Do you like books, miss browsing in bookshops, and wish you could support local business rather than Amazon? Jake Pumphrey (Manor Cottage) has set up a new online bookshop with thousands of titles from biography to children's, fiction, history and more: https://www.billandbenbooks.co.uk/. 

​The following documents have been added to the website:

Parish Council Minutes 15th Mar 2021
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We finally feel able to open our churches and celebrate the following services for Easter:

• Sunday, 28th March Palm Sunday
  • All Saints, Coleshill  10.30am HC
• Saturday, 3rd April Easter Eve
  • St Giles, Great Coxwell  6pm HC
• Sunday, 4th April Easter Sunday
  • St Michael and All Angels, Eaton Hastings 9.00am   BCP SAID HC
  • St Mary's, Buscot 10.30am  HC

Covid regulations and the Risk Assessment of each church must be adhered to.  Communion will be celebrated at all the services but will be by wafer only, which will be brought to you in your pew.  Maureen will be the celebrant.  You are invited to attend each other's churches to help us celebrate together, although the need for social distancing will mean reduced numbers can be accommodated.  If you would like to attend any of these services, please contact the relevant churchwarden for Track and Trace purposes and to ensure there is sufficient room.

• Sue Homersham, All Saints,  Coleshill  01793 764637, homcourt@btconnect.com
• John Burrows, St Mary's, Buscot  01367 253056, john@burrows44.plus.com
  • Mervyn Humphries, St Michael and All Angels, Eaton Hastings 01367240025
• Pat Cook, St Giles, Great Coxwell 01367 241632 phemes43@gmail.com

St Giles will be open for private prayer from 10am to 4pm from Good Friday to Easter Monday.

We hope to see you at one of the services. 

In March/April each year the Electoral Roll of those who can vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) is revised. For many, being on the Electoral Roll may lead to greater involvement and support for St Giles through regular or occasional activities assisting the life and ministry of the church and/or contributing to its financial needs. All support is much appreciated.
 
More recent residents of Great Coxwell may feel that membership of the St Giles Electoral Roll is something in which you would like to participate - the two alternative qualifications for membership are that the applicant is baptised, aged 16 or over, and either is resident in the parish, or has attended a minimum of two services of public worship during the past six months or four attendances in the past year (unless there is a reason for non-attendance such as infirmity or ill health or Covid 19 regulations).

If you would like an enrolment form, please contact:

Revd Maureen Turner, Vicar, Badbury Group of Churches (revmaureen1@gmail.com) - 240875

Pat Cook, Church Warden, (phemes43@gmail.com) - 241632

or Sylvia Athawes (sylvia.athawes@btinternet.com) – 241179

Sunday 2nd May - cake delivery will be back, more details nearer the time.

Pauline
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The Marie Curie charity is organising a National Day of Reflection on Tuesday 23rd March to reflect upon the loss and grief that many people have suffered during this past year. As part of this national day, they are suggesting that we have a minutes pause at 12 noon, tie yellow ribbons onto a tree or gate, and light a candle at home at 8pm. More information can be found on their website.

In support of this, St Giles’ Church will be open on Tuesday between 10am – 4pm for private prayer and reflection. Ribbons and prayer cards will be available in the porch to use at home or in the church. Covid guidelines will still need to be adhered to, so please wear a mask, keep 2 metres distance and use the antiseptic hand wash provided.  

Ribbons may be attached to the church fence by the noticeboard or taken home to attach to a tree in your garden.  
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This is a day to Reflect, Support and Hope.
 

The Women's Institute was first set up in 1915 to give women a voice and be a force for good in the community. Today it remains a good place for women of all generations to share experiences and learn from each other. Our village WI will be celebrating its 75th anniversary next year - so now is a great time to join!

We have risen to the challenge of maintaining momentum during the pandemic, holding a picnic at the barn when it was allowed, and even managing to get together on Zoom to hear speakers, such as a representative from the Medical Detection Dogs charity. Over the next few months we have plans for further outdoor meetings as soon as it is possible - and eventually we hope to get back to our usual venue, the Reading Room, which is currently being repaired and refreshed. We are planning a talk on rewilding and trips to local attractions such as Aston Pottery - not to mention the famous village Christmas Party and many other exciting activities!

The annual membership subscription of £44 is due in April. Of this, £12.10 goes to the National Federation of Women's Institutes, £10.30 goes to the Oxfordshire Federation of WIs, and £21.60 goes to Great Coxwell WI. This money facilitates the wide range of speakers and activities that we include in the programme, as well as subsidising trips and meals out. You can pay in two ways:

• Make a cheque payable to Great Coxwell WI  and drop off to Jo Coleman at Danes House
• Pay online (please use your full name as the reference for the transfer and email joby_10@hotmail.com to let her know you have done the transfer) Account Name  - Great Coxwell WI, Sort Code –  30-93-18, Account Number   - 00077430
  

Contact Secretary Pam Holley on 07779653744 if you would like further information.

The Great Coxwell WI Committee (Pam Smith, Pam Holley, Jo Coleman, Sue Eames, Jenny Tipping, Sally Tipple and Jacqueline Pumphrey)
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Jane Holmes is planting up all sorts of things (and will be taking orders at the end of April to raise funds for St Giles). Does anyone have any old spare 6 or 8 cell bedding plant trays please? If so, please leave them in Jane's garage (pink cottage Foxley at the bottom of the village) or contact sylvia.athawes@btinternet.com if you'd like them collected. 

By now, all will be aware of the planned Steps out of Lockdown announced by Government last month.  However, I thought it might be useful to summarise them here for ease of reference.

STEP 1 (started on Monday, 8 March and 29th March)

• Schools, colleges and universities; children and students will go back.
• Children at secondary schools and colleges will be tested to see if they have COVID-19, twice a week. Teachers will also be tested.
• Meeting people outdoors:  You can go out for leisure or exercise with:
  • people in your household - this means the people you live with
  • people in your support bubble - this is when a person on their own joins up with another household.
  • 1 person who is not in your household or support bubble.

• People who live in a care home will be allowed 1 visitor.
• You should still keep 2 metres apart.

 (from Monday, 29 March)

• Meet in groups of 6 people outside, including in a private garden.
• Meet in groups of 2 households outside, including in a private garden.
• Outdoor sports places will open up again, like tennis or basketball courts, and open-air swimming pools.
• You should still stay at home as much as you can.
• You should work from home if you can.
• You won’t be able to travel abroad.

 
STEP 2 – Not before 12th April

• Shops will open including:
  • Hairdressers and nail salons
  • Libraries and community centres
  • Zoos and theme parks
  • Drive-in cinemas.

• Campsites and holiday cottages can open.
• Indoor gyms can open but you have to go on your own or with people in your household.
• Restaurants, cafes and pubs sitting at a table outside.  You should keep to people in your household or bubble.
• Up to 30 people at funeral and 15 at a wedding or an event to remember someone.
• You should still keep 2 metres apart.

 
STEP 3 (If all goes well with Step 2, Step 3 will start on May 17th)
You will be able to:

• Meet who you like outdoors.
• But you can’t meet people in a group of over 30 people.
• Restaurants, cafes and pubs will be able to serve people sitting at a table inside.
• Other indoor places will also open such as cinemas, children’s play areas, hotels and B&B’s.
• Some larger outdoor sports and shows will be able to have people watching.
• Up to 30 people will be able to go to weddings, funerals and events to remember someone.

 
STEP 4.  (If all goes well with step 3, step 4 will start on Monday 21 June.)

• It is hoped to remove all remaining rules that are stopping people from getting together.
• Nightclubs will open and large events will be able to take place.

Government will continue to assess when and where it is suitable to travel abroad.  Currently the advice is to stay at home for your vacation.
 
Future of the Great Coxwell Support Group

I hope that the Great Coxwell Support Group has been able to provide an appropriate level of support to the village during the extraordinary and challenging events of the last year.  Pauline Durham and I would like to thank the many volunteers for their contributions.  We anticipate that the Group’s work will naturally conclude in June.  However, should there be a need to re-instate the Support Group framework in the future, I am sure that it will be relatively easy to re-establish the network of volunteers once more.

Prescription Collection Faringdon and Shrivenham Surgeries
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A big thank you to Jonny Farrow for collecting prescriptions throughout the pandemic.  I am proposing that, from 17th May, the routine weekly collection of prescriptions from Faringdon and Shrivenham surgeries will cease.  However, if anyone still needs assistance with this, please let me know and I will ensure that your prescriptions are collected.  Please contact me, either by phone on 01367 240142 or email burns.amanda@btinternet.com.

Another big thank you goes to Mike and Pauline Durham who have collected vegetables, eggs and other produce for many of the village throughout the past year.  And of course, our Volunteers who have cared for many people in the Village.  What an amazing village we have!

Dearest community groups,

We have an opportunity for your volunteers who would like to earn some additional money at this years elections, 

On Thursday 6 May our residents across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse will go to the polls to vote in the Police and Crime Commissioner and Oxfordshire County Council elections.  Some areas will also have local by-elections and neighbourhood plan referendums.  The various counts will then take place over the course of the following days.  

To help ensure the smooth running of this event, we need to recruit as many people as possible.  

There’s lots of roles available, paying a flat rate or from £14 per hour, and plans are being put in place to ensure all staff can work in a covid safe environment. 

If you are interested in joining us to help out, please visit southoxon.gov.uk/electionjobs / whitehorsedc.gov.uk/electionjobs to find out more and to register your interest, and please also encourage your colleagues, friends and family to consider signing up too.

If you have any questions please email electionstaff@southandvale.gov.uk.

Finally, thank you, once again, from everyone at South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, for the work and support that you have provided in your communities throughout the last year.  Your contribution continues to benefit significant numbers throughout the district and making a real difference to many of our residents’ lives.

Many thanks

The Community Connector Team, 

COVID-19 Community Support Programme Team
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils
 
To find out more information on how we can support you, visit our dedicated South and Vale web pages.
 
Contact Centre: 01235 422600