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One Week Left to Win Corn Exchange Cinema Tickets

Join in with our lovely mini beast themed summer competition for a chance to win one of three Corn Exchange big screen cinema passes and to see your artwork displayed in the Gallery Room.
We are inviting you to submit an A4 sized picture – drawing or painting of the most interesting insect you can find in your garden or the park.
You don’t need any special equipment to go on a bug hunt, but the items below can be very useful if you want a closer look at some of the amazing creepy crawlies that live in the garden.
Clear containers to hold them safely while you look at them. You can get specialist bug boxes but you don’t really need one to enter our competition.
A spoon or small paintbrush helps you gently collect them so they don’t get hurt when you pick them up.
A magnifying glass is great to help you see all the details.
You can look them all up on line to find out more about each of them that you find. Then choose your favourite to draw.
Some are very wriggly so taking a photo might help you to draw it
and it means you can let the little creature go and paint it later.
Always put them back close to where you found them so they can find their way back to their home.
The Woodland Trust has a lovely fact sheet that can help identify some that you may come across.
Don’t forget to put your name, age and contact details on the back of your picture and send it in by post to:
Insect Safari, Witney Town Council, Town Hall, Market Square, Witney OX28 6AG
or by email to info@witney-tc.gov.uk
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Letters to Heaven Post Boxes

A grieving 9-year-old girl’s touching wish to send a letter to her grandparents who had passed away has led to the installation of post boxes to heaven in 36 crematoriums nationwide.

Witney Town Council decided that Matilda Handy’s idea is such a lovely one, that they wanted to make this service available to Witney residents too, so the Council is delighted to be installing the cream-coloured post boxes in both Tower Hill and Windrush cemeteries.

Councillor Rachel Crouch, Chair of Halls, Cemeteries and Allotments commented,

“What a beautiful idea and such a kind way to support grieving families.”

Feedback has shown that the act of writing a letter, or posting a card or picture to a lost loved one has brought therapeutic comfort to many people using the boxes and it is hoped that ours too, will offer comfort to those grieving on a daily basis and help ease the more acute feelings of loss felt on anniversaries and special days.

A Post Box to Heaven in Windrush cemetery
The Post Box to Heaven in Windrush cemetery

Melanie Jones, Chair of Witney Friends of the Cemeteries group thinks this is wonderful news,

I am delighted that one of the Post Boxes to Heaven is now in place at Windrush cemetery. This offers those who are missing their loved ones the opportunity to post cards and letters to heaven. Witney Town Council is always keen to support those who are grieving in any way possible, and we thank them.

We are looking forward to seeing a post box in Tower Hill cemetery too, in due course.

The post boxes are not exclusively for use by those with people buried in the town’s cemeteries.  They are available to anyone who is grieving that might take comfort in this connection with their loved ones.

You don’t need a stamp as the boxes will be administered and emptied, when full, by Town Council staff and the contents will be treated sensitively, confidentially and with respect.

We do ask that you don’t post anything other than paper and please do not put anything precious that you will want to keep in the boxes as we cannot return things once they have been posted.

 

 

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DESIGN A CHRISTMAS LIGHT COMPETITION!

Last Year's winning light in place on the Town Hall

Wow, it’s been beautifully sunny, and so it might seem hard to imagine Christmas, BUT … can you help us with a design for a new Christmas Light for Witney Town Council’s Christmas lights display?

The competition is open to any child currently at primary school in Witney, and we also welcome entries from children enrolled in Witney community groups, such as Brownies, Beavers and others, as well as entries from primary age children resident in Witney.

The winning design will be turned into a super-size 1.5m x 1.5m light, which will be installed on the Town Hall this year as an integral part of the town’s Christmas display. The Town Council also displays some, still serviceable winning lights, from previous years.

Some tips for creating a good design:

  • Fill the space with your Christmas themed design so that it touches the edge of the frame.
  • Keep it simple so that it can easily be re-created in lights.
  • Choosing to design something we don’t currently have will improve your chance of having your design selected. We have a bauble, Christmas pud, star, robin, penguin, candy cane and reindeer.

