The Big Give Christmas Challenge

Karen Neville

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Community & Charity

 One donation, twice the impact to help CPRE Oxfordshire campaign to protect our rural county

Do your bit for the CPRE Oxfordshire campaign to protect our rural county.  We are passionate about making the countryside, its villages and market towns, better places for everyone to live, work and enjoy.

Join us in making a real and lasting impact.  Your donation will be matched, doubling your contribution.  Help us launch the Oxfordshire Green Defenders Network and protect our natural heritage.

Every donation counts.

During this week (November 28th to December 5th) only, every donation, no matter what size, will be doubled – up to our target of £4,500 which will generate £9,000 in total.

What you need to do?

•           Add a calendar reminder for your diary for 28th November, including this link.

•           Have your debit or credit card details ready when you make your donation.

•           Tell others! Please pass on this message to anyone you think might be interested in supporting us and having their donation doubled.

The CPRE believes in countryside and green spaces that are accessible to all, rich in nature and playing a crucial role in responding to the climate emergency.

With a local CPRE group in every county in England, we’re advocating nationwide for the kind of countryside we all want: one with sustainable, healthy communities and available to more people than ever, including those who haven’t benefited before.

We stand for a countryside that enriches all of our lives, regenerating our wellbeing, and that we in turn regenerate, protect and celebrate.

Some people might remember us as ‘The Campaign to Protect Rural England’ – our previous name, and one of several in our long history. We’ve worked for almost a century to support and promote the countryside, and we’ll be doing this for generations to come. That’s why we call ourselves ‘the countryside charity’.

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Rick Wakeman hosts charity dog concert

Karen Neville

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Community & Charity

Actor Peter Egan stars at concert in aid of Saving Strays at Guildford Cathedral on November 24th

Christmas will come to Guildford early this year when keyboard maestro, composer and renowned raconteur Rick Wakeman CBE headlines a very special pre-Christmas concert.

The event at Guildford cathedral on Friday 24th November will raise funds for Saving Strays, the all-volunteer UK charity which rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes abandoned and abused dogs.

Get in the festive mood while raising money for a worthwhile cause with an evening of music and fun, as Rick plays old favourites from his own repertoire and those of other artists, plus seasonal tunes, all adapted for piano and keyboards and interspersed with hilarious anecdotes and stories that tickle his sense of humour.

Rick, who along with his wife Rachel has adopted Saving Strays’ rescue dogs, says: “Dogs have so much love to give and it upsets me that humans are not always reciprocal. If you let a dog into your life, then from first hand experience, I can guarantee that you will have a very special life.”

The bill for this exclusive evening will be completed by:

Musical comedy trio Triple Cream

Singer-songwriter Mim Grey

New vocal talent Nicola Olsen

Choir from Godalming-based music school, A Touch of Musicality

Peter Egan, screen star of Downton Abbey and Unforgotten, and co-chair of Saving Strays.

Join this wonderful evening while raising money to help lost and abused dogs around the world!

Co-chair Maria Slough says: “To be able to host this concert with Rick and Peter and everyone who is taking part is such an incredible way to close out the year. We will raise the roof for the dogs in need and it will be an experience to remember for everyone.”

Ticket prices: Standard £30-50. Meet & Greet and Premium Ticket £80. All tickets include souvenir programme.

Doors open: 6.15pm (for Meet & Greet Ticket holders), 6.50pm (for Standard Ticket holders), Showtime: 7.30pm

Box Office: https://www.guildford-cathedral.org/events/boxoffice/695

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Can you help local hygiene bank?

Karen Neville

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Community & Charity

Helena Vernon, Project Coordinator for Farnham and Aldershot Hygiene Bank needs your help to find a new storage location to continue helping people in need

At The Hygiene Bank, we believe it is not right that feeling clean should be a luxury or a privilege for anyone in our society, yet many are living in poverty and cannot afford to stay clean. That is why our network of projects exists – to give people access to the basics they need.

We are a grassroots, people-powered charity and social movement, grounded in community. Our passion stems from the injustice that people may be unable to fully participate in society due to hygiene poverty. This is why we work to inspire social change. 

What is hygiene poverty?

Many people locked in poverty or those who find themselves in times of crisis often experience restricted options. This leaves them caught between being able to heat their home, pay their rent, buy food or keep clean. Hygiene poverty can be shaming, humiliating and excluding and can result in social isolation.

