PADDY Harris, the popular pastor of Cornerstone Church in Thame. has had his red racing bike stolen from outside his house. Some of his friends and parisheners have set up a Crowdfunder page to raise the money to by Paddy a replacement bike.
If you would like to help ‘Let’s get Pastor Paddy pedalling again’ visit Crowdfunder.co.uk to find out how you can contribute. http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/Get-the-vicars-bike-back
DEFIBRILLATORS in more and more public places in Thame, is the aim of the Staying Alive action group, and after a successful presentation to Thame Town Council this evening, a grant from the council will allow them to install a third defibrillator somewhere in the town that could save a life.
Speaking at this evening’s Policy and Resources committee meeting, Dick Tracey, South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) divisional responder manager, told councillors that cardiac arrest is the UK’s biggest killer, and that for every minute that passes before a heart can be started again, the chances of a successful resuscitation diminishes by 10 per cent on average. He explained that from a survival rate of just 4 – 5% currently, it is possible to increase that to up to 62% as has happened in Seattle, by the use of these publically available defibrillators.
The defibrillators like the one recently installed outside Brothers Hair Salon in Buttermarket, Thame, (see LINK) are specially designed to be used by members of the public with no First-aid knowledge whatsoever, ‘talking through’ the procedure step by step. Whenever someone rings 999 and asks for an ambulance, once the operator has identified that a possible cardiac arrest has occured, he or she will immediately direct the caller to a defibrillator if there is one close by, and help them operate the equipment if necessary by entering an activation code.
There is another defibrillator outside the Scout HQ in Southern Road, Thame, and one each at Upper and Lower Lord Williams’s School, and the young people are being trained so that if the need ever arose, they would not be afraid to use t
THIS year is the 25th anniversary of the reintroduction of red kites in the Chilterns, one of the most successful conservation projects ever carried out in the UK.
On August 1, 1989, in a quiet tranquil valley on the Bucks/Oxon border within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, five young red kites were released into the wild. This project, to re-introduce a native species that had been wiped out over previous centuries, was one of the first of its kind in the UK, and the people behind it could only hope that the young birds would thrive and breed.
As we now know, the project could not have been a greater success. Over the next five years, another 88 red kites were released in the Chilterns by English Nature and the RSPB. With a few exceptions the young birds thrived in their new home and started breeding. The population has steadily built up ever since, gradually spreading out from the release point. 25 years year on, these beautiful birds are an incredibly common sight in the southern Chilterns and beyond, including above Thame. There are so many now it is impossible to know their exact numbers, but there are at least 1,000 breeding pairs spread across large parts of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Berkshire.
Cathy Rose of the Chilterns Conservation Board said: “The site in the Chilterns was picked as the first for re-introducing kites into England because there’s plenty of natural food for them to scavenge and places to nest in here. The Chilterns area is also nationally-protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It wasn’t a certainty though that the project would be a success so it is absolutely fantastic that the kites have done so well.”
Neil Douglas, Senior Nature Policy Officer at RSPB HQ commented: “The Chilterns reintroduction has been fantastically successful in bringing red kites back from the brink. Previously driven to extinction in England, it is heartening to see these impressive birds become a popular spectacle and well-loved feature of our landscape.”
Kites have thrived so strongly in the Chilterns that nearly 300 young birds have been taken to start re-introduction schemes in other parts of the UK such as Gateshead and Yorkshire.
Find out more about the Chilterns’ kites at www.chilternsaonb.org/red-kites
SOURCE: Contributed by Claire Forrest of The Chilterns Conservation Board
THAME Players produced top-class performances of Much Ado About Nothing, one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies, in front of a capacity audiences in the beautiful setting of The Elms in Thame, from Tuesday to Saturday last week.
Although now twenty years since the Players last performed open-air in the same delightful garden setting, you would not have thought so, because this production, set in the Edwardian era with the Grade II listed house as backdrop, and complete with Charleston dancing and 1920s jazz music by Jelly Roll Morton, was highly professional, slick, and well thought-out by its director, David Bright.
