didcot diary december issue
Post on 30-Mar-2016
225 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Didcot Diary
Issue 5 December 2012
Didcot Town Council Awards Evening
Christmas Street Fair
Hello and welcome to the last Didcot Diary of 2012, we hope you find it
interesting and informative. If you have any comments on the content or
suggestions for future issues please let us know, our contact details are on the
back cover.
It’s hard to believe that 2012 is almost over, and what a year it has been with
the fantastic Olympics and Paralympics; and of course the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
In this issue you will find a review of the awards evening, on pages 4 and 5, where we have the
opportunity to say thank you to some of the people who help make Didcot such a great place to
live. It was lovely to see so many of you there.
On page 6 there is a review of the Christmas Street Fair, once again it was a brilliant evening
of fun and entertainment. The Christmas lights were turned on for the street fair and they really
help set the festive mood.
With Christmas just a few weeks away now many of us are looking forward to spending some
time with our families and friends but not every one is so fortunate and for some people this
is a lonely time of year. One Didcot resident has taken action to prevent anyone spending
Christmas Day on their own by organising a Christmas Day lunch for people who would
otherwise be on their own, see page 8 for more details.
Please note that the Town Council Office and the Information Centre will be closed from 12
noon on Christmas Eve until 9am on Wednesday 2nd January 2013. We hope don’t need to
use these numbers but in the event of an emergency please contact the South Oxfordshire
District Council out of hours service on 01491 824033 or the non-emergency police number is
101.
Contents
Christmas opening times for Citizens Advice Centre
and Waste and Recycling Centres 3
Didcot Town Council Awards Evening 4 & 5
Didcot Christmas Street Fair 6
Advice from CAB 7
The Civic Ball 7
Free Christmas Lunch 8
Frequently asked Questions 9
University of the 3rd Age 10
What’s on at the Civic Hall 11
Finally, all the staff and members of Didcot
Town Council, wish you a very happy
Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous
New Year.
2
Waste recycling centres Christmas
& New year opening hours:
Christmas eve Christmas day
08:00 - 15:00 closed
Boxing day
closed
Thursday 27/12/12
to 08:00 - 17:00
Sunday 30/12/12
New years eve New years day
08:00 - 15:00 closed
Wednesday 02/01/13 onwards -
Normal opening hours apply, 8:00-17:00
The Citizens Advice Bureau is located in Dale, 9 – 15
High Street. During the Christmas and New break they will
be operating a drop in service (no appointment needed) at the following
times:
Monday 24th December: 10am – 1pm Tues 25th: closed
Wednesday 26th: closed Thursday 27th: 10am – 1pm
Friday 28th: 10am – 1pm Monday 31st December: closed
Tuesday 1st Jan: closed
Wednesday 2nd January: telephone service only 10am – 1pm
Normal opening times resume on Thursday 3rd January.
3
Didcot Town Council
and the Information
Centre
The Town Council office
and the Information
Centre will both be
closed from noon on
Christmas Eve to 9am
on 2nd January 2013.
In the event of an
emergency please call
South Oxfordshire
District Council out of
hours service on 01491
824033 or the non-
emergency police
number is 101.
Christmas and New Year Opening Hours
Every year an awards evening is organised where we say thank you to many of the
people who help make Didcot a great place to live.
The work carried out by the groups and individuals who have received a grant aid during
year is acknowledged, the prizes for the allotment competitions are awarded and the
evening culminates with the presentation of the John Eldridge award for voluntary service.
The recipient of the John Eldridge award is chosen from nominations made by the public
so if you know an unsung hero who you would like to receive recognition for their work why
not make a nomination next year.
This year’s awards evening took place on Wednesday 28th November and was hosted by the
Mayor, Councillor Mr Peter Read. The evening started with the presentation of the allotment
prizes. Pictured below are the winners of best kept plot from each of the allotment sites.
From left to right, are Mr Renmant of Wantage Road site, Mr Hey of Mereland Road site and
Mr Mason of Broadway site.
DIDCOT TOWN COUNCIL
AWARDS EVENING
4
Pictured left is Mr Mortimer
Cockcroft Road site and on
the right is Mr Barham of
the New Road site.
Mr Barham was also awarded
the prize for best overall
plot.
Mr Pocock from Cockcroft Road site was awarded the prize for best crops but he was
unable to attend the prize giving.
The standard of gardening on the allotments is exceptionally high and it was difficult to
pick the best plot on some sites, our congratulations go to all the winners.
The Mayor went on the mention all the groups who
have received grant aid during the year and to thank
them for all they do throughout the year.
Representatives from some of these groups are
pictured right.
The evening culminated in the presentation of the
John Eldridge award for voluntary service. Pictured below are some of this years
nominees with the Mayor. From left to right are Mrs Kathleen Griffiths, the Didcot Good
Neighbours Scheme and Vic Clinch.
The awards evening is held annually in November or
December and all Didcot residents are welcome to attend.
If you would like more information about the awards evening,
grant aid or the John Eldridge award, please look on our web
site, www.didcot.gov.uk or email council @didcot.gov.uk
or calll us on 01235 812637.
5
Pictured left are Marie Gadd and Sue Edmonds from the Alzheimer's
Society. They were jointly nominated with a colleague, Sue Archer, who
was unable to attend.
Other nominees who were unable to attend were David Rouane and
John Bailey and the Didcot Town Football Club committee.
The Mayor said:
“ There are huge number of people in Didcot who do a great job in helping
people in need. This is an opportunity to say thank you and give some recognition to them. In
my eyes they are all winners.”
He went on to announce the recipient of this years John Eldrige award as Doreen McNulty for
over 20 years work with Home-Start and her work with the Citizens Advice Bureau and the
Willow Pre-school. Mrs McNulty is pictured right receiving
the award from Mrs Jean Eldridge.
Didcot Christmas Street Fair
6
The 19th annual Christmas Street Fair took place on Thursday 29th November. The Street
Fair is organised by the Didcot Chamber of Commerce and goes from strength to strength.
The theme of this years fair was vintage and the parade included many vintage vehicles as
well as being brought up to date with the inclusion of local residents who had been torch
bearers for the Olympics.
The fair was opened by the Mayor, Councillor Mr Peter Read,
who entered the spirit of the occasion by dressing as Dick
Whittington, without his cat. The Mayor , pictured right with a
Christmas butterfly, said that:
“it was a fabulous and exotic evening of fun and generosity”.
There was the usual mix of traditional entertainments such as the
big wheel and galloping horses, and the less traditional like Insania,
which appeared to be very popular with some braver residents .
There were also stalls and sideshows of all
kinds, many of which were raising funds for
local charities as well as adding to the fun of
the evening. Pictured below is the tombola
stall that was raising funds for the Mayor’s
Charities and was manned by representatives
from Restore, one of this years nominated
charities.
The weather was perfect being cold and crisp
with clear skies and not one drop of rain!
For those who felt cold or just in need of a treat there was
hot food of all kinds for sale; and smells from the food
stalls were all very tempting.
Many of the rides played festive tunes and three members
of the Enchanted Players were strolling carol singers
throughout the evening, adding their own touch to many
old favourites. The Enchanted Players will be performing
A Christmas Carol in the Civic Hall this month, see page 11
for more details.
All in all it was a most enjoyable evening that really got the
Christmas festivities started.
We have lived in our council house for 20 years
and this is where we brought up our family. I
heard something on the news about people living
in places that are too big for them. Now I’m really
worried as our daughter has just left home.
If you rent your home from the council or a housing association, and claim Housing
Benefit to help you pay your rent, your Housing Benefit may be cut from April next year
if you're of working age and your home is considered too large for you. This could be the
case if you have a spare bedroom, for example because your children have grown up and
left home.
Your Housing Benefit department will write to you before April 2013 if you're likely to lose
some of your Housing Benefit because of these new rules. They will ask you to confirm the
details they have about you, including who lives in your home and how many bedrooms
you have. It's important to get back to them.
It's also important to find out now if you'll be affected, so that you can work out how
you'll be able to pay your rent when the changes happen. You may need to think about
trying to make up the shortfall from other benefits or savings, or through trying to increase
your earnings by working extra hours. Check you’re not missing out on any extra help you
may be entitled to, ask any adult family members living with you to contribute more, or think
about taking in a lodger.
Your council may be able to help through its discretionary housing payment scheme,
for example if your home has been adapted or you’re a foster carer. They may also be
able to help if you are thinking about moving to a smaller home.
For more information about the changes and your options, contact the CAB on
08444 111 444 or go to the Citizens Advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk
Didcot Civic Ball
The 2013 Civic Ball will take place in the Civic Hall, on Friday 22nd March
2013, starting at 7pm.
Tickets cost just £35 each. The ticket includes a five course meal
and dancing to The Limitations.
For more information or to purchase a ticket please contact the
Information Centre in the Civic Hall, on council@didoct.gov.uk
or call 01235 812637
7
Free Christmas Day Lunch
For the past 7 years a local resident, Anna Gattrel, has organised a Free Christmas Day
Lunch for people who would otherwise be on their own on that day.
It started as quite a small event with just 12 attendees but word spread and numbers grew to
24 the following year and 42 last year.
The lunch is held in the Didcot Day Centre which is a perfect venue for all attendees,
especially those with some disabilities.
Anna has said that:
“For the fourth year running, I have a wonderful chef who gives up his day to do the cooking
and also a patient transport driver who also gives up her day to bring people to the Day Centre
and back home. The Day Centre Manager also gives up her day.”
The day starts around 12 with a full Christmas dinner with all
the trimmings . After lunch bingo is played, with prizes and tea
or coffee is available throughout the afternoon with biscuits and
chocolates. At the end of the afternoon everyone is given a small
hamper of goodies to take home.
The funds are raised through grant aid from Didcot Town Council and the generosity of local
businesses and the public.
The picture above was taken at last year’s Christmas lunch.
If you are a local person who
will be alone on Christmas
Day and would like to join in,
or if you would like to make a
donation or are available to
give lifts on the day, please
give Anna a call on
07789428795
8
In the Information Centre we have noticed
that some questions tend to get asked
more often than others. In this section we
aim to provide answers to some recurring
issues.
Q. What can I do with my old Christmas tree once all the festivities are over?
A. If you subscribe to the brown waste scheme you can put your tree out BY
THE SIDE of the brown bin, not in it. If you are not a subscriber the District Council will have
recycling facilities at a number of locations-watch this space.
Q. Now that the County Council are responsible for issuing bus passes, are we now entitled
to free rail travel?
A. Unfortunately not! Rail travel is not, and has never been, included. Once upon a time the
travel tokens could have been used in payment for a rail card but this option is no longer
available.
Q. Where is the Registry Office located-I know it is in Didcot but not at the Civic Hall!
A. The Registrars are on the first floor of the library, although the offices are not manned
full time. Appointments for births, deaths and marriages should be arranged via 0845
1295900 in the first instance-an appointment will then be made for the Didcot office.
9
Edmonds Park
Plans to refurbish the tennis courts at Edmonds
Park are progressing well and it is hoped that
work will commence early in 2013.
The University of the
Third Age comes to
Didcot
The first meeting of the Didcot & District University of the Third Age is being held on Tuesday
15 January 2013 at 2pm at Didcot Civic Hall
Didcot & District U3A is a learning cooperative of older people, which enables members to share
many educational, creative and leisure activities. Activities are organised mainly in small groups
that meet regularly. Members, through sharing their knowledge, skills and experience, learn
from each other.
Nobody has to stop learning just because they’ve stopped working. The University of the Third
Age is for people who want to keep active in mind and body and are no longer in full-time
employment.
There’s first age learning – at school, college, university; there’s second age learning – the skills
learnt at work and there’s third age learning, when people learn whatever they want. That’s
what happens in U3A.
Anyone in the Third Age can join Didcot and District U3A and this includes people who are
working part time. No qualifications are required, and none are given. There is no lower or
upper age limit for membership.
The Third Age is a time of creativity and fulfilment for older people. One in four of the UK
population is in the Third Age.
The aims of D&D U3A are
to encourage and enable older people in Didcot and District who are no longer in fulltime paid
employment to help each other to share their knowledge, skills, interests and experience.
to demonstrate the benefits and enjoyment to be gained and the new horizons to be discovered
in learning throughout life.
to celebrate the capabilities and potential of older people and their value to society.
to offer a combination of opportunities to study, create, socialise, and in general, develop a fitter
mind and body.
Didcot & District U3A is funded mainly by the subscriptions of its members. Its national
representative body is the Third Age Trust (Registered Charity No 288007). The U3A in the UK
was founded in 1982.
For further information contact:
Anne Hales, Chairperson D&D U3A on 01235 211291
10
What’s on at the Civic Hall
11
Special Events in December
On Wednesday 12th the annual CAROL SERVICE
will take place, starting at 7pm. All are welcome to
attend so come along and join with the Didcot Choral
Society and local school choirs in singing some well
loved carols.
Refreshments will be available after the service and
a collection will be made for the Mayor’s charities,
Restore and the Alzheimer’s Society.
The Enchanted Players will be performing family
version of A Christmas Carol on Sunday 23rd
December at 10.30am and at 1.30pm. Tickets cost
£6 each and are available from the Enchanted Players
by calling 07950298720 or from the Information Centre.
For more information about events in the Civic Hall or
to enquire about booking a room for your event
please contact the Civic Hall Manager on 01235
512436 or email civichall@didcot.gov.uk.
Didcot Town Council
Councillors
Council and Committee meetings in January and February
2013
January
Planning and Development Committee 9th
Council 14th
Environment Committee 21st
Finance and General Purposes Committee 28th
Council (if required) 6pm 28th
February
Personnel and Administration 4th
Planning and Development 20th
Finance and General Purposes 25th
All meetings commence at 7.30pm and are held in the Civic Hall unless otherwise stated. The
Council operates a policy of public participation at meetings. For more information contact us:
Email: council@didcot.gov.uk or phone 01235 812637 or fax 01235 512837 or write to Didcot Town
Council, Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 7HN or visit our website www.didcot.gov.uk..
Staff
Dominic Stapleton Town Clerk
Karen Dodd Deputy Town Clerk
Brenda Andrews Outdoor Services Manager
Sharon Hickman Finance and Administration
Sue Atkins Information Centre Manger
Paul Copley Grounds Supervisor
Steve Andrews Gardener
Richard Dowling Gardener
Justin Strong Gardener
John Jones Gatekeeper
Neressa Copley Pavilion Cleaner
top related