It can lead to a lack of confidence and can negatively affect good health and mental well-being which can impact early childhood development, learning, employability and social interaction.

How we work:

Products are donated, collected, sorted and distributed to our network of community partners – a mix of organisations, charities and schools – who support those of us pulled into poverty.

Supporting The Hygiene Bank is a simple way to help not just one organisation, but multiple grassroots initiatives across the UK tackling a wide range of issues from poverty to domestic abuse and disability.

Our current problem:

We have, for some time, been using part of the garage of the Rev Crawley’s on the Upper Hale Road, Farnham as a store for our hygiene items. This arrangement has worked out very well and we’ve been very grateful for its use. However due to the Rev Crawley moving on, we have now been given notice to leave in January 2024. Without storage we will be unable to function and we are very worried for our future and for those hundreds of local families and individuals currently receiving our help. 

I visited a local storage facility recently and was quoted £34 per week for renting a 40ft unit and we just don’t have the funds to pay for this. We need a new location. Ideally, it needs to be local to the Farnham area, dry, ground floor, with vehicle access, and have electricity, but I will happily discuss any suggestions.

Please get in touch at [email protected]

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QueenMee Accessories supports Aylesbury Women’s Aid

Karen Neville

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Community & Charity

Celebrate kindness with QueenMee, shop local and support local women in need this Christmas

QueenMee Accessories, the boutique hair accessories and brooch company, is partnering with Aylesbury Women’s Aid for November and December with donations to women and children in the shelter.

For every £100 spent on QueenMee.com, a sparkling hair accessory or piece of jewellery from the collection will be donated to a woman or child resident of the shelter, to give them a Christmas boost.

April Benson, CEO of Aylesbury Women’s Aid said of the initiative: “We know the women and children here are going to love receiving the accessories. We do receive some donations already at Christmas for the children, but we don’t receive much for their mothers. That is why QueenMee’s support is so welcome, as it will give our residents a lovely pick-me-up.”

QueenMee founder, Amanda Waterstone Carthy, is the daughter of well-known Entrepreneur Sir Tim Waterstone, founder of Waterstone’s booksellers. She says: “QueenMee is about celebrating kindness – being kind to yourself, celebrating your own personal style, and giving back as you shop for yourself or others.

“We know that the Christmas period often brings with it an increase in the incidence of domestic abuse, with money worries, increased time spent at home, and alcohol all escalating domestic abuse incidents.

“As a mother myself, I know how important it feels to protect your child – and give them a magical Christmas. I often think of the pain women in abusive relationships experience, and of the impact on their children.

“I am so pleased to be able to do something small to lift survivors of domestic abuse and their children this Christmas.

“I hope the colour and sparkle of the jewellery will bring hope and cheer to the residents of Aylesbury Women’s Aid shelter; and that the mothers and children will enjoy celebrating Christmas in a safe environment together.”

QueenMee Accessories’ collection includes brooches, hair clips, headbands, silk scrunchies, and earrings, all of which make gorgeous gifts – with the bonus of giving back as you shop.

Beautiful, eco-friendly gift wrap is free of charge with every order.

The QueenMee Christmas collection is available to order online at QueenMee.com. Also at John Lewis, High Wycombe – 4th December to 10th December. Waddesdon Manor Christmas Fair – 22nd November to 17th December.

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Shop for vintage and pre-loved fashion

Karen Neville

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Community & Charity

Worth the Weight returns to Oxford Town Hall Saturday, 18th November, from 11am to 5pm

Stay cosy and shop with a clear conscience this November as Worth the Weight returns to Oxford Town Hall on Saturday, 18th November with nine tonnes of handpicked vintage and pre-owned stock to have a rummage through, including a great range of autumn coats and jackets to keep you cosy this season.

There will be 60 rails of clothing, where shoppers can pick and mix from the best denim, sports, ladies fashion, men’s fashion, outerwear and accessories and pay on the scales at the end. It costs £20 per kilo, with prices starting from as little as £1. It’s a cost-effective way of getting bulk sustainable clothing and helping the environment at the same time. Heavier items will be capped at £20. Even if it weighs over a kilo, you’ll never pay more than £20 for 1 item! Make sure to point out heavy items to your server at the till to redeem the discount.

Based in Sheffield, Worth the Weight was founded in 2018 as a way of fighting fast fashion. Since its inception, the company has taken the UK by storm travelling the length and breadth of the country with tonnes of amazing vintage stock every weekend.