James McCann, the sound engineer, deserves a particular mention for the clarity of the sound production – not always easy in the open air with cast members moving around on stage.
The lead parts of Beatrice and Benedick were played beautifully flirtatiously by Claire Southeard and Richard Roach, with a superb cast of 20, including the bad guys, suitably hissed at by an appreciative audience, played by Tim Shepherd, James Whitaker and Andrew Clamp, and comic relief uproariously provided by Tony Long, Colin Love and a trio of watchmen.
Fine weather prevailed for all performances, marred only by some light rain on the opening night, and audiences flocked to The Elms, generously opened to the public by its owners for the week, to enjoy picnics on the grass before the show, with delicious home-made food provided by local cooks, Kirsty’s Kitchen and Made by Mums. This was surely an idyllic experience for all who came to enjoy one of the Bard’s most joyful plays in such a fine setting, and one to remember fondly in the colder months ahead.
Thame Players, who this autumn will be celebrating 70 years as an amateur theatre group, are grateful to their sponsors, Rectory Homes, Reaston Brown, Wills & Trusts, Pearson Insurance, RCP Service Centre, Abbotts Office Solutions, Richardsons, XT Brewing and Connect Scaffolding, for making such a polished production possible.
For more information about Thame Players visit http://www.thameplayers.co.uk.
To obtain tickets for Thame Players’ next production, Quartet by Ronald Harwood, at The Players Theatre in Nelson Street from September 9 – 13, call Tickets Anywhere on 01844 217228 or book online at http://www.thameplayers.co.uk
To become a Thame Players member, friend, or to help as a volunteer, call Tony Long on 07938 857291.
SOURCE: Contributed by Helen Johns
CHINNOR Football Club is hoping to get the whole community involved in it’s 24 hour Football Festival, open for all ages, male and female.
The event will run between 6pm on Friday, July 18 to 6pm on July 19, and will be a six a side event with participants playing four, 15 minute games. It’s non competitive and is all about the whole community having a bit of fun.
The cost to enter is £30 per team or £5 pound per player. Camping will be available and as there will be lots of children attending, a No Alcohol policy will be in place. There will, though be food available – burgers, sausages and bacon rolls and soft drinks for sale. The money will be split between the football club, the new Community Pavilion in Chinnor and a local charity to be decided.
There’ll be a raffle with some signed memorabilia and some great prizes. The festival will take place at White Field, Mill Lane, Chinnor OX39 4RF
So, if you fancy getting a team together or going along as a single competitor and teaming up with others, send your application to play, with your team name and age group, to Ben Davies,42 Beech Road, Chinnor,Oxon. and pop it through the letterbox; or Email: Chinnorfootballinthecommunity@hotmail.com
Please make payments payable to Chinnor Youth FC or cash in a sealed envelope with your application.
THOMLEY Activity Centre near Thame, which specialises in providing play and activities for young people with special needs, received a huge boost this week when an Oxford Accountancy firm made a very generous donation.
Oxford accountants, Shaw Gibbs, had made the centre its Charity of the Year 2013, and the money was raised by the employees in a variety of activities including bake sales and prize draws, auctions for the office reception flowers each Friday and quarterly ‘dress down Fridays.’
The whole firm was involved in one way or another over the course of the year. One donation of £200 came from a refund at a restaurant, which the Shaw Gibbs employees chose to donate to Thomley Activity Centre. Staff also organised a boxing night by showing old boxing matches on TV and charging for entry. At Christmas they donated to the charity instead of buying Christmas cards to give to each other.
Hannah Cartlidge, Facilities Manager at Shaw Gibbs, coordinated the fundraising efforts. She presented Harriet Hieatt-Smith of Thomley Activity Centre with a cheque for £3,892.81 at the Centre on Friday, (July 11). Accepting the cheque, Harriet said: “It has meant a great deal to Thomley to have been chosen as Shaw Gibbs’ charity of the year. Having been our accountants, Shaw Gibbs know how careful we are to spend donors’ money wisely, ensuring we provide the best possible service for our beneficiaries whilst keeping our costs manageable and sustainable.
