Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 13/08/10….Unemployment takes a dip – mixed reaction from MP

    Figures recently released by the Office for National Statistics for July 2010, show that the Henley constituency (which now stretches from the edge of Bicester to the edge of Reading and includes Thame) has seen a drop of 245 in the number of unemployed claimants since July 2009.

    The total number of claimants stood at 749 in July 2010. This represents a rate of 1.6% of the economically active population. This ranks the constituency as 643 out of 650 in the UK with one of the lowest rates of unemployment.

    Whilst welcoming the fall, Thame?s Conservative MP, John Howell however, tempered the news, saying: “I of course welcome the news that there has been a drop over the past year in unemployment and that the constituency has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. I congratulate all those local businesses which have helped keep unemployment low in what are still very difficult times.

    “As these figures are based on claimants it is likely that the real rate is somewhat higher. We should not be complacent or fail to recognise the impact of unemployment on the lives of those who are jobless and their families.

    ?Let us not forget too that over the period from July 2005 to July 2010 unemployment in this constituency went up by nearly 97%. What is more, there has been a worrying increase in the long term unemployed (unemployed for 12 months or more) which has risen by 65 in the past year.

    ?Whilst the number of young people (aged 24 and under) unemployed has fallen by 60 over the year from July 2009, the number is still 170% what it was in July 2005.?

    NOTE: The figures, which are not seasonally adjusted, have been produced by the House of Commons Library.

    The figures are:

    Total JSA claimants

    July 2005 381

    July 2009 994

    July 2010 749

    Increase July 2005-July 2010 368 (96.6%)

    Decrease July 2009-2010 245 (24.6%)

    Long term claimants

    July 2009 60

    July 2010 125

    Claimants aged under (24?)2005

    July 2005 85

    July 2009 230

    July 170 170

  • 12/08/10….UPDATE – NHS Bucks responds to Thame Day Centre concerns

    FOLLOWING concerns about the future of the Thame and District Day Centre recently (See LINK) NHS Buckinghamshire, the Primary Care Trust (PCT) responsible for Thame Community Hospital, has responded today with a statement to ThameNews.Net.

    The statement reads: “NHS Buckinghamshire values the work of the Thame and District Day Centre. We are already involving the (Day Centre) team in planning the future of the hospital, and the work of the redevelopment project team, and hope that this dialogue will continue.

    “Rent is currently the responsibility of Buckinghamshire Hospitals Trust, as the premises are sub-let from them. We apologise for the delay in responding directly, and have now asked the (day centre) group to liaise with the hospital trust directly to discuss this issue.”

    The statement concludes: “Community Health Buckinghamshire (CHB) services, (previously managed by NHS Buckinghamshire) were transferred over to Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust on 1 April 2010.”

    BACKGROUND: Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust is directly responsible for the day-to-day running of community hospitals. That is why, they say, they have asked the Thame and District Day Centre team to contact the hospital trust as, unfortunately, they (NHS Buckinghamshire) are no longer in a position to deal with requests or queries regarding rent.

    The premises accessed by the Thame and District Day Centre are let by Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust, not NHS Buckinghamshire. Buckinghamshire Hospitals are now responsible for leasing arrangements.

  • .Local police work with council against rural crime

    POOLICE teams in Thame, Chinnor and Watlington are running an operation working with partner agencies, including Oxfordshire County Council to target rural crime such as hare coursing.

    PC Ian Kent, based at Thame police station, said: ?We have previously had a few problems with hare coursing but it is not just the act of putting dogs onto the hares that we are concerned with but this combined with the total disregard that the hare coursers have for other peoples? property.

    ?They cause criminal damage to crops, fences and buildings and in addition, those responsible are very often in breach of various traffic laws. The hare coursers in our area are also illegally using and damaging the surface of The Ridgeway National Trail.”

    Sgt Steve Hookham, also based at Thame police station, said: ?We are lucky to live in an area of outstanding beauty and want to make sure it remains this way.

    ?I would like to reassure both farmers and landowners that we are taking any incidents of rural crime seriously and will be conducting extra patrols and doing all that we can to prevent and deter any further incidents from taking place.

    ?Since we have increased our patrols and temporary barriers have been installed on the Ridgeway, we have had no further offences of rural crime in the area.

