Category: More News

YOUNG people in southern Oxfordshire aspiring to emulate the success of their favourite sport stars will get the chance to put their skills to the test this summer thanks to the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Council?s summer holiday programme.

Golf, athletics and basketball are just three of the sports that the two district councils have on offer between Monday 25 July and Friday, September 2, for young people up to and including the age of 18.

Programmes have already been distributed to all school across the two districts and are also available online at www.southoxon.gov.uk or www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk

Bookings are now being taken and places are filling up fast, with activities such as kayaking and horseriding already sold out. So if your child is interested in trying their hand at any of the sports on offer, from golf to fencing, dance or even judo, then get in touch with us as soon as possible and ensure they don?t miss out.

Cllr Bill Service, Cabinet Member for leisure at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: ?The holidays are just days away so make sure you book a place before it?s too late for what will be a fantastic summer of sport in both districts.?

Cllr Elaine Ware, Cabinet Member for Leisure at the Vale, said: ?Our holiday programme offers a fantastic range of activities for young people led by fully qualified coaches, and could possibly be the launchpad for a person from southern Oxfordshire to become the next international sports star.?

SOURCE: Press release

THE government has started to re-assess people currently claiming Incapacity Benefit (IB) in order to decide if they qualify for the new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

If you currently receive IB, the Department for Work and Pensions will write to you between now and March 2014 about reassessing your benefit entitlement.

First of all, you will have to fill out a questionnaire which asks about your health condition or disability. You must complete this questionnaire with as much detail as possible and return it by the date requested. If you don?t, your benefit may be affected.

You may then be asked to attend a face-to-face assessment. You will be asked a number of questions to help determine what you are able to do and whether you might be capable of work.

If the assessment finds you meet the qualifying conditions for ESA, you will be automatically transferred to this benefit. If the assessment finds that you’re not entitled to ESA, your Incapacity Benefit will stop. You will then have to make a new claim for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or another benefit that suits your needs.

If you attend an assessment and are unhappy with the way it’s carried out, or you don’t agree with its outcome, you can get advice on what to do from your local CAB.

CAB adviceline 08 444 111 444 or 0300 3300 650(mobile)
For general advice visit www.adviceguide.org.uk
Your local CAB is in Market Square, Thame.

THE Rotary Club of Thame, which has raised thousands of pounds over the years for local charities, has welcomed its first ever lady president

The lady at the top is Mo Westcott, a local businesswoman from Long Crendon who dedicates her spare time to volunteering and fundraising in the local community. Mo Westcott was welcomed as the new president of Rotary Club of Thame on on June 29, at the last club meeting in the Rotary Year 2010-2011, when she took over from retiring President, Peter Hook.

Spokesperson for Thame Rotary, Marius Ciortan, said: “Mo has been a Rotarian for over two years and her commitment to the club has earned her the respect of fellow members who were only too pleased to vote her in as their new president for the forthcoming year.”

Mo Westcott said: ?I am delighted and proud to become the new president of our wonderful club. It?s going to be a very exciting year. We?re hoping to try out a lot of new things, and are looking for inspired and enthusiastic men and women to join Thame Rotary. We have a lot of fun and really enjoy ourselves on top of all the fundraising we do, and would love to hear from anyone interested in joining us and making a real difference to our Thame and District community.?

This year, we are planning fundraising events which I hope will have the whole town joining in and having a great time. I am looking forward to meeting and working with local groups and really getting people involved with Rotary. There is so much to do and enjoy.?

Peter Hook, former president added: ?I am delighted that Mo has accepted the challenge of being the first ever lady president in the 43 years of Thame Rotary Club?s existence. In 2010-2011 our club has supported mainly local charities which included the Thame Day Centre, Thame Young Carers and others through various fundraising events which included a Quiz Cabaret Night and Great Train Robbery themed event. I am confident that Mo will continue to inspire professional people from the local community to consider joining our vibrant club.?

Mo is a director of Soundbyte Response, the Thame based IT company.

To find out more about the Rotary Club of Thame, or to enquire about joining the club, please visit LINK or ring or text 07764 85 49 49.

NOTES:
1. Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland , part of Rotary International, has 1,845 clubs and more than 55,000 members.
2. Rotary International was founded in 1905 in Chicago and is now the world?s largest international service organisation with 1.2 million professional men and women as members. There are 33,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas.
3. Rotary clubs are open to men and women who are business, professional or community leaders who want to use their experience for the benefit of others.
4. Rotary initiates local and global projects to promote world understanding and peace and improve life conditions for people of all ages and cultures.

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council is giving a total of

A GROUP of students from Bonn, Germany, were welcomed to Thame this morning by the Mayor of Thame, David Bretherton.

The group are from the Friedrich Ebert Gymnasium in Bonn and this is the 27th year of the exchange between their school and Lord Williams’s.

This morning the group strolled around Thame market and during the next couple of days will, along with their two accompanying teachers, Herr Schreiber and Frau Rosenthall, visit Oxford and spend a day site-seeing in London.