“We are grateful to the staff at Shaw Gibbs for all their hard work to raise this fantastic amount, helping us to support the thousands of disabled young people and families that visit our centre each year.”
Hannah Cartlidge of Shaw Gibbs added: “Thomley Activity Centre is a very welcoming, accommodating facility which provides activities for young disabled people within a completely safe environment, as well as providing much-needed support for their parents and carers.
“The main focus of the charity is to instill confidence, teach life skills and encourage a feeling of inclusion, for young people of all ages and all needs.”
Dear Editor, I am grateful to the East Thame Residents’ Association for its July Newsletter about the current consultation on additional housing in South Oxfordshire, which ends on July 23, and, as I understand it, could supersede all the co-operation and effort and agreements which went into our own Neighbourhood Plan.
I note that the East Thame Residents’ Association says it is regrettable that our own Plan has been challenged by this, and adds: ‘It has always been the fact, however, that SODC, as the ultimate planning authority, could amend the housing figures in the plan. The Neighbourhood Plan is a barrier but ultimately a moral one only.’ It calls for support for our Town Council in defending Thame’s character.
I wonder what the hundreds of residents who took part in good faith in the original consultations would have thought if they had been told point blank and openly at the start that all their efforts might make, in fact, not a bit of practical difference.
I’m pretty sure some of us suspected as much – at all levels of our local participation – but still gave the process the benefit of the doubt.
Our trust, it seems, was in vain.
Norman Brand
Thame
THE retiring Chair of the Thame Town Awards, has spoken of warmly of the many people of Thame who volunteer and go unrecognised.
Speaking at the Thame Town Awards presentation evening last Thursday (July 10), Pat Ruxton, who has stepped down as Chair of the Panel after six years, spoke of the many people in Thame she had come across who do ‘great things very quietly’ and spoke of her pride in being part of a scheme that recognised some of these ‘unsung heroes’.
Those who received awards from the Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green, and their citations are as follows:
Sporting Achievement – Les Canfield
Les has been a voluntary green keeper at Thame Bowls for many years, maintaining the clubs reputation as having the best green in Oxfordshire! Unfortunately, due to family commitments he is no longer able to volunteer, however, this award marks the many hours he has given voluntarily and how much he will be missed by members of the club.
Young Achiever – Harry Parsons
Harry is a student at Lord Williams’s School and has represented his peers in all aspects of school life including the school council. He has given a voice to his year group on issues such as bullying, homophobia and mental health and also supported new students as they make the transition from lower school. He also makes up half of a popular radio show on Thame’s very own Black Frog Radio – all this whilst studying for his GCSE’s.
Service with a Smile – Michael Hutt
Michael is a familiar face to most people in Thame, particularly if you have ever suffered from a cough or cold. As the pharmacist in Boots, Michael gets to meet a lot of local people, many of whom described him as helpful, knowledgeable and a friendly asset to Thame.
Voluntary Individual/Organisation
Due to the number and standard of nominations in this category the Panel decided to split the category into two and award both an individual and an organisation.
Voluntary Individual – Ken Bennell
Ken, an active member of Thame Lions for over 30 years, received an award for his outstanding length of service from the foundation at the 37th Charter Luncheon. He has worked for the Thame & District Housing Association for 6 years and, since retiring, volunteers at the Bowls Club and was recently appointed treasurer for Thame Sports Club. In 2005 he received the Melvin Jones Fellowship for Dedication to Humanitarian Services from the Lions International Foundation.
Voluntary Organisation – Sharing Life Trust
Sharing Life is a vital organisation run by volunteers that offers numerous forms of support to people in our community. As well as providing debt counselling, family support and transport for the less mobile, Sharing Life has implemented the Food Bank, which distributes food parcels to struggling families. The Community Bank which helps combat the pitfalls of pay day loan companies. The charity also has links in East Africa and India, widening their scope of giving to enable these global communities to flourish.