    ?This is an excellent achievement but we will not get complacent and the neighbourhood policing team will be using our 4×4 where necessary to help us effectively patrol the more rural locations.”

    Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Implementation, Rodney Rose, said: ?It is imperative that we stop vehicles engaged in illegal activity from using The Ridgeway, which is one of the most popular walking and riding routes in the county. We are willing to take the measures necessary to ensure that the route can be enjoyed by legitimate users.?

    LINK to video showing police police in action against rural crime.

    Anyone with information which could help the police should contact PC Ian Kent at Thame police station via 0845 8 505 505, or if you don?t want to talk to the police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

    PHOTO: Police officers patrol the Ridgeway on bikes, passing through temporary blocks which have reduced drastically the number of 4 x 4 vehicles accessing and damaging the Ridgeway.

    12/08/10

  • 12/08/10….Thame organisations scoop cash awards from town council

    TWELVE voluntary groups have received grants from Thame Town Council in recognition of their benefit to the community.

    A total of

  • 11/08/10….Appeal for witnesses after Long Crendon burglary

    THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a burglary in Long Crendon.

    The burglary took place between 12pm and 3.30pm on 29 July at a property in Chearsley Road, Long Crendon, where offenders forced entry through a ground floor window at the rear of the property.

    A search was carried out of the whole property and three mobile phones, a laptop and a Filofax were stolen.

    Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed anyone acting suspiciously in the area around the time of the offence to contact them.

    Anyone with information is urged to contact PC Andy Hale at Aylesbury police station via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you do not want to talk to the police, call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • 11/08/10…..Narrow defeat for Thame United – (Contributed)

    MATCH REPORT – Thame United 1, Ascot United 2 – 10/08/10 – League game at Home: THAME United started their league campaign at Wallingford on Tuesday evening with a narrow defeat, losing 1-2 to Ascot United. Although a disappointing result, it was an encouraging performance by the Thame team, who created more chances than their opponents, and were the better side for much of the game.

    The experienced James Saulsbury suffered a groin strain during the pre-match warm-up and was replaced by Luke Fisher, who was a regular member of the young Thame squad in the 05/06 season. The opening exchanges were fairly even, but then the home side started to gain the upper hand and forced three successive corners, one of which brought a good save from the visiting keeper when he just got a hand to a Ben Connelly shot. Thame was in control, and the best chance of the half fell to the normally deadly Captain, Nik Rhodes, who met a free kick with an off-target header.

    A few minutes later Dan Bailey brought another good save from the visiting keeper. In the Thame goal, Milan Barisic was idle until the 40th minute, when he made a comfortable save. Against the run of play however, a minute later he was beaten when an Ascot close passing move resulted in a 10-yard shot from visiting striker Rob Saunders which glanced in off the left post.

    Possession was more even in the second half but again Thame crated more chances. The equaliser came in the 65th minute with a move which involved four home players. Substitute Mark Jones collected the ball on the Left and fed it to fellow sub, Tom Hoskin who had run outside ?on the overlap?. Hoskin hit a cross which Alex Stuart headed to Ben Connelly who clinically volleyed home from six yards. The remainder of the game was even with some entertaining end-to-end football. At the Thame end the visitors hit the post whilst, at the other end, Hoskin beat two defenders before forcing yet another good save from the Ascot keeper. The final goal came four minutes from time when visiting substitute Jon Bennett ran, seemingly unchallenged, to the right by-line and pulled the ball back to Saunders who hit a volley from 15-Yards, which gave Barisic no chance.

    Thame United: Barisic, Fisher (Hoskin), Newell, N Rhodes, Brown (G Way), Braun, Connelly, A Rhodes, Stuart, Stallwood (Jones), Baylie.

    PHOTO: Goal scorer, Ben Connelly

  • 11/08/10…Crime figures for Thame area

    AFTER the recent revelation from the Chief Constable for Thames Valley Police that just one in seven burglaries, robberies and car crimes in the Thames Valley were solved last year, the figures for South Oxfordshire, including Thame, are rather better.

    Chief Constable Sara Thornton said last week that the crime detection rate for TVP was 14%, despite a county-wide fall in crime, with an average of 20%.

