THIS question will be the subject of a debate to be organised by the Lord Williams’s School Debating Society, on December 4, at 7pm.
The debate is outside of normal school hours which it is hoped will encourage as wide a cross section of local people as possible.
The title of the debate will be: “This House Believes that there is no such thing as a selfless act.”
The discussion promises to be lively, helped along by free wine and mince pies!
FIREFIGHTERS are warning that children who are curious about fire can kill, and are tackling the problem head-on.
Oxfordshire County Council?s firefighters are tackling the problem of ?fire setting? by educating children and young people who are fascinated by fire.
As part of the county council?s ?365 Alive? safety campaign, the Fire and Rescue Service is highlighting its fire setter intervention scheme that is aimed at changing the behaviour of children and young people who intentionally start fires.
What is ?fire setting??
Some children as young as two years have a natural curiosity with matches and cigarette lighters and older children and teenagers sometimes start fires out of malice or to get attention.
Trained advisers from the Fire Setter Intervention Scheme are educating children and young people when there are signs of ?fire setting? behaviour. They work with parents to explain the dangers of fire and the possible consequences of deliberately starting fires.
Worried parents can call the fire service to report their concerns about potentially dangerous fire activity and to get help from the scheme.
Parents should look out for:
LOCAL children have, for the first time, been given the opportunity to make a difference in areas like education, leisure, health and family support.
A group of teenagers will join County Council Cabinet Member, Cllr Louise Chapman, to launch the Oxfordshire Children and Young People?s Plan on Thursday, November 23.
A new website, that will make it easier for parents and professionals to find out about key support services and activities for children in their local area, will also be unveiled – www.oxfordshireservicesdirectory.org.uk
Following the launch, around fifty youngsters will be taking part in the first Children and Young People?s Involvement Network meeting to talk about one of the many key issues set out in the Plan: reducing the number of teenage pregnancies in Oxfordshire.
Teenage pregnancy rates are below the national average in Oxfordshire and are declining, but are still high in some parts of the county.
Professionals from key organisations that have teamed up to implement the Plan will join in the discussion that will focus on sexual health, relationships and contraception.
Councillor Louise Chapman, the county council?s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: “It is really important that children and young people are closely involved in planning their services and that we listen and act on their proposals.
“They have played a vital role in developing the Children and Young People?s Plan and we will continue to work together to ensure services match their needs.
“The meeting about sexual health and teenage pregnancy shows the Plan in action, that we are involving young people themselves in tackling these issues.”
The Oxfordshire Children and Young People?s Plan can be found on the county council website at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cypp http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cypp
EMERGENCY planners are targeting smaller businesses to help them put in place processes to enable them to survive a major for disaster.
Oxfordshire County Council’s Emergency Planning Team is joining forces with South Oxfordshire District Council to host a special meeting on Monday, November 27.
The aim is to pass on recognised ways for businesses to put processes in place to help them survive any kind of emergency. This in turn helps communities to return to normal as soon as possible.
The meeting will take place from 2pm to 4pm in South Oxfordshire District Council’s offices in Crowmarsh, and is aimed at smaller businesses, 80% who generally fail to survive a major incidence like flooding or terrorist attack.
Emergency Planning Officer, John Kelly, said: “Many of the larger businesses will already have business continuity plans in place but we are aiming this presentation at the small and medium sized enterprises. Often they are too busy dealing with the day to day realities of commercial life to give time to disaster recovery preparation.
“Many of these businesses have still to consider plans for their survival after a major incident. Recent disasters such as Buncefield in Hertfordshire and the flooding in Carlisle show that small businesses are most at risk after a major incident.
“Statistics from previous terrorist bombings show that 80% of small businesses do not survive a major incident. Large businesses are able to move their production or sales to other outlets and survive.
“We will also be advising delegates on the plan for dealing with a flu pandemic, which from recent government advice could have an attack rate of 35% on staff in the worst case.”
SATURDAY, November 25th. Haddenham’s Witchert Chorale is on tour to Long Crendon (St Mary the Virgin Church) for a concert of carols, spirituals, and songs for Advent starting at 7.30pm.
The group is conducted by villager, David Quinn and the concert also features Doug Kennedy (guitar) and Ed Cairns (poems); the latter is known for his roles in Haddenham Players’ and Thame Players’ productions as well as in the Long Crendon mystery plays.
Tickets
IT now appears that this incident occurred around 7.20am on Wednesday morning, November 15, at the Aylesbury roundabout, Thame.
It followed an altercation 20 minutes earlier at the A418 junction with the M40, near the Wheatley services, shortly after 7am.
Police are trying to get CCTV footage from the junction and would like to hear from any witnesses to either incident.
All that is known at the moment is that a black car was involved.
Call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111 with any information.
AS part of a new initiative to reduce crimes involving knives, Thame Valley Police are to carry random airport-type scans in public places, including schools.
Thames Valley Police is launching Operation Blunt tomorrow (Tuesday, November 21) to tackle knife crime and reduce the number of people who routinely carry knives on the streets.
During the National Knife Amnesty (24 May ? 30 June) 4,300 knives were handed in over a period of two months in the Thames Valley. In 2005 there were 287
knife incidents in Oxfordshire.
To search out knives, officers across the Force will be using search arches, similar to the metal detectors used for security at airports. The arches will be used in public places, such as school gates, shopping centres and transport hubs.
Acting Chief Superintendent Paul Tinnion, leading on Operation Blunt, said: ?We will be working jointly with schools and colleges, using the search arches at random locations and times. The detectors will be used both as a deterrent to reinforce the message that if you consider carrying a knife you will get caught. We will also use the search arches at knife crime hotspots to catch and prosecute people who are carrying knives illegally.?
The Damilola Taylor Trust is working with Thames Valley Police on Operation Blunt and has developed leaflets to give to people as they pass through the search arches to explain what the campaign is about and why carrying a knife is dangerous.
Heidi Watson, Chief Executive of the Trust, said: ?If you carry a knife, it could get used against you. This is a very important campaign and we are really pleased to be working with Thames Valley Police to get the message out. We want to build a culture of safety not of self protection.?
Research conducted for the Trust found that four out of five knife crime offenders are aged between 12 and 20 and one third of victims are aged between 10 and 17 years.
Bus shelters and outdoor advertising sites will be featuring safety messages as part of the campaign. The adverts picture a person carrying a knife and the message, ?Think this keeps you safe? It could cost you your life it it?s used against you?. The major advertising campaign is part of a bid to raise awareness of the dangers associated with carrying a knife.
Acting Chief Supt. Tinnion said:?People seem to think carrying a knife keeps them safe when in fact it could get used against them. If you carry a knife you are also running the risk of getting caught, put before a court and you could get up to four years in prison.?
Operation Blunt will run across all five Basic Command Units in the Thames Valley and will be tailored to combat the knife crime problem by each area.
Thame United 1, Abingdon Town 2 – Match Report – League Match, Saturday, November 18.
ON paper Thame were the favourites to win this match being two league places higher with four league wins this season, whilst Abingdon had only recorded one win. Abingdon however played well and earned their three points.
It?s an old, and much used, clich
THAME POLICE are looking into several incidents of vandalism carried out since January this year, at Thame library in Southern Road.
Since the year began, the library has reported six incidences of criminal damage to the front display case which houses the library notice board.
The dates of the incidents are:
One in January then
October 19-20
October 20-21
October 25-26
Octobrt 26-27
November 18-19
Anyone with any information about who may have been involved in these incidents or who may have seen them happening, is asked to contact PC Hounslow at Thame Police Station on 08458 505 505, Or Crimestoppers if they wish to remain anonymous on 0800 555 111.
NEWS is coming in of an incident yesterday afternoon in which a van driver was chased seven miles to Thame from the M40, and shot at, in a suspected case of road rage.
It is understood that the rear window of the van was smashed by what appeared to be an air gun.
The driver was apparently unhurt.
More information if and when it becomes available.