20 July 2009 to 24 July 2009 – Get your summer off to a fantastic start by coming along to Lighthouse Thame 2009.
10am to 3.30pm all week. You and your friends will have a great time with plenty for you to do each day: dance, drama, crafts, songs, sports and games, Bible stories, gunging a leader!
Please are limited so book early to avoid disappointment! Don’t miss out. Book now at www.lighthousethame.org.uk or call 01844 216924.
SPONSORED Tandem Sky Dive ? anytime! Do YOU fancy undertaking the tough challenge of jumping 12,000 feet out of an aeroplane in aid of Oxfordshire Mind?
Once you exit the aeroplane you will accelerate to 120 mph, covering each thousand feet in approximately five seconds! At 5,000 feet the instructor will deploy a square parachute so you can land softly and gently some four minutes later. To participate in this event, individuals need to pay a registration fee of just
CHINNOR Rugby Club are continuing last summers successful car boot sales at the club grounds, Kingsey Road Thame Oxon OX9 3JL. The dates have been fixed and are as follows:
Sunday 26th July
Sunday 9th August
Sunday 23rd August
Time 11am to 2pm
Sellers Set Up from 9.30am
We look forward to welcoming every body as well as club members at these open to all events. Pitches are limited and can be pre booked at a cost of
AN Oxfordshire-wide business Network has experienced another big jump in membership, and now represents 200 new companies or sole trader businesses.
The Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network (web address: www.otcn.co.uk), has welcomed three new business organisations recently, taking its membership to 24 groups alongside ten events networks. Between them the 24 OTCN member groups now draw together 1,600 businesses.
Monument Park at Chalgrove, home to 80 businesses employing more than 500 people between them, has become the first business park to join the Network. The Oxfordshire Craft Guild, which brings together 70+ selected designers and makers of a wide range of traditional and contemporary crafts, and the 40-member Oxford Association of Hotels and Guest Houses are also now part of the Network.
Their membership means newcomers to the Guild and the Association plus new tenants at Monument Park can benefit from three months? free promotion on the OTCN new member?s page and member/tenant businesses can offer and take advantage of the OTCN member-2-member service. Member organisations can promote their events on the OTCN website and they?ll be kept up to speed with other business benefit initiatives that come through the Network, including promotions, training and environmental improvement opportunities.
OTCN is a communications network bringing together local chambers and other business groups in the county. It is working to promote business in Oxfordshire and aims to support the work of its member organisations and businesses, strengthen links between them, share ideas and best practice, discuss issues and, where appropriate, lobby on behalf of its members.
OTCN Director, John Naish (see picture below), said: ?We are delighted to welcome three new member organisations to our fast-growing Network. Their enthusiasm for becoming part of the Network is especially encouraging in that it demonstrates how we are continuing to widen our appeal beyond the original focus of local town chambers to take in other membership organisations and, now also, business parks.?
Paul Mabbutt, Director of Jennings who own and manage Monument Park, added: ?We have been working closely with OTCN for some time now and are delighted to get the opportunity to link our main business park to the organisation. I?m sure that there will be many ways we can benefit, and look forward to being part of the Network.?
Oxford Association of Hotels and Guest Houses Chairman, Stefan Wynne-Jones, said: ?We?re very pleased to have this opportunity link our member hotels and guest houses into a countywide business organisation. It is an excellent opportunity for our members and we look forward to playing our part in the continued growth and development of OTCN.?
Richard Shock, Chairman of the Oxfordshire Craft Guild, commented: ?The Oxfordshire Craft Guild is delighted to become a member of OTCN. We are looking forward to the chance to gain from the business experience of other members and from the networking opportunities OTCN offers. We also welcome the opportunity to show local businesses the quality and range of crafts being made by our members across the county and hope that mutually beneficial links between makers and business can be developed.?
Photo: L to R: John Naish, Paul Mabbutt, Mike Jennings
20/07/09
A NEW cabinet has been unveiled at Oxfordshire County Council following the recent elections, with Councillor Keith Mitchell remaining as Leader of the authority and aiming to build upon Oxfordshire’s already established reputation as a world-class county and deal with issues on Oxfordshire’s horizon.
Mr Mitchell has appointed eight other people to join him in fulfilling decision-making cabinet roles for the 2009-2013 period. The cabinet is made up largely of people who held similar roles in the 2005-9 cabinet but there are some changes of responsibility.
New roles
Councillor Ian Hudspeth will take on a much wider role than his previous job of Cabinet Member for Transport. He will now be Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure. He will retain responsibility for high level transport issues such as Transform Oxford but will add sustainable development issues to his portfolio – including waste disposal.
Councillor Mitchell explained: “Future months will see Oxfordshire in a position where it is emerging from a period of recession. We need an experienced pair of hands to manage and oversee key issues linked to that and I have no doubt in my mind that Councillor Hudspeth is the man for that job.
