Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 17/08/12..’Support Finder’ website launched

    A NEW website has been launched to help thousands of people in Oxfordshire take control of their care.

    Support Finder has been developed as a quick, easy and comprehensive ‘one-stop-shop’ for people with personal care budgets.

    Personal budgets are an allocation of funding given to service users after an assessment, to meet their needs and provide them with more choice and control over their care and support.

    It will also be useful for anyone looking for care providers, help with living at home, staying healthy and safe, transport services or leisure activities.
    The site is provided by Oxfordshire County Council and has been developed with the help of local people and organisations that represent older people, carers and people with disabilities. L

    ocal businesses and organisations that provide an adult social care service are able to submit their details online for a free listing on the website. Around 650 organisations and services are listed so far. Users of the site can find what they need quickly, thanks to the simple design and useful features such as the ability to make and store lists.

    County Councillor, Arash Fatemian, Cabinet member for Adult Services, said: ?Support Finder is certain to be a useful resource for people in Oxfordshire. We are now at a point where more and more people are seeking to take control of their own care and decide exactly which services they want to use. That?s a really good thing, but to be able to do it properly you need information to make decisions.

    ?Support Finder has been designed specifically for anyone looking for services, whether they pay for them themselves or have personal care budgets. There?s more than 2,600 people with these budgets at the moment in the county and that will increase over time to 5,100.
    That?s why Support Finder is so important. It is the only site of its kind in the county, bringing together information from many organisations on support and advice for adults in one place for the first time.?

    PHOTO: L-R – Nigel Taylor and Tracey Taylor (My Life My Choice champions), Amber Ryan from Oxfordshire County Council

    SOURCE; Press release

  • 17/08/12….Turning the tide on rogue traders

    THE tide has been turned on rogue traders who mostly target older or vulnerable people in Oxfordshire, thanks to the efforts of the county council?s Trading Standards Service, in partnership with Thames Valley Police.

    While doorstep crime incidents are on the increase nationally, in Oxfordshire reports of this type of crime fell by 10 per cent last year.

    This is the first year the team has seen a small reduction in reported incidents in Oxfordshire – down from 524 to 480 (April 2011 to March 2012).

    Oxfordshire County Council and Thames Valley Police adopt a joint approach to tackling this problem. This includes a rapid response to reported incidents, as well as joint investigations and raising awareness through publicity campaigns, such as the current advice about doorstep crime.

    Intervened to save cash

    In the past year the joint Doorstep Crime Team intervened to save Oxfordshire residents

  • 17/08/12….Paralympic torch relay route confirmed

    FOR anyone in the Thame area who wants to see the Paraolympic torch relay, the route, which will begin at Stoke Mandeville hospital, has now been confirmed.

    On August 28, the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay will commence from Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Birthplace of the Paralympic Movement, at 20:00hrs and travel through Aylesbury, Weston Turville and Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire on the start of its historic 24-hour journey to the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games on 29 August 2012 in London. There will be a large-scale community celebration in Aylesbury Town Centre that evening to welcome the flame.

    The residents of the South East of England are invited to line the streets of Buckinghamshire and London, to celebrate the achievements of the inspirational Torchbearers carrying the Flame and share in the excitement of the Paralympic Torch Relay. http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/news/2012/2012-08/london-2012-confirms-streets-paralympic-flame-will-be-carried-along

  • 17/08/12…Join Lucy’s Quiz night for Raleigh international

    GREAT Haseley resident, Lucy Edwards is set to swap her 9-5 job for life in the Jungle next Summer. Lucy has gone through a tough selection process and been selected to Project Manage a three month expedition for the youth and sustainable development charity, Raleigh International.

    The expedition will be a mix of community and environmental projects mixed with a challenge of adventure. Lucy will be living and working among rural communities near Sabah in the north of Borneo. Sabah is often referred to as “Land below the wind”, a phrase used by seafarers in the past to describe lands south of the typhoon belt. Many people in Sabah are living below the poverty line, with Sabah having the highest rate of poverty throughout Malaysia.

    Lucy has been set a fund raising target of nearly

  • 16/08/12….It’s Gold for Lord Williams’s A level students

    STUDENTS from Lord Williams?s School in Thame are celebrating today following the release of an excellent set of A Level results. From 653 examination entries, the school’s past record of high pass rates continues with 97% passing.

    The proportion of A*-C grades was 72% and for A*- B grades, it was 46%.

    Headteacher, David Wybron, offered his congratulations and paid tribute to the tremendous amount of hard work undertaken by students and staff to achieve these results. ?This is the time to celebrate all the work that has gone into achieving each and every one of these results which will enable our students to progress on to university or into employment. I know that for many of our students today will feel like they have won their own Olympic gold medals and they too will be very grateful for the help and support from the team of dedicated staff in school, as well as their parents, who helped them to achieve their goal.?