Chris Davies, Worth the Weight organiser, said: “Oxford is always a great place to come this time of year, knitwear is always very popular, so we’ve made sure to stock up for all the sustainable fashion pioneers.”
Entry is £3 for early bird and £2 after.

For more details of future events follow the official Worth the Weight Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/worththeweightvintage/

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Oxfordshire fen restored to snails’ delight

Karen Neville

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Community & Charity

National Trust restores Pea Pits in West Oxfordshire, potential home to the Newbury bypass snail

A team of rangers and volunteers have been scything reeds in a plan to restore an area of alkaline fen at Pea Pits in West Oxfordshire.

Fenland is one of Britain’s most threatened and precious homes for rare plants and wildlife. The National Trust is working with Freshwater Habitats Trust who provided the tools and scythe training to protect this internationally important habitat. 

Most people associate fenland with the lowlands of East Anglia and are unaware that alkaline fens are also a special feature of the Oxfordshire countryside. The fens in Oxfordshire are fed by springs emerging from chalk or limestone in valleys and on hill slopes.

Alkaline fens support many wetland plants that are rare or endangered nationally or in the county such as the carnivorous butterwort, grass-of-Parnassus, marsh helleborine and marsh lousewort.

Endangered insects include species of soldier-fly, horsefly and damselfly, while molluscs include the Desmoulin’s whorl-snail. This is the tiny rare snail the size of a pinhead that almost stopped the Newbury Bypass being built in 1996 when the construction was set to destroy its habitat.

The work party cleared back trees and reeds at Pea Pits to give the rare plants some light. The cuttings were used to create dams to slow down water flow and create pools. The team also planted marsh lousewort to stop the dominant reeds taking up the majority of light. Marsh lousewort does this by finding another plant’s roots underground and extracting water and nutrients from the ‘host’ plant. This parasitic action weakens the reeds, allowing a diversity of other, more delicate plants to come through.

Whilst the marsh lousewort is establishing, the National Trust will continue to cut the reeds and scrub in late summer and, if funding and a suitable grazier can be found, may eventually fence the area and graze it with cattle. Rest assured, if the vanishingly rare Newbury bypass snail makes an appearance at Pea Pits, it will have a safe home.

Richard Watson, Countryside Manager, West Oxfordshire said: “It is great to see this quiet corner of the estate being brought back to life. It is the only fen site we look after in West Oxfordshire, so it’s a really important habitat. It’s been great to work with the Freshwater Habitats Trust on expertise and training for our staff and volunteers to take on the management of the site.”

Paola Perez, Fen Conservation Officer at Freshwater Habitats Trust said: “Along with other small freshwater habitats, alkaline fens have traditionally been overlooked, but they support a unique community of plant and animal species.

“Restoring and protecting these rare alkaline fen habitats is a vital part of our work to reverse the decline in freshwater biodiversity. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with the National Trust to restore the alkaline fen at Coleshill and are very grateful to their volunteers for all their hard work.”

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M&S Aylesbury colleague celebrates 40th anniversary

Karen Neville

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Community & Charity

Bra fitter Julie Walters joined more than 50 colleagues at an event in London marking her years of service for the high street retailer

Julie Walters, a bra fitter at Marks & Spencer in Aylesbury is celebrating her 40th year working for the high-street retailer. Julie recently travelled to London to join M&S colleagues from across the country, all of whom were celebrating milestone anniversaries, ranging from 25 to 50 years. More than 200 colleagues attended the event and were congratulated by M&S Co CEO, Katie Bickerstaffe and thanked for their dedication and service.

M&S has been part of many special memories for Julie over the last 40 years, having worked at the store since she joined M&S in October 1982. Julie has spent her whole career working at the Aylesbury store where she specialises as a bra fitter.

Julie loves to help people and has found the role extremely rewarding over the years, from helping pregnant women or first-time mothers pick a new bra, to supporting transgender customers and young girls pick out their very first bra. A particular highlight was when a pregnant customer Julie helped pick out bras for named her son after Julie’s son! M&S is truly Julie’s second home, working with colleagues she calls friends, many of whom have been with the store for more than 20 years, including her best friend, Cassie McVeigh.