Councillor Rodney Rose, who represents the Wychwood division and lives in West Oxfordshire, is the new member of the cabinet. He will take on the role of Cabinet Member for Transport Implementation, taking on other transport and development issues and working closely with Councillor Hudspeth.
Councillor David Robertson remains Deputy Leader of the County Council but will take on responsibilty from Councillor Mitchell for economy, tourism and skills. Councillor Robertson remains Cabinet Member with Responsibility for West Oxfordshire.
Councillor Mitchell will retain his role as Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Oxford. He will also have responsibility for issues relating to breaking the cycle of deprivation in Oxfordshire.
He said: “We need to have a strong focus on deprived areas of Oxfordshire. We need to break the cycle of deprivation and reach out to make sure that all areas benefit from this county’s wealth and the underlying strength of its economy, both in the current trying times and in future.”
Councillor Charles Shouler retains the role of Cabinet Member for Finance. He took on the role in 2005 and the county council has recently been given the highest possible rating by the Audit Commission for its management of finance.
Councillor Michael Waine retains the role of Cabinet Member for School Improvement and will have responsibility for continuing the recent upward trend in examination results for the county’s youngsters. Councillor Louise Chapman remains in position as Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families.
Councillor Judith Heathcoat has been given a wider role than the one she had in the 2005-09 council. Her job will continue to include responsibility for the fire and rescue service, trading standards, emergeny planning and other community safety roles. However she will also now be responsible for cultural services such as museums, libraries, adult learning and the registration service. She will be Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities.
Councillor Jim Couchman formerly held responsibilities for the cultural services elements that have now been transferred to Councillor Heathcoat. However he retains his responsibility for adult social care and will be able to devote more time to this important area.
Strong team
Councillor Keith Mitchell, Oxfordshire County Council’s Leader, said: “The 2005-09 cabinet was a strong team and I needed very little change in terms of personnel. However I did want to change roles and responsibilities in line with changed circumstances.
“I have every confidence in the capabilities of every person who makes up the new cabinet and would like to welcome Councillor Rodney Rose to the county council’s decision making team. We move forward in to exciting times for Oxfordshire with the aim being to build upon this county’s world class reputation despite the difficult global economic situation.
“Our pledges are to protect the environment, provide opportunities for young people, provide quality facilities for older people, make it easier to get around Oxfordshire, support the local economy and freeze council tax under any new Conservative Government.”
20/07/09
FREE personalised home energy reports are available from South Oxfordshire District Council.
Save around
The economic development team at South Oxfordshire district council is currently undertaking some market research for Henley, Thame, Wallingford and Didcot. It aims to get a better understanding of who uses those towns and for what purpose. We are particularly interested in finding out whether people working in or nearby the towns are using them and why. If they aren?t, we would like to know why.
To help us do that we would like as many local employers as possible to complete our online questionnaire. We would be very grateful if you could circulate this email and encourage businesses in and around the four towns to take part. It will only take a few minutes to answer the questions, and responses will help inform future decisions about Henley, Wallingford, Thame and Didcot.
By filling in the questionnaire respondents could win up to
Make a note in your diary for Saturday afternoon & evening 25 July`2009.
More details on web site: www.ThameBeerFestival.org
All profits go to Thame & local area charities.
So come along, have a beer (or 5!) to help us raise money for local charities.
Join the facebook group, search for ?Thame Beer Festival?.
The Chippy, in Upper High Street, Thame, will play host to what is believed to be, Towersey Festival’s smallest ever gig.
On Friday night (August 28, 09) at 7pm, Wilber, a stunning local guitarist, will play for those lucky customers queuing for there fish supper.
Festival organisers, Mrs Casey’s Music, say that the festival’s link with Thame is strong and that they are continually looking for ways to make it even stronger and bring more people down to experience the wonderful Towersey Showground.
Check out Wilber on Friday, August 28, at 7pm and throughout the festival on various Stages – he’s got Sole…………..and chips!
THAME Netball Club trains on Friday evenings in the sports hall at Lord Williams’s Lower School. Training sessions last for an hour and run from 6.30-7.30. They recently appointed Lisa Manning as their coach and she is doing an excellent job in terms of developing skills and preparing the club for next season. (2009-2010)
Karen Fowler told ThameNews.Net: “We currently have about 15 members and are actively seeking new members in order to develop two strong squads for the coming 2009/10 season. Club members range in age from school age to 40s/50s. We are keen to attract new members reglardless of age and ability and would encourage those interested to come along to a couple of training sessions before making a committment to the club.
“Recently, we played a friendly agianst Kites, another Thame team. The friendly was fought in good spirit and it was great to see two new Thame teams thriving in this period of pre-season training. Kites had the edge throughout with solid shooting, while Thame used the friendly as an opportunity to try out players in new positions in advance of the coming season. Kites demonstrated some good passing and won the game with 30 goals to 20. “
Contact: karenfowler84@hotmail.co.uk for more information about how to join.