    Police Inspector Martin Ford, based at Thame, told ThameNews.Net today: “In relation to the overall performance in the South Oxfordshire Police Area within which Thame falls, I can advise you that on a year to date basis 1/4/10 to 8/8/10, the detection rates for crime are:

    17.3% for SAC (Serious Acquisitive Crime), which includes key categories of burglary, robbery, theft of motor vehicle and theft from motor vehicle.

    27.6% for Burglary of dwellings

    44% Robbery

    40% theft of vehicle

    Thames Valley Police received a ‘poor’ rating for solving crimes in its annual assessment from inspectors this year and the Police Report Card by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary gave the force an overall rating of ‘fair’.

    Thames Valley Police are facing budget cuts of up to 25%.

    PHOTO: Chief Constable Sara Thornton with Thame Community Police Officer, Russell Hounslow, pictured during her recent visit to Thame police station.

  • 11/08/10…Why is The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire waving her scissors about?

    THE High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, Marie-Jane Barnett, has officially opened a huge, new sandpit especially designed for disabled children and their friends.

    The six metre sandpit at Thomley Activity Centre, Worminghall, near Thame, was funded by South Oxfordshire District Council and four other donors. It is a massive six metres long with a wheelchair accessible sand tray which ensures that children of all abilities can play together and is shaded by a stunning wooden gazebo to shelter children and their carers from the sun and rain.

    Claire Acworth, Director of Thomley said: ?When asked what they wanted, the children said they wanted a big, deep sandpit in which they can dig to Australia. They can now do this! But more importantly, this simple design enables disabled and non disabled children to address this excavation challenge together!?

    Based in Worminghall, on the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire boarder, Thomley Activity Centre is a recreational facility for disabled children, their families, friends and schools. www.thomleyhall.org

    PHOTO: Oxfordshire’s jazz-singing High Sheriff, who lives at Towersey, scissors at the ready to cut the ribbon and declare the new Thomley giant sand pit, Open!

  • 10/08/10…Thame Technology company in tandem with charity

    A Thame Technology company is putting the final touches to plans for a 500 mile gruelling chartiy bike ride from Holland – including one employee who will do it on a 1930s tandem!

    Box Technologies, based in Thame, have put together a nine strong, dedicated team of amateur and novice cyclists will cycle between Holland and Oxfordshire in 10 days, covering 800kms of North European terrain, to raise money for three charities.

    The Prime Movers Against Disorders 2010, charity bike ride will start in The Hook of Holland on September 03, and end at Box Technologies? offices in Thame on September 12.

    The European leg will pass through the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and then on to sections of the North Sea Trail and The War Trail. The UK leg starts at Dover and passes through Central London, ending in Thame. Box Technologies? Production Manager Graeme Laws will be celebrating his 40th birthday in style by travelling on a reconditioned 1930?s Eagle tandem bicycle.

    The team have chosen three charities, each one striking a chord with their friends and families: Diabetes UK, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, and The Dyslexia Association.

    The team can be sponsored through Virgin Money Giving, and donations will be quickly processed and passed to charities. Virgin Money Giving is a not-for-profit organisation and will claim gift aid on a charity?s behalf where the donor is eligible.

    ?The event should be hard work, great fun and is a brilliant way to keep fit, but it is important to remember the main reason we are doing it,” said Dave Taylor, Customer Services Manager at Box Technologies.

    ?If the donations can make even a small difference to our three chosen charities, then that would be fantastic. Our colleagues have been very generous with sponsorship money and we are focusing all our efforts into raising a total of

  • 10/08/10….Campaign launched to secure future for Thame Day Centre

    THE future of the Thame and District Day Centre is hanging on a thread as the charity launches a public campaign for funds.

    For months the centre’s manager and her team have been trying to get answers from its landlord, Community Health Buckinghamshire (formerly Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust), and Oxfordshire Social Services about the security of funding for the centre, following drastic cuts in public spending being implemented by the new Government. Letters and calls to Richard Mills, Director of System Reform for NHS Buckinghamshire, formerly known as Buckinghamshire PCT, have apparently not been responded to.

    The Centre was told recently that its rent will be increased from a little over