Entries can be submitted by email, post or delivered to the Town Council office. Download the Witney Town Council Christmas Light Competition 2023 template  or you can simply draw a square on a sheet of A4 paper. Please submit your entries to: info@witney-tc.gov.uk

or Witney Town Council, Town Hall, Market Square, Witney, OX28 6AG.

THE CLOSING DATE IS FRIDAY 21ST JULY

Child with winning light design

Pictured is Dominic, last year’s winner of this competition, and some of our previous winning designs.

 

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Windrush Generation 75 Reading Corner

Windrush Day, 22 June 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival at Tilbury docks, of the HMT Empire Windrush Ship bringing the first few hundred British Caribbean citizens, who were invited to come and help rebuild a nation that was suffering labour shortages following the impact of WWII.

The day celebrates the contributions of nearly half a million people who made that same journey between 1948 and 1970. It recognises the positive impact and historic contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants to our culture and country.

Image of the ship HMT Empire Windrush
HMS EMPIRE WINDRUSH (FL 9448) Underway Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205120767

The river Windrush, after which the ship was named, runs through our town. To acknowledge this link and to offer an opportunity to learn more about this fascinating period of history and the experiences, good and bad, of those brave people, Witney Town Council has installed a small Windrush reading corner in 1863 café bar.

There is a selection of books for all ages for café users to read and a risograph print based on original illustration by Kim Thompson depicts the arrival of the Windrush generation in 1948. 100% of the profits from these prints go to BME Cancer Communities here in the UK.

Cllr Ruth Smith, Leader of Witney Town Council commented,

We all use the word Windrush in daily life, with so many things named after our beautiful river. Our ears prick up at news items about the Windrush Generation and their descendants. We are grateful for all they have brought to UK society and we stand in solidarity with those still affected by injustice. These resources are a chance for Witney residents to learn more and to appreciate the history and legacy more deeply.

Cllr Owen Collins, Mayor of Witney, added,

“I don’t think we all make the connection between our own River Windrush and the Windrush Generation, but that remarkable generation, and the ship that carried that, took its name from the river, like so many other businesses and locations throughout our town. It’s right that we commemorate and celebrate this connection, and on this 75th anniversary, I’m delighted that we’re able to properly mark this link, and the immense contribution that the Windrush Generation have made to our country for three quarters of a century.”

Cllr Owen Collins, Mayor of Witney in the Windrush 75 reading corner
Mayor of Witney, Cllr. Owen Collins with the Windrush 75 reading material

 

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Insect Safari Competition

Join in with our lovely mini beast themed summer competition for a chance to win one of three Corn Exchange big screen cinema passes and to see your artwork displayed in the Gallery Room.
We are inviting you to submit an A4 sized picture – drawing or painting of the most interesting insect you can find in your garden or the park.
You don’t need any special equipment to go on a bug hunt, but the items below can be very useful if you want a closer look at some of the amazing creepy crawlies that live in the garden.
Clear containers to hold them safely while you look at them. You can get specialist bug boxes but you don’t really need one to enter our competition.
A spoon or small paintbrush helps you gently collect them so they don’t get hurt when you pick them up.
A magnifying glass is great to help you see all the details.
You can look them all up on line to find out more about each of them that you find. Then choose your favourite to draw.
Some are very wriggly so taking a photo might help you to draw it and it means you can let the little creature go and paint it later.
Always put them back close to where you found them so they can find their way back to their home.
The Woodland Trust has a lovely fact sheet that can help identify some that you may come across.
Don’t forget to put your name, age and contact details on the back of your picture and send it in by post to:
Insect Safari, Witney Town Council, Town Hall, Market Square, Witney OX28 6AG
or by email to info@witney-tc.gov.uk
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SMOKE FREE PLAY PARKS COME TO WITNEY

Children in Witney can enjoy playgrounds without the risk of second-hand smoke as Oxfordshire County Council and Witney Town Council install signage with the hope of creating more smoke-free environments around the town.
Smoke free play area signage
Witney Town Council hosted a competition for local children to come up with designs for the signage. Winners were decided and the drawings were used for the main image on each of the signs, which are now being installed in 10 playparks in Witney.
Competition winners with the Mayor
  Our winners                  our winners
Councillor, Dr Ruth Smith, Leader of Witney Town Council said:
 
“We were delighted with the winning designs – the children really grasped the message. Congratulations Ayzel, Harry Ivy, Rosie, Scarlett, Theodore and Tommy.”
 
Research has found that children are four times more likely to start smoking if their parents smoke. A recent survey found that 90% of local Oxfordshire smokers agreed with the idea of creating smoke-free parks to help de-normalise smoking around children and reduce the chance of them taking it up later in life.
 
Councillor Smith continued:
 
“As vaping increases in popularity, we agree that the time is right to remind everyone that smoking and vaping where people are trying to enjoy the outdoors is not on. We hope this is a healthy message and a healthy measure for children.”
 
Councillor Michael O’Connor, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Equalities, said:
 
“Our ambition is for Oxfordshire to be a smoke-free county, which means less than five per cent of the population smoke. One of the main pillars of our Tobacco Control Strategy, which will help us to achieve this aim, is Creating Smoke-free Environments.
 
As well as helping to de-normalise smoking around children, creating these smoke-free environments will help to reduce the risk of exposure to second-hand smoke.
 
Town and parish councils are well-placed to support us in promoting smoke-free environments in our local communities. That is why we are delighted to be able to work with Witney Town Council on this project.”
 
The signage has been funded by Oxfordshire County Council’s Smoke-free Community Fund, a fund in which voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations can apply for up to £1000 to create smoke-free spaces or hold a smoke-free event. More information and application details can be found at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/smokefreeoxon
 
Oxfordshire residents can receive free support to stop smoking using the Local Stop Smoking Service, Stop for Life Oxon. More information can be found at Stop for Life Oxon’s website (www.stopforlifeoxon.org), by calling 0800 122 3790 or texting STOPOXON to 60777.
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Witney’s New Mayor

At the Annual Council meeting on Wednesday night Liz Duncan handed over the chain of Office to Witney’s new Mayor, Cllr Owen Collins. The new Deputy Mayor is Cllr Georgia Meadows.
The new Leader of the Council is Cllr, Dr Ruth Smith and Deputy Leader is Cllr Joy Aitman.
You can find out all you need to know about our new Mayor on their dedicated page and can book them for your event.
Mayor of Witney 2023-24 Councillor Owen Collins
Councillor Liz Duncan passes the Chain of Office to new Mayor, Councillor Owen Collins
Councillor Liz Duncan passes the Chain of Office to new Mayor, Councillor Owen Collins
Councillor Liz Duncan passes the Chain of Office to new Mayor, Councillor Owen Collins
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Events to Mark The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla

 

Poster displaying details of the planned events for the coronation. Full list on news post

 

👑🤴👸👑

Join us for a weekend of commemorative events celebrating the historic occasion of the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. There is something for everyone, from the chance to watch the Coronation and the Coronation Concert on the Corn Exchange big screen, to A Big Lunch in the Park, and a children’s Make & Play event.

Further details about some of the events are below:


The Coronation Screening in the Corn Exchange on the morning of Saturday 6th May will begin at 10am to include the procession to Westminster Abbey. Beforehand our Town Crier will deliver the official Coronation Cry in the Market Square at 9:45.

 

 


The Children’s Make & Play event offers the chance to create your own wooden Charles and Camilla peg dolls, finger puppets, a cardboard crown, or a red, white and blue ribbon twirler. You can take part in some colouring and puzzle activities, test your skill at sticking the gem on the crown, or dress up for some photos with our props and throne!

Poster advertising the make and play event and activities which include: Charles and Camilla wooden dolls, Paper Cut and Stick Grenadier Guard, Finger Leg Puppets, Ribbon Streamer Batons, Cardboard & Gem Crowns, Pin The Jewel on The Crown, Throne photo booth and dress up, Colouring activities, Little Wooden Crowns. Saturday 6th May 2-4 pm in the Gallery Room of the Corn Exchange


The Big Lunch at the Leys is a family friendly picnic with entertainment. Windrush Radio will be compering and broadcasting from the event. There is fun, free tennis and refreshments from the Coffee Shed, and children’s fairground rides and food stalls from Hatwell’s funfair.

Morris dancing and both broadcast music and live performances, including an Open Mic opportunity for the brave will take place in our performance area.

Thames Valley Police will be offering Cycle Security marking and generally joining in with the fun.

If you fancy learning a new skill, Witney Vikings will challenge you to the likes of football darts, and the Morris dancers may be looking to involve audiences which sounds amazing – both of these must be worth a video to capture the moment!

There are prizes for the best fancy dress for children AND adults and for those without a costume, plenty of photo opportunities, with our throne, crown cape and life size Charles and Camilla! Another chance to capture the moment.

Bring a picnic or buy some food at the event. We will be keeping our fingers crossed for good weather.


On the evening of Sunday 7th May the Corn Exchange Big Screen will be broadcasting the Coronation Concert from 8pm.

 

Aside from these weekend events we also have groups and individuals making sustainable cloth bunting to turn the town red, white and blue, we have an amazing window display of Coronation memorabilia being installed and we have schools working on commemorative book projects, so there is lots going on around the town.

Huge thanks go out to all the community groups, schools and individuals contributing to making all these events happen. We are looking forward to seeing lots of social media posts of Coronation memories. 👑🤴👸👑
#Coronation2023

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Tower Hill Cemetery Wildflower Bank Restoration Project

Witney Town Council is working with the Rotary Club of Witney to rejuvenate the wild bank behind the chapel in Tower Hill Cemetery.

Steep banks that slope, as this one does, pose particular challenges. Routine maintenance such as mowing cannot be carried out with conventional mowers and watering is a problem due to run off. The trees that line the path above the bank shade the area and drop leaves onto the bank.

Carefully selected planting, suitable for the light and soil conditions will improve the appearance of this particular area and once established, create a more attractive and easily managed space. Wildflowers grow best in low quality soil, so it’s likely that the top layer of four inches or so will be removed to reach poorer soil and remove some of the grass roots to prevent new flowers from having to compete.

Thanks to around £600, donated by Rotary Club of Witney, the Town Council has been able to purchase wildflowers in different planting media to trial on three test areas.

One area will have seeds, another some seed matting and the final area will be planted with seed plugs. The intention is to complete the work for early spring planting and flowering in summer 2023. Wildflower plantings usually take a number of years to establish properly, but the hope is that ultimately the bank will be beautifully transformed by this restoration plan.

John Summers of the Rotary Club said,

“The Rotary Club of Witney is pleased to be able to provide funds so that this project to take place, in partnership with Witney Town Council, because of the Club’s focus on the enhancement of the community and the local environment. This project is centrally located in town where the site is in need of some improvement. The steep grassy bank is difficult to maintain and appropriate wildflower meadow planting is intended to provide year-round interest and summer colour.”

Work has already begun with five members of the Rotary Club assisting on site, transplanting existing spring bulbs and perennials from the trial area, so that they will not be lost when the ground is prepared for planting the wildflowers.

The welcome offer of help from The Witney Rotary club comes from a new area of involvement for them – Environment and Community- which focuses on “supporting families and working with local government to improve where we live.”

This is the first stage of the project. The Club says it looks forward to assisting in the next stages, and is pleased to be associated with this community and environment project. The Club President, Ron Spurs, explained, “This project is exactly the type of community action that our Club thrives on”.

Cllr Ruth Smith, Chair of the Climate, Biodiversity and Planning Committee, added,

“Wild flowers cheer everyone up and this project will build more insect food and habitats into the well-loved cemetery,  which has had several successful nature enhancements in recent years. Our officers and in-house maintenance team have more expertise and flexibility than ever to respond to residents’ requests for nature-friendly management of our green spaces.”

This exciting joint project fulfils the Town Council’s desire for community engagement and partnership working and also addresses aims stated in its recently adopted Open Spaces strategy to improve biodiversity and habitat management.

The Rotary club has invited the Witney Photo Group to document the project as it unfolds.

Gardeners with spades on grass

Volunteers from Rotary transplanting Primroses from the test areas

 

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Witney Town Council Partners with Witney Music Festival

On Thursday 16th March Witney Town Council and the Witney Music Festival Festival signed a partnership agreement that will see the Town Council providing core sponsorship and free use of The Leys to facilitate the Musical Festival each year.

Cllr Vicky Gwatkin explains the importance of partnership working to deliver community action events and projects,
“Our new partnerships are about recognising what we value as a town council whilst appreciating that others may be much better placed to deliver it. We are privileged to have many organisations which form part of the fabric of life in Witney and offer wide ranging community benefits. These are run by people who are passionate about what they do and have a wealth of talent and expertise.
The partnerships are a formal way for the Town Council to acknowledge the role these organisations play and let them know we are keen to work with them to help them develop and achieve their objectives. It is a rejection of the ‘them and us’ and we hope it brings everyone round the table with the same positive mindset to work collectively in the best interests of Witney.
We plan to roll this scheme out further over the coming years.”
The Festival showcases headline artists but also supports local musicians and their Mission Statement and Vision focus on ‘Building community through music’. They seek to provide opportunities and to inspire young musicians and performers.
Representatives from Witney Town Council and the Witney Music Festival sign the partnership agreement
Representatives from Witney Town Council and the Witney Music Festival sign the partnership agreement
Eric Marshall is Chairman of the Witney Music Festival. He echoed the significance of the partnership,
“The Witney Music Festival team are hugely grateful to Witney Town Council for this new partnership which will help secure the festival for the future. The festival is so much more than the two days, it involves the community on so many levels: artists, suppliers, local businesses and all the people of Witney who attend.
In the establishment of this agreement the Town Council have shown their commitment to the town they represent and the WMF are proud to now be working alongside the Witney Town Council to deliver this celebration of all that’s good in Witney for years to come.”
Chair of the Stronger Communities Committee, Cllr Owen Collins added;
“I’m absolutely delighted that Witney Town Council has entered into this new partnership with Witney Music Festival, which should safeguard the future of the festival for years to come, as well as allowing it to grow even further.
The WMF has been one of the jewels in Witney’s crown for years, and the town owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the volunteers that make it possible. They help keep music, arts and culture front and centre of our community, a vision which the Town Council share wholeheartedly. This new formal agreement will mean that the people of Witney, its plectrummed plethora of musicians, and its fantastic local businesses, will all continue to enjoy the many benefits of this brilliant event.”
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Witney Parkrun Agreement Extended

Witney Town Council is pleased to be able to support the extension of an agreement to permit Witney parkrun to continue using West Witney sports ground for a further four years.
Runners on a track
Witney Parkrun ticks a lot of boxes for our residents. It’s free, friendly, inclusive and provides a fun challenge that is suitable for runners of all ages and abilities. For many it is a chance to socialise and for others it has a positive impact on their physical health and mental wellbeing.

Cllr Vicky Gwatkin, Chair of the Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee said,

“The success of Parkrun in Witney is a credit to the volunteers who organise and manage it week in week out. Beyond the obvious physical benefits, it has proved its value to our community during the Covid lockdowns and continues to support mental wellbeing, social interaction and provide volunteer opportunities for everyone.
We are immensely proud that Witney parkrun is our parkrun, and so pleased we have been able to offer an extended license in the hope it will continue for many years to come.”

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Smoke Free Play Poster Competition Template

SMOKE FREE PLAY AREAS – DESIGN A SIGN COMPTETITION
Can your child help Witney Town Council to create smoke free play areas by designing a sign for your local park?
We are challenging our young people to produce attention grabbing images and thought-provoking language to promote a healthy, active, and positive smoke-free message.
Children copy what they see, so making parks and playgrounds smoke-free will take smoking and vaping out of sight of children and make it seem less of a normal activity, in the hope that fewer children will go on to smoke or vape themselves.
It is hoped that the project, in partnership with Smoke Free Oxfordshire, will produce a set of colourful and eye-catching posters, which will be installed across our parks and play areas.
How to enter
• Your design should be bright and colourful to attract attention. You could include words such as “smoke free zone”, “please smoke or vape outside our park”, “Proud to be a smoke free park” – or any other words you think will get the message out!
• The competition is open to any child currently at Primary School in Witney and we also welcome entries from children enrolled in Witney community groups, such as Brownies, Beavers and others, as well as entries from primary age children resident in Witney.
• Entries can be submitted by email, post or delivered to the Town Council office. You can use our Smoke Free Play Areas Competition entry form, or you can simply draw a square on a sheet of A4 paper.
Please submit your entries to: info@witney-tc.gov.uk or Witney Town Council, Town Hall, Market Square, Witney OX28 6AG. Don’t forget to include your name, age, school, and your contact details with the artwork. The closing date is Friday 14 April at 12pm.
Here are some examples done by Oxford school children for smoke free school gates to get you inspired!
Child's drawing of smoke free play with children and planet earth Child's drawing of smoke free play with people and rainbow
More information for the Grown-Ups
Witney Town Council is introducing a new smoke free policy in its play areas. This will improve the health of those using the play areas.
Reasons why the Town Council has chosen smoke free play areas include: –
• Teachers, parents, guardians and other adults have an important role in influencing the attitudes and smoking behaviour of children and young people.
• Three out of four children are aware of cigarettes before they reach the age of five. Evidence tells us that children are less likely to start smoking if they do not see it.
• Two thirds of smokers (two out of every three smokers) say they began smoking before the age of 18. Those who start smoking before the age of 16 are twice as likely to continue to smoke compared to those who begin later in life, and they are more likely to become heavier smokers.
• Becoming smoke free protects children from the harms linked to smoking: – Across Oxfordshire 886 children take up smoking a year. This increases their chances of many preventable illnesses such as cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, strokes and cardiovascular disease.
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SPRING 2023 NEWSLETTER & RESIDENTS SATISFACTION SURVEY,

SPRING 2023 NEWSLETTER RESIDENTS SATISFACTION SURVEY, PRECEPT AND BUDGET INFORMATION
All our budget information can be found in the latest edition of the Witney Town Council Newsletter which is being delivered to all the homes in Witney. There is also news about the Annual Town meeting and the annual survey to find out what you think about the Town Council Services and to gather feedback from you. If you want to be even more involved there is information about becoming a town councillor.
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New Hedgerow planned for Snipe Meadow

John has begun work on preparing a ditch ahead of planting planned for Saturday 25th March.
One thousand whips with stakes and protection will create a 200m stretch of new hedgerow. Snipe Meadow is part of Witney Lake and Country Park.
Creating a ditch in Snipe Meadow
Our Ranger will need around 20 volunteers across the day between 9am and 4pm. If you can give even an hour of your time that would be really helpful. He already has a number of willing volunteers so don’t miss your chance to take part in this exciting nature project.
You will need to wear strong footwear and clothes that you do not mind getting dirty.
Training, Health and safety information and spades will be provided. You can bring your own lucky spade if you prefer!
If you are keen to come along just drop an email to Carl ranger@witney-tc.gov.uk and let him know what time you can come and how long for.
Got Questions? Give Carl a call on 07774 665340
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