Julie said: “It’s honestly been an amazing experience working at M&S over the years. So much has changed but one thing remains the same, the people – both colleagues and customers – are the best! My passion for helping people has never diminished and I’m so grateful I’ve been able to work in a job I love for so many years. I’d like to thank M&S for all the wonderful memories I’ve made with the company and for the fabulous trip to London – I had a great time!”

Natalie Moon, Store Manager at M&S Aylesbury said: “There’s no doubt about it, Julie is an integral part of the team and has had a huge part to play in our success over the years. Having served M&S for a number of years with her tremendous bra fitting expertise, she has not only been able to make customers feel at ease, she’s also worked with the team to train colleagues and pass on her knowledge. I’d like to thank Julie for her years of service to M&S – it’s truly an honour to celebrate this milestone with her!”

To find out more about working for M&S, and the roles and training available, visit M&S Careers.

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National Trust restores Oxfordshire fen

Karen Neville

Posted on

Community & Charity

Rangers and volunteers have been clearing and restoring an area of alkaline fen to aid endangered species such as a tiny rare snail

A team of rangers and volunteers have been scything reeds in a plan to restore an area of alkaline fen at Pea Pits in West Oxfordshire. Fenland is one of Britain’s most threatened and precious homes for rare plants and wildlife. The National Trust is working with Freshwater Habitats Trust who provided the tools and scythe training to protect this internationally important habitat.

Most people associate fenland with the lowlands of East Anglia and are unaware that alkaline fens are also a special feature of the Oxfordshire countryside. The fens in Oxfordshire are fed by springs emerging from chalk or limestone in valleys and on hill slopes.

Alkaline fens support many wetland plants that are rare or endangered nationally or in the county such as the carnivorous butterwort, grass-of-Parnassus, marsh helleborine and marsh lousewort.

Endangered insects include species of soldier-fly, horsefly and damselfly, while molluscs include the Desmoulin’s whorl-snail. This is the tiny rare snail the size of a pinhead that almost stopped the Newbury Bypass being built in 1996 when the construction was set to destroy its habitat.

The work party cleared back trees and reeds at Pea Pits to give the rare plants some light. The cuttings were used to create dams to slow down water flow and create pools. The team also planted marsh lousewort to stop the dominant reeds taking up the majority of light. Marsh lousewort does this by finding another plant’s roots underground and extracting water and nutrients from the ‘host’ plant. This parasitic action weakens the reeds, allowing a diversity of other, more delicate plants to come through.

Whilst the marsh lousewort is establishing, the National Trust will continue to cut the reeds and scrub in the late summer and, if funding and a suitable grazier can be found, may eventually fence the area and graze it with cattle. Rest assured, if the vanishingly rare Newbury bypass snail makes an appearance at Pea Pits, it will have a safe home.

Richard Watson, Countryside Manager, West Oxfordshire said: “It’s great to see this quiet corner of the estate being brought back to life. It is the only Fen site we look after in West Oxfordshire, so it’s a really important habitat. It’s been great to work with the Freshwater Habitats Trust on expertise and training for our staff and volunteers to take on the management of the site.”

Paola Perez, Fen Conservation Officer at Freshwater Habitats Trust said: “Along with other small freshwater habitats, alkaline fens have traditionally been overlooked, but they support a unique community of plant and animal species.

“Restoring and protecting these rare alkaline fen habitats is a vital part of our work to reverse the decline in freshwater biodiversity. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with the National Trust to restore the alkaline fen at Coleshill and are very grateful to their volunteers for all their hard work.”

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Keeping adoptive siblings in care together

Round & About

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Community & Charity

Adoption agencies across the UK, including Parents And Children Together (PACT) have joined forces to keep brothers and sisters together.

Voluntary adoption agencies across the UK have come together with a joint mission to stop brothers and sisters who are waiting in care from being separated when adopted.

Almost half of children currently waiting in care* are part of a family group and voluntary adoption agencies (VAAs) are looking for people who can offer them a permanent and loving home.

Thames Valley-based Parents And Children Together (PACT) is among 23 VAAs from all over the UK who have together created a guide for people considering adoption containing helpful information and advice from parents who have already adopted sibling groups.

Lorna Hunt of PACT said: “The impact on children in care who are separated their brothers and sisters to enable them to find a permanent family is huge and causes anxiety and loss for children who have already experienced a difficult start in life. Yet so few people feel equipped or able to consider adopting a sibling group of three, or even four children.