After receiving his award, John Hulet told Thame.Net: “It was great to be nominated and a tribute to the support that the local community gives us.”
Person of Courage – Nathanael Armstrong
At the age of 16 Nat was diagnosed with an extremely rare allergy to all proteins and sugars, dramatically restricting his diet and impacting on his health. He has undergone extensive investigations and experiments into curing his illness at the John Radcliffe, Guy’s & St Thomas and Great Ormond Street hospitals. Unfortunately, due to nature of his illness, treatment is extremely costly and so Nat and his family have set up a trust to help raise the money needed to continue his medication (www.help4nat.co.uk). Prior to his illness, Nat was a gifted county swimmer and continues to support his swimming club.
Lifetime Achievement – Beatrice Dobie
Beatrice has been a lifelong resident of Thame and has devoted her life to serving the community. She was a Brownie leader for many years and continues to be an active member of the Community Hospital League of Friends. She was also instrumental in realising the new library in North Street. Others may also be more familiar with Beatrice in her role as a representative of Thame Town Council, of which she was a member for many years. Beatrice was delighted to receive the award and thanked the people of Thame for nominating her.
The Thame Town Awards were sponsored by : Arriva, Brothers, Independent Mortgage Solutions, Kubota, Parkers and Thame Chiropractic Clinic.
A friend of Nat Armstrong, the gifted Thame swimmer struck down with a serious allergic illness, has decided to shave off all her hair to raise much needed funds for Nat’s medical treatment.
Natalie Watson, of 18, Chinnor Road, Thame, is holding a barbecue at her house starting at 11.30am this morning, and anticipates that the shaving will take place after people have eaten, expected to be some time between 1.30 and 2.30pm.
Natalie hopes that as many people will go along as possible and donate what they can or take a raffle prize. All the funds will help Nat’s parents pay the £1,700 a week it costs to keep his special treatment going.
On Thursday evening, Nat was presented with the Person of Courage award at the Town Awards Ceremony by the Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green who read out the citation for the award: ” Nat responds to his situation with great courage and and remains cheerful and optimistic about the future.”
Anyone who can’t make Natalie’s barbecue and shaving can donate by visiting her ‘Shave4Nat’ web page http://help4nat.co.uk/shave4nat.htm
You can read all about Nat’s plight and follow his progress at http://help4nat.co.uk/
Previous news stories about the amazing fund-raising efforts of Nat Armstrong’s friends https://www.thame.net/archives/14246
FUNDING for Thame’s longed-for, replacement skatepark received a huge boost yesterday, when the young people behind the TSP (Thame Skatepark Project) learned that they were a step closer to being awarded £100,000 towards the scheme.
The announcement came at last night’s Thame Town Awards event at the Thame Barns Centre – just hours after the group had give a presentation to the prospective donor, South Oxfordshire District Council.
If the district’ council’s grants panel decision is approved by the full Cabinet, this will bring the £250,000 transformation of the existing, worn out skatepark to a modern, durable wheeled-sports facility one big step closer. The skaters themselves have been at the heart of the process, petitioning for a new skate park, determining the design of the new facility and fundraising.
A delighted Corin Rea, who has been one of the project leaders for the TSP, said: “We are delighted to hear the encouraging news about the £100k SODC grant. Getting significant funding like that is key to driving the project forward, so we are extremely grateful. We are starting to edge closer to our final, funding goal, these are exciting times!”
Town Mayor, Cllr Jeannette Matelot Green, is a strong supporter of the project having chosen it as one of her chosen charities for her year in office. She said: “I watched the three young men who head up TSP give a very professional presentation to the Community Grants Panel at SODC on Thursday morning. I was so proud of them and the district councillors praised them for their presentation and informed response to questioning.
“I would like to thank all those who have supported the project thus far, and have to say that they still need support for the rest of the fundraising events to get to the £250,000.”