TICKETS for this year’s Thame Show on Saturday, July 30, are on sale at the Information Centre, Thame Town Hall.

Advance tickets are priced at

FRENCH Market Coming Up: 30 June to 2 July. A chance to buy scrumptious foods from all over France, including bread and patisserie, pancakes, cheese from France, saucisson and p

HADDENHAM AIRFIELD. Peter Chamberlain reports that there have been some recent updates to the Haddenham Airfield history website. He writes: ?Thanks to Peter Burton of the Oxfordshire Aviation Group, we now have a whole new chapter on the Royal Navy’s development of towed targets started at Haddenham. Also through the efforts of Alan Rose, Barry Blight and Robin Potter we have some more pictures added to the Airtech page, namely of a company brochure and a Christmas Card. (There is still much more to come on this company, so keep checking in). http://www.haddenhamairfieldhistory.co.uk

Until Sun 3rdJuly Art Displays. Bucks Open Studios continues until the end of next week and you are reminded that full details can be found at www.bucksopenstudios.org.uk or in schedules available at the library and other outlets. These are the venues which are open on various days and at various times until July 3 and those serving refreshments are marked *: Dragon Barn Studio, Churchway, Contemporary Mixed Exhibition; *Manor Farm Barn, Church End, Contemporary Glass and Sculpture, Paintings, Colourful acrylics; *The Old Granary, Manor Farm, Church End, Contemporary Basketry in Mixed Media; **24 Gibson Lane, Painting and Drawing; *Baptist Church Schoolroom, Stockwell, Ceramics, Jewellery and Textiles; *4 Whitecross Road, Handmade Contemporary Jewellery, Art photographs on canvas, Ceramics and Sculpture, Wood Turning; Turn End Studio, Townside, Artists Books, Paper and Prints (and access to the Turn End garden – for a small charge); *Methodist Church, High Street, Patchwork, Cross stitch, Hardanger Embroidery, Contemporary Paintings and Portraits, Textiles, Contemporary Silver Jewellery, Unconventional Wooden forms; Old Mill Studio, Old Mill Close, Expressionist painter; *Hall House, Church End, (no details in the printed schedule – open 10-6pm on Thursday and Sunday), Watercolours.
Sun 26th Tea for Utugi. Delicious cream teas will be served at St Mary’s Centre, Church End, (3-5pm) to help make a home and a future for children who live rough on the streets of Kenya through no fault of their own. Teas are

NHS Oxfordshire is asking for your views on the future of patient transport services. You may have used these services yourself, know someone who uses them or feel that any changes to this service may affect local people.

Patients travel from all over Oxfordshire for appointments at hospitals and other health providers. Many of these patients use non-emergency transport services – these are not emergency ambulances and may be single driver vehicles or vehicles designed for wheelchair or stretcher access.

If you would like to find out more about the changes, take part in the consultation or answer the questionnaire you can take a look at what is happening online as follows http://bitly.com/Patienttransport or contact NHS Oxfordshire on 01865 334641

Further information for editors
In Oxfordshire the current criteria for patients to be eligible for this service are:

? you require continuous oxygen.
? you require a stretcher.
? you have a disability that prevents you from travelling by private or public transport.
? you have a medical condition that may deteriorate if you were to travel by private or public transport.
? you are having certain types of on going treatment i.e. chemotherapy, radiology or renal dialysis. These are called ?essential? journeys.

In addition if you meet any of the above criteria, you may be able to travel with an escort, if one or more of the following apply:

? you are under 16 years of age
? you have significant communication difficulties, including learning difficulties, impaired sight or are hard of hearing
? you have a mental health problem that prevents you from travelling alone
? you have a medical condition that requires constant supervision for your own safety
? you require a carer at your destination.

None of this will change, what will change is that:
In addition to patients who meet these criteria we have continued to agree transport for patients who do not meet the criteria but believe they need the transport to get to their appointments.

In future we plan to ask a set of questions before a booking is made and the patient?s needs will be given a score. Patients who do not meet the score will not be able to access this service and will be asked to make their own way to their appointments.

The patient eligibility for the service will be assessed by either ambulance staff via a patient booking line or healthcare staff in treatment centres / GP surgeries / secondary care. In addition some of the questions asked will also allow the ambulance service to identify what kind of vehicle is needed ? e.g.
patient can walk on to the vehicle, patient needs a vehicle suitable for a wheelchair, patient needs stretcher transport.

For further information please contact Judy McCulloch
01865 334363 judy.mcculloch@oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk

HADDENHAM in Transition Meeting- the next meeting is this Wednsday, the 22nd June, at 8pm at the Rose & Thistle Pub in Haddenham.

On the agenda for discussion are:
Thermal Imaging, Apple pressing / Handmade in Haddenham,
Local Windpower, Photovoltaic Meeting

6. Other Upcoming events
7. Treasurer?s report
8. AOB
9. Date of next meeting

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/cms/haddenham