“We are excited to be a part of this project sharing first-hand, heartfelt experience and advice from families who have already done this incredible thing of adopting a sibling pair or group.”

VAAs are specialists in finding families for children who wait the longest in care. They work in partnership with local authorities to find families for children waiting for a permanent home. VAAs are independent, not-for-profit organisations who have intensive services to provide families with vital support both when the children are placed and into the future.

Maggie Jones, chief executive of the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA) which represents VAAs across the country said: “Brother and sisters who are adopted together are often the only constant thing in each other’s lives in times of huge upheaval, loss and trauma. The voluntary adoption sector are specialists in finding families for sibling groups and being there for them with bespoke packages of support for as long as its needed.”

“Brother and sisters who are adopted together are often the only constant thing in each other’s lives in times of huge upheaval, loss and trauma!”

Download a copy of the advice guide Adoption agencies join forces to keep brothers and sisters together.

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Hogs Back Brewery celebrate hop harvest

Karen Neville

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Community & Charity

Record number of guests enjoy beer and entertainment at Hop Harvest Festival

A record number of people enjoyed Hogs Back Brewery’s hop harvest and raised more than £2,500 for a local charity as they did so.

More than 3,500 guests savoured beer, food, live music and family entertainment in the late summer sunshine in Tongham, Surrey, over the weekend of September 15th to 17th, making it Hogs Back’s biggest hop harvest party ever.

This year, for the first time, the entertainment started on the Friday evening, with a new ‘Roots’ concert on the Festival stage, headlined by folk musician Seth Lakeman. On Saturday, crowds gathered from early afternoon to watch lively performances from six bands, culminating in a set of crowd-pleasing covers from headliners Bloomfield Avenue. Compere David Whitney kept people entertained as bands changed over, and performances were live streamed to the Beer Garden for those wanting a more chilled musical experience.

At Sunday’s TEA Party, a more family-friendly vibe took over, with plenty of entertainment for children of all ages. The fun included a circus workshop, archery, inflatable slides, Mr Magic show, farmyard animals and electric skateboarding, as well as the ever-popular dray rides around the Hop Garden. There was music for the younger crowd too, with the popular Harry Styles Experience topping the bill.

Across the weekend, guests enjoyed the full range of Hogs Back beers, including Green TEA – a variation of the brewer’s flagship Tongham TEA, brewed with fresh ‘green’ hops straight from their hop garden. Food included hog roast, pizzas and authentic Indian dishes from local Mandira’s Kitchen. In line with Hogs Back’s ambitious sustainability aims, no single use plastics were used, replaced with reusable or compostable items.

One of the highlights of the weekend was, as in previous years, the competition for best hop-decorated hat, this year won by Jonathon. The custom of raising money for a local charity was also continued as the Prostate Project, based in Guildford, took a stand at the event and received all donations made on the dray rides. In total, the charity raised £2,543 over the weekend.

Rupert Thompson, Hogs Back managing director, said: “Every year, we say we’ve just had our best Hop Harvest Party ever – and it’s always true! This year we had more guests than ever before, more bands on the Festival stage, fabulous entertainment for families – and we enjoyed nearly all of it in glorious sunshine.

“The whole event was staffed by the Hogs Back team, so a big thank you to them, as well as to local businesses and volunteers, and to the many local people who joined us to create the party.”

He added: “We have already set the dates for next year’s Hop Harvest celebrations, which will run on 13th,14th and 15th September. We look forward to an even bigger and better event.”

Hogs Back harvested three hop varieties this year: Fuggles, used in Tongham TEA; English Cascade, used in its Hogstar lager and Surrey Nirvana Session IPA; and Farnham White Bine, a traditional local variety that the brewer saved from near-extinction by planting in its hop garden in 2014.

Thompson said: “We’re delighted to have harvested hops from our own hop garden for the eighth year. This year’s crop won’t be our biggest, due to the wet weather in July and August, but the hops we have are of good quality and will add distinctive flavours to our beers.  We’re proud to be growing hops just yards from the brewery, helping to reduce our food miles and achieve our goal of being an ever more sustainable brewer.

“It’s rewarding to have reinstated hop farming in Farnham and we know it’s meant a lot to local people. We’re grateful for their support, particularly the 50 Hogs Back Hopper volunteers who helped us bring in the harvest. It’s hard physical work over a few weeks and they certainly earned themselves a few pints!”

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