    The following students achieved A* or A grades in three or more subjects: Catherine Aitchison, Lauren Bailey, Rhys Baker, Chloe Banks, Emma Bevan, David Bruggink, Laura Coughtrey, Aiyana Curtis, Ellen Feuchtwanger, Timo Gaultney, Josephine Glover, Edward Goggs, Matthew Hopgood, Lucy Horn, Tom Lowe, Phoebe Macgregor, Ben Scott, Thomas Scraton, Madeline Shott, Ruth Underwood and Sam Wainwright. Sacha Rond-Alliston did exceptionally well achieving A grades in 6 subjects including an A* in Chemistry.

    Catherine Aitchison and Matthew Hopgood now take up their places at Cambridge University. Josephine Glover and Madeline Shott have secured their places at Oxford University; both are very grateful for the support they will receive from the generous Rycote Bursary from New College, Oxford to help them with the cost of their studies.

    This year seven students: Josephine Glover, Jane Ho, Lucy Horn, Megan Ilsley, Helena Mann, Hannah Pinnells and Tom Scraton achieved the AQA Baccalaureate, which recognises a range of qualifications, including A Levels, an extended project and enrichment activities. Josephine, Lucy and Tom were awarded a Distinction.

    Kate Sheehan, Head of Sixth Form, was immensely impressed with what students have achieved: ?I am extremely proud of all our students who have worked hard over the last 2 years to achieve these impressive results. Lord Williams?s School Sixth Form equips students with the skills and qualifications needed to progress on to university or into the world of work; our students have bright and exciting futures ahead of them and I wish them the very best of luck with whatever they are going on to do.?

    {ED. These results from Lord Williams’s compared with last year’s: The pass rate was 97.4%, the numbers of A*-C grades was 77% and the numbers of A*, A and B grade passes was 48%}

    THE NATIONAL PICTURE

    According to the Daily Telegraph: Figures published by examination boards showed that 26.6 per cent of test papers were awarded A grades ? a drop of 0.4 percentage points in 12 months.

    Some 7.9 per cent of entries gained an elite A* grade ? only the third time the mark had been used to pick out the brightest candidates ? compared with 8.2 per cent in 2011.

    Despite a decline in top-end grades, the overall pass mark increased marginally to 97.8 per cent ? the 30th successive annual rise.

  • 16/08/12…..Haddenham news

    HADDENHAM HORTICULTURAL SHOW: see link on the www.haddenham.net LINK September 1, 2012.

    Sat 18th Line Dance: The Pondarosa Line Dance group has its next social dance evening on Saturday (8-11pm) at Haddenham Village Hall. Entry is

  • 16/08/12…… Bike Swap coming soon

    WHAT? Swap Shop and Bike Sale – WHEN? September 15 between 10am and 12 noon. WHERE? Christchurch, Thame.

  • 16/08/12…… Calling all tea rooms, traditional cafes and pubs

    CHANNEL 4?s Fabulous Baker Brothers are back with a brand new series but this time they are celebrating traditional British food.

    Do you have a tea shop, caf

  • 15/08/12…..Second draw of the season for Thame Utd

    MATCH REPORT: League match – 18/08/12 – Wokingham & Emmbrook 0, Thame United 0 – CONTRIBUTED

    AFTER drawing their first league match of the season 2-2 last week, Thame United recorded a goalless draw on Tuesday evening when they travelled to Wokingham & Emmbrook. It was a game between two evenly matched teams in which defences worked hard and were able to snuff out the few chances which were created.

    Thame started brightly and controlled the first 30 minutes. They played some good football and were sharper than the home club, with Adam Rhodes and Dan West both going close. Then Wokingham settled and created some chances of their own. Perhaps the highlight of the half was when a young Labrador decided to join in with play and eluded several players before returning to the terraces.

    The second half was fairly even and again Adam Rhodes and Dan West went close for Thame. There was gritty defending at both ends and, following a Wokingham corner, a Thame defender was forced to clear the ball off the goal-line. Both goalkeepers were busy but neither was unduly stretched.

    Thame United: Farrow, Meredith, Hall, Hercules, N Rhodes, Hayes, Willett, West, Barr (Lagan), A Rhodes, Ricketts.

    Thame are at home to league leaders Holyport next Saturday 18th (KO 3.00), who have started their season brightly scoring 11 goals in 2 games.

  • 15/08/12…Excitement growing as tents go up for the 48th Towersey Festival

    AND here are just some of the features of this year’s festival: