Community News and Information
BUS SERVICE TO THAME!
The Red Rose service to Thame started on 7th November 2023. Click the link for the timetable.
The Red Rose service to Thame started on 7th November 2023. Click the link for the timetable.
Mobile Post Office
The Mobile Post Office visits Tetsworth (outside the Village Hall) on Wednesdays between 11am and 12 noon.
The Mobile Post Office visits Tetsworth (outside the Village Hall) on Wednesdays between 11am and 12 noon.
AGE UK - Community Links Oxfordshire newsletter - Click here to read the Newsletter
Oxfordshire County Council News
Call for landlords
Our new campaign to encourage landlords and prospective landlords to come forward for more information about renting their property to Ukrainian nationals. Guests are looking for independence and, if they want to stay in the UK, for somewhere to live that is more in line with the family environment they left behind in Ukraine.
Morning after pill
In Oxfordshire, many are not aware they can access the morning after pill for free from some pharmacies. This campaign raises awareness and signposts people to free emergency oral contraception and contraception advice.
Our new campaign to encourage landlords and prospective landlords to come forward for more information about renting their property to Ukrainian nationals. Guests are looking for independence and, if they want to stay in the UK, for somewhere to live that is more in line with the family environment they left behind in Ukraine.
Morning after pill
In Oxfordshire, many are not aware they can access the morning after pill for free from some pharmacies. This campaign raises awareness and signposts people to free emergency oral contraception and contraception advice.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH LAUNCHES ITS BIGGEST RECRUITMENT DRIVE IN RECENT TIMES, INVITING NEIGHBOURS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO JOIN
Neighbourhood Watch has launched a new campaign – their biggest recruitment drive in recent times – to boost community participation and reduce both the fear and likelihood of crime. The BETTER PLACE TO LIVE campaign will run until the end of the year. It utilises a new logo, launched to sit as a modern partner alongside the immediately recognisable traditional logo.
A 'better place to live' is, of course, what we would all like to achieve – whether it be making new friendships, looking after our environment, supporting our neighbours, reducing isolation and loneliness, or working together to reduce fear of and opportunities for crime. Delivered in towns, cities, and villages across England and Wales, the campaign will have a particular drive during Neighbourhood Watch Week between the 3rd and 9th of June. It has also been launched on social media platforms and the Neighbourhood Watch website. The campaign encourages greater participation in the nation's largest voluntary crime prevention movement.
"The cost-of-living crisis and the pandemic have highlighted the importance of neighbourhood and community connections in tackling loneliness and isolation, as well as our vital work in crime prevention. We have a proven track record of bringing communities together and helping them to feel safer in a more uncertain world."
John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch
Members of the public have said that the main barriers to them joining their local Neighbourhood Watch scheme were threefold: they were unsure whether there was a group in their area, they didn't know who else was involved, or simply they hadn't been asked to join. The campaign aims to address these reservations, particularly amongst the charity's underrepresented groups, including 25 to 40-year-olds and those in high-crime areas.
To reach a younger audience, the charity has recruited a young people's project worker and a young trustee, as well as established a presence on Instagram. Its Lookout Magazine, co-developed with student writers, raised students' awareness of topics such as drink spiking, keeping safe on a night out, cybersecurity, and mental health. As a result of these actions, between 2020 and 2021, four times as many 18 to 24-year-olds visited the Neighbourhood Watch website compared to the previous year.
It is hoped that the BETTER PLACE TO LIVE campaign will see a similar surge in participation and membership. Find out more.
Neighbourhood Watch has launched a new campaign – their biggest recruitment drive in recent times – to boost community participation and reduce both the fear and likelihood of crime. The BETTER PLACE TO LIVE campaign will run until the end of the year. It utilises a new logo, launched to sit as a modern partner alongside the immediately recognisable traditional logo.
A 'better place to live' is, of course, what we would all like to achieve – whether it be making new friendships, looking after our environment, supporting our neighbours, reducing isolation and loneliness, or working together to reduce fear of and opportunities for crime. Delivered in towns, cities, and villages across England and Wales, the campaign will have a particular drive during Neighbourhood Watch Week between the 3rd and 9th of June. It has also been launched on social media platforms and the Neighbourhood Watch website. The campaign encourages greater participation in the nation's largest voluntary crime prevention movement.
"The cost-of-living crisis and the pandemic have highlighted the importance of neighbourhood and community connections in tackling loneliness and isolation, as well as our vital work in crime prevention. We have a proven track record of bringing communities together and helping them to feel safer in a more uncertain world."
John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch
Members of the public have said that the main barriers to them joining their local Neighbourhood Watch scheme were threefold: they were unsure whether there was a group in their area, they didn't know who else was involved, or simply they hadn't been asked to join. The campaign aims to address these reservations, particularly amongst the charity's underrepresented groups, including 25 to 40-year-olds and those in high-crime areas.
To reach a younger audience, the charity has recruited a young people's project worker and a young trustee, as well as established a presence on Instagram. Its Lookout Magazine, co-developed with student writers, raised students' awareness of topics such as drink spiking, keeping safe on a night out, cybersecurity, and mental health. As a result of these actions, between 2020 and 2021, four times as many 18 to 24-year-olds visited the Neighbourhood Watch website compared to the previous year.
It is hoped that the BETTER PLACE TO LIVE campaign will see a similar surge in participation and membership. Find out more.
Oxfordshire residents urged to help county ‘win at waste’
Visitors to Oxfordshire’s household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) are being asked to separate recyclable material from their general waste before disposing of it.
Oxfordshire County Council wants residents to sort their mixed rubbish out before their visit, in a bid to prevent items that can be recycled from ending up in the general waste and bulky skips.
Visitors are encouraged to separate their recycling so it can be put into the relevant containers which are on site, including plastics, card, textiles and shoes, metals and electrical items, before setting off.
Bledlow Ridge Household Recycling Centre re-opened 16th January 2023
It is a Buckinghamshire Council run facility, but historically around a third of users came from Oxfordshire. So we wanted to share the update below with you, shared by the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment.
Access fee for Oxfordshire users
There is a change to how the site runs for residents in Oxfordshire and it is important any visitors coming from Oxfordshire know what to expect before they visit. We have introduced an access & acceptance fee for all visitors from outside of Buckinghamshire. The Council has no legal obligation allow visitors from outside of Buckinghamshire to use the site. However, the Council recognises that for some Oxfordshire residents Bledlow Ridge HRC is a convenient site to use. We do not wish to stop visitors from Oxfordshire visiting, but we do need to ensure these visits don’t come at a cost for Buckinghamshire taxpayers. As such, we have introduced an access levy based on the cost of managing and disposing of the waste brought to site. Details can be found here, charges start from £22 and increase based on vehicle size and type of waste brought.
Proof of address
All visitors will be asked for proof of address at the entrance. If the visitor cannot show proof of a Buckinghamshire address then they will be advised of the access and acceptance levy. The visitor can then chose whether to pay the fee or leave the site and visit an alternative site.
Access fee for Oxfordshire users
There is a change to how the site runs for residents in Oxfordshire and it is important any visitors coming from Oxfordshire know what to expect before they visit. We have introduced an access & acceptance fee for all visitors from outside of Buckinghamshire. The Council has no legal obligation allow visitors from outside of Buckinghamshire to use the site. However, the Council recognises that for some Oxfordshire residents Bledlow Ridge HRC is a convenient site to use. We do not wish to stop visitors from Oxfordshire visiting, but we do need to ensure these visits don’t come at a cost for Buckinghamshire taxpayers. As such, we have introduced an access levy based on the cost of managing and disposing of the waste brought to site. Details can be found here, charges start from £22 and increase based on vehicle size and type of waste brought.
Proof of address
All visitors will be asked for proof of address at the entrance. If the visitor cannot show proof of a Buckinghamshire address then they will be advised of the access and acceptance levy. The visitor can then chose whether to pay the fee or leave the site and visit an alternative site.
SODC Waste Collection notes
GARDEN WASTE Brown Bin - What CAN be put into the brown bin:
Fortnightly collections of garden waste (brown bins) started again on 1 November. A number of residents have experienced problems with the collection of waste bins. Please remember to report any uncollected bins before 5pm the following day: not only will Biffa then (hopefully!) come back and collect, but data on missed bin collections are a critical element of the monitoring of the contract. You can report by phone on 03000 610610 or online using this link.
All information regarding collections, Bank Holiday changes, effects of the weather on planned collections etc and when your bins will be emptied, can be found on the SODC website - please CLICK HERE for details.
Changes coming next year to garden waste service in South and Vale
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have set out plans to change the way their garden waste service is paid for in 2025.
The councils’ have agreed the introduction of a permit scheme from April 2025 which will include subscribers receiving a sticker for their bins to identify them as fully paid-up garden waste customers.
This kind of scheme is offered successfully by many other local authorities, including in neighbouring West Oxfordshire.
When customers sign up and pay for the scheme in 2025, they will be sent a garden waste permit sticker to put on their bin/or bins, which will help the waste collection crews identify which bins should be emptied. The permits will act in a similar way to a parking permit as a proof of subscription payment. All subscribers will receive a new sticker annually each time they renew.
This will help to ensure that only households that have paid for the service have their brown garden waste bins emptied.
The changes are part of the councils’ ongoing work to improve the efficiency and value of public services.
The garden waste subscriptions currently run via annual direct debit payments from the date people signed up for the scheme. Next year, the councils will stop taking direct debit payments for the service. Customers will instead make a single annual payment by debit or credit card - so that everyone’s payment year will run from 1 April to 31 March each year.
The council will directly contact all customers, via letters and email, in plenty of time to remind them to renew.
Benefits to customers include an all-new online system so they can manage their account and change their details much more easily. This will also mean the councils can contact people quickly if there are any disruptions to the service, such as during adverse weather.
Current subscribers will receive notification of the changes with this year’s invoices. This will provide more information on the new system in 2025 as well as details of changes to their direct debit payment this year and the annual fee increase to cover the cost of running the service.
GARDEN WASTE Brown Bin - What CAN be put into the brown bin:
- Leaves
- Grass
- Weeds
- Flowers and plants
- Hedge clippings
- Branches (not more than 10cm thick)
- Prunings and twigs
- Windfall fruit
- Hay / Straw / Sawdust (soiled animal bedding from non-meat eating animals only eg rabbits)
- Vegetable waste from the garden only eg potato tops (not kitchen waste)
Fortnightly collections of garden waste (brown bins) started again on 1 November. A number of residents have experienced problems with the collection of waste bins. Please remember to report any uncollected bins before 5pm the following day: not only will Biffa then (hopefully!) come back and collect, but data on missed bin collections are a critical element of the monitoring of the contract. You can report by phone on 03000 610610 or online using this link.
All information regarding collections, Bank Holiday changes, effects of the weather on planned collections etc and when your bins will be emptied, can be found on the SODC website - please CLICK HERE for details.
Changes coming next year to garden waste service in South and Vale
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have set out plans to change the way their garden waste service is paid for in 2025.
The councils’ have agreed the introduction of a permit scheme from April 2025 which will include subscribers receiving a sticker for their bins to identify them as fully paid-up garden waste customers.
This kind of scheme is offered successfully by many other local authorities, including in neighbouring West Oxfordshire.
When customers sign up and pay for the scheme in 2025, they will be sent a garden waste permit sticker to put on their bin/or bins, which will help the waste collection crews identify which bins should be emptied. The permits will act in a similar way to a parking permit as a proof of subscription payment. All subscribers will receive a new sticker annually each time they renew.
This will help to ensure that only households that have paid for the service have their brown garden waste bins emptied.
The changes are part of the councils’ ongoing work to improve the efficiency and value of public services.
The garden waste subscriptions currently run via annual direct debit payments from the date people signed up for the scheme. Next year, the councils will stop taking direct debit payments for the service. Customers will instead make a single annual payment by debit or credit card - so that everyone’s payment year will run from 1 April to 31 March each year.
The council will directly contact all customers, via letters and email, in plenty of time to remind them to renew.
Benefits to customers include an all-new online system so they can manage their account and change their details much more easily. This will also mean the councils can contact people quickly if there are any disruptions to the service, such as during adverse weather.
Current subscribers will receive notification of the changes with this year’s invoices. This will provide more information on the new system in 2025 as well as details of changes to their direct debit payment this year and the annual fee increase to cover the cost of running the service.
SO Charitable Lottery
The SO Charitable lottery has been running for over three years now and has raised £85,000 for local good causes so far. Over 70 organisations benefit from the money raised and work directly in the district to support residents. Players have a chance of winning one of the prizes, which range from a weekly £25,000 jackpot, £250 to three extra tickets. They can choose which ‘good cause’ they want to support. Tickets cost £1 each, of which 50p goes directly to their good cause and 10p to the central community fund.
We welcome more local groups and charities to register as ‘good causes’ so please spread the word. Or why not support ‘your’ local charity and purchase a ticket to help them raise more funds to deliver vital services to our residents.
For more information please visit our website.
Organisations that want to register for the lottery please visit - socharitable.co.uk/good-causes/apply.
Contact: communityenablement@southandvale.gov.uk for further information.
The SO Charitable lottery has been running for over three years now and has raised £85,000 for local good causes so far. Over 70 organisations benefit from the money raised and work directly in the district to support residents. Players have a chance of winning one of the prizes, which range from a weekly £25,000 jackpot, £250 to three extra tickets. They can choose which ‘good cause’ they want to support. Tickets cost £1 each, of which 50p goes directly to their good cause and 10p to the central community fund.
We welcome more local groups and charities to register as ‘good causes’ so please spread the word. Or why not support ‘your’ local charity and purchase a ticket to help them raise more funds to deliver vital services to our residents.
For more information please visit our website.
Organisations that want to register for the lottery please visit - socharitable.co.uk/good-causes/apply.
Contact: communityenablement@southandvale.gov.uk for further information.
Oxford City Zero Emission Zone
Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) pilot launched in Oxford in February 2022. There will be review of the timeline for the wider ZEZ to cover most of Oxford city centre later in 2022. The ZEZ pilot means that polluting vehicles will be charged if driven in key city centre streets between the hours of 7am - 7pm, seven days a week.
Under the ZEZ pilot, those who drive polluting vehicles into the zone will be charged, with the level of the charge dependent on how polluting the vehicle is. Under the scheme, zero emission vehicles will not be charged to drive in the zone.
The daily charges are:
Zero-emission vehicles (0g/km CO2): £0
Ultra-low emission vehicles (less than 75g/km CO2): £2/day from February 2022, rising to £4/day from August 2025.
Clean Air Zone compliant or Low emission vehicles: £4/day from February 2022, rising to £8/day from August 2025.
Motorcycles and mopeds: £2 per day from February 2022, rising to £4 per day from August 2025
Vehicles not meeting the above standards: £10 per day from February 2022, rising to £20 from August 2025.
Signs have been installed around the perimeter of the zone and on routes leading to it to notify drivers of the ZEZ pilot. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras is being used to enforce the zone. A range of exemptions and discounts are available, including for businesses and residents in the zone, and some other vehicle users.
Businesses, residents, and visitors are encouraged to visit the Zero Emission Zone website to understand how the scheme affects them and to find out more about the daily charges.
Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) pilot launched in Oxford in February 2022. There will be review of the timeline for the wider ZEZ to cover most of Oxford city centre later in 2022. The ZEZ pilot means that polluting vehicles will be charged if driven in key city centre streets between the hours of 7am - 7pm, seven days a week.
Under the ZEZ pilot, those who drive polluting vehicles into the zone will be charged, with the level of the charge dependent on how polluting the vehicle is. Under the scheme, zero emission vehicles will not be charged to drive in the zone.
The daily charges are:
Zero-emission vehicles (0g/km CO2): £0
Ultra-low emission vehicles (less than 75g/km CO2): £2/day from February 2022, rising to £4/day from August 2025.
Clean Air Zone compliant or Low emission vehicles: £4/day from February 2022, rising to £8/day from August 2025.
Motorcycles and mopeds: £2 per day from February 2022, rising to £4 per day from August 2025
Vehicles not meeting the above standards: £10 per day from February 2022, rising to £20 from August 2025.
Signs have been installed around the perimeter of the zone and on routes leading to it to notify drivers of the ZEZ pilot. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras is being used to enforce the zone. A range of exemptions and discounts are available, including for businesses and residents in the zone, and some other vehicle users.
Businesses, residents, and visitors are encouraged to visit the Zero Emission Zone website to understand how the scheme affects them and to find out more about the daily charges.
Walking in Oxfordshire
Walking in Oxfordshire https://www.walkinginengland.co.uk/oxfordshire has hundreds of walks to download and print, free, it also has books of walks, details of all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group all the information is there in one place.
John Harris (the custodian of the website) said ‘There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Oxfordshire (part of the Walking in England website) has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you’.
With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.
So home or away, check out the websites and get walking!
John Harris
www.walkinginengland.co.uk
john@walkinginengland.co.uk
Walking in Oxfordshire https://www.walkinginengland.co.uk/oxfordshire has hundreds of walks to download and print, free, it also has books of walks, details of all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group all the information is there in one place.
John Harris (the custodian of the website) said ‘There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Oxfordshire (part of the Walking in England website) has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you’.
With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.
So home or away, check out the websites and get walking!
John Harris
www.walkinginengland.co.uk
john@walkinginengland.co.uk