seeking clarity from the Cabinet Member on their plans for restarting this service, and asking if residents will see some sort of refund going forward. 
Updates will follow as soon as we hear more.
 
Covid-19 response councillor grant scheme 
The Covid-19 councillor grant scheme remains open for applications. With the new highly transmissible strain of the virus and the current lockdown bringing additional challenges for our communities we have sent a reminder to the town and parish councils where this funding is still available.  Please remember to contact your local councillor for more information. 
 
Business support – Covid-19 grants update  
We have just opened the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) for applications, which provides up to £1,800 for any business from the hospitality, accommodation or leisure sectors that remained open during our Tier 2 restrictions between 2 December to 25 December 2020 – but whose trade was severely impacted during that time.   
  
To receive notifications about when these grants become available please subscribe to the South and Vale Business Support newsletter – sign up at svbs.co.uk. 
  
Please continue to encourage businesses to sign up to our South and Vale Business Support mailing list by visiting svbs.co.uk – this is the best way for them to find out as soon as grant funding becomes available locally.  They can also receive updates by following the Businesses Support teams Twitter and Facebook accounts. 
 
As mentioned last week, we are still waiting for the government to confirm and provide guidance on the funding available for businesses affected by the recent Tier 4 restrictions and the current national lockdown. We’ll have more details for you as soon as this guidance is available.  
 
Pub grants 
We've just awarded £87,000 in grants to 53 pubs in South and 34 in Vale as part of the government's Christmas Support Payment for Wet-Led Pubs. The scheme provides a one-off £1,000 payment to pubs that receive less than 50 per cent of their income from food sales and was made available to help cover the normally busy festive period. The qualifying pubs should all receive their money this week.   
 
Applications for this grant remain open until 31 January 2021 - more details are available at SVBS.co.uk   
 
Covid marshals update  
Our Covid Compliance Marshals continue to visit our towns and villages to help support local businesses to operate in a Covid Secure manner and to keep the public safe.  
Their role is to engage, explain and encourage businesses and members of the public to adhere to the latest guidelines to help keep everyone safe, including advising on social distancing and wearing masks. 
With no essential shops, pubs and restaurants currently closed, the marshals are shifting their focus to takeaways across the districts. They’ll be visiting them, providing advice, and answering questions, and where required handing out posters the takeaways can display to remind customers how to queue and enter the premises safely. 
 
Keeping safe in our play areas  
Our play areas currently remain open, however with the virus transmission rate remaining high we know there will be some concern about people spending time there, particularly if a play area is busy or people aren't social distancing.    
To help to address these concerns, and to remind people to follow social distancing and hand washing requirements, we've placed the attached sign at the entrances of all our play areas in the Vale.     
In our next update to parish councils, we will be including a version that parishes in both districts can print off to use in their own play areas.  We’ll also be spreading this message via our social media channels – so please keep an eye out for our posts and share them with your own followers.  
 
Community Centres update 
Due to the current lockdown, and following consultation with the relevant members, The Beacon, Cornerstone, and our two new community centres on Great Western Park will remain closed to the public until at least 31 March. This is so we can protect our community food hub, which is currently running from Cornerstone and enable them to be used to support the vaccine or as additional testing centres, if required. We hope to review the situation around Easter.  

Useful Websites -  

If you have found any which have been useful for yourselves, please let me know and I will include them going forward for others.   

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.oxfordshireallin.org/ 
http://www.svbs.co.uk/
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/stopthespread 
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-at-home-tips/
http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/services-and-advice/coronavirus-community-support 
https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help 
https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/c19/coronavirus-covid-19/ 

As ever, any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch
With best wishes & stay safe,  
Simon (Howell) and Elaine (Ware)

Mike St Maur Sheil will give a talk about World War One by Zoom.  Mike is a professional photographer who collaborated with the late Professor Richard Holmes to produce a major photographic exhibition  “Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace.  This considers every theatre of war  except Iraq.  The exhibition was viewed by 13 million people in 9 different countries, and resulted in the creation of an award winning book for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.  This talk can be viewed by Zoom ;   details will be sent to every U3A member a few days before 11th February.  If you are unsure whether you have received the link, search through your computer, including spam and junk mail.  It will be there somewhere!  NO luck  - contact Ricky Cunningham on 01367 242 626 for help.

We can all face problems that are too stressful or complicated to sort out alone.

In 2019 our 150 volunteers advised over 11,000 people. We helped three quarters resolve their debt, benefits, employment and housing problems. 

We now need more advisers to help us during and after the Covid-19 crisis.

Our main offices are in Abingdon, Didcot, Henley and Thame. Since March 2020, 90 volunteers and staff have been advising the public from home on our Adviceline service. Recently we partially re-opened our offices, in part to train new advisers.

What will you get out of it?  You will join a friendly team, meet new people, develop your skills and make a real difference to people’s lives. 

You’ll need to have good listening and interpersonal skills, a willingness to learn and be confident with computers. Full training will be provided.

If you have eight hours a week to spare for the next two years or more and are looking for a satisfying and stimulating volunteer role in your local community, please contact us at:

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/local/oxfordshire-south-vale/volunteer/

For those of you who have not seen it - here is a link to the footage of the barn from 1955.

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-great-coxwell-berkshire-1955-online

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The village phone box book exchange has been refreshened.  All the old unloved, damaged books and those showing signs of damp have been removed, the shelves have been tidied and around 50 new books installed.  There’s lots of great books for children and for young adults.  Plus quite a few contemporary biographies and dozens of novels.  
 
Have a look before they all go!!
​

A Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope the vaccination programme begins to show results before too long.

Service on 10th January
Unfortunately, due to the worsening Coronavirus situation we have decided to cancel this service.
 
Licensing of Rev Maureen Turner
I am pleased to be able to confirm that Maureen’s licensing will take place on Sunday, 17th January at 2pm as planned.  However, like many events nowadays it will take place virtually on Zoom.  This has the advantage that many more of the parishioners of the benefice will be able to take part.  You are all invited  to be present, so if you would like to attend and have not already received it from me, please email me ([email protected]) for the link to the service. 

It will be good for Maureen to finally (though with some difficulty) start her ministry among us.  I am sure she will be a good pastor to us and become a welcome member of our communities.
 
Batemans Trust Charity – Reminder
Many thanks to those of you who have given me donations so far to this worthwhile cause.  I plan to send off a cheque to Nick Thompson at the Trust at the beginning of next week , so there is still time if you would like to contribute.  If you don’t want to drop it in to me, just let me know and I will come and collect it while walking the dog!
Stay safe and well.
 
Pat
  
Pat Cook, Churchwarden.
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