We were pleased last month to welcome back some of the members of our congregation and one or two new ones.

This Sunday, the fifth in the month, the service of Holy Communion is here at St Giles at 10.30.

If possible, please let me know if you are going to come.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Pat

[email protected]  01367 241632

Defibrillators save lives.
 
Estimates vary, but fewer than 1 in 10 people in the UK survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The chances of survival increase from around 6% to 75% if a defibrillator is available. For every minute someone is in cardiac arrest without CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) and access to a defibrillator their chance of survival drops by up to 10%.
 
Why does Great Coxwell need one?
 
The risk of heart disease such as the heart stopping (cardiac arrest) or having a dangerously abnormal rhythm (cardiac arrythmia) increases with age.  These conditions can be improved or rectified by defibrillation and lives can be saved. 
 
Data from a 2019 survey indicate that there are at least 150 parishioners over the age of 60 in Great Coxwell. Furthermore, the popularity of the National Trust's Great Barn and events such as the monthly teas and Art Week attract many visitors to the village thereby further increasing the risk of the incidence of an acute episode of life-threatening heart disease.
 
Defibrillators are a common sight in towns, retail outlets, leisure centres and in villages. In Oxfordshire, local to Great Coxwell, they can be found in many local villages. 
 
There is an urgent need for Great Coxwell to acquire and install its own device. The nearest ones to the village are found outside the Little Eagle pub in Little Coxwell (0.71 miles) and the Faringdon Community College (1.06 miles).  Fetching a device from either of these locations if someone suffers a heart attack in the village could lead to a potentially fatal delay.  Furthermore, some devices only work within 250-1000 metres of their cabinet and so it is possible that these devices might not be operable, even if bought back to Great Coxwell in time.
 
Where will it be sited?
 
The Parish Council has kindly agreed that the defibrillator can be sited on the outside wall of the Parish Reading Room.
 
What happens if we need to use it?
 
If someone collapses, is a funny colour or you can’t find a heart-beat or pulse:
Call 999, start CPR, send someone to fetch the defibrillator; listen to the ambulance service’s advice and follow the instructions on the device.  The in-built computer software in the defibrillator will prevent the machine from administering a shock unless it is indicated.

Will we need trained operators to use it?

No formal training is required by anyone using the defibrillator as the device provides instructions on its use and it will always be used under the supervision of the ambulance service (see above).  However, some providers of defibrillating equipment will provide free First Aid training as part of their ‘package’ to communities, and we have also identified experienced First Aid trainers who live locally and may be able to arrange training sessions with them for parishioners who wish to undertake it. 

Who’ll look after it?

We have a group of 10 local volunteers who are willing to help with the weekly checks on the device and the monthly on-line returns to the ambulance service.  (There are plenty of people who support the project and are willing to help.  Karen and Ian Mason, from Orchard End will coordinate the team of volunteers to ensure that there is always adequate cover.)
 
What about running costs and maintenance?

The maintenance costs for the device are extremely small.  The electricity costs are negligible - around £3.00 per annum and the Parish Council has kindly agreed to cover this amount.  The batteries need to be replaced roughly once every 5 years – and usually after each use - and cost around £170. The pads and other consumables need to be replaced every two to five years, depending on the defibrillator model – and after any use - and the cost is around £80. 
 
How you can help:

We are aiming to raise £1600 for the purchase of a defibrillator for Great Coxwell.  The Parish Community fund has pledged £500 towards this project and we have already received several generous pledges from local residents towards the scheme.  The Parish Council has agreed to pay for the electrical installation costs.  However, we are still some way from achieving our target.
Please consider supporting this valuable, potentially life-saving initiative. The crowd-funding bank account details are: Account name: ‘Miss Pamela Holley’; Sort code: 40-18-37; Account number: 41390872.   Don’t forget to add your name as a reference so we know who the money’s from.  Or you can drop cheque off here at Orchard End, if you prefer.  (With thanks to Pam for setting up this dedicated account to hold the funds)

(In the event that donations exceed our target, £500 will be retained for running costs, consumables and maintenance of the device for the next 5 years and the balance will be transferred to the Parish Community Fund to enable them to continue to support worthwhile projects and events within our community.)
 
Thank you in anticipation of your support
 
Ian & Karen Mason
 
For more details about the defibrillator project contact Ian & Karen Mason at Orchard End ([email protected])
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Dear friends, 

Thank you so much for your support for the project.

The auction just closed and the land was sold for £116,000, so we were outbid by a huge margin. 

We're so sad about the result but so glad that you were so amazing in your response.  Raising £59,000 in just a few days was truly spectacular.

It's certainly heartening to know that there are so many people who care so much for wildlife that they're willing to help a little community, sometimes from the other side of the world! We'll do what we can to work with the new owners to protect the site.

We will close the crowdfunder in a moment and your fantastic pledges will be refunded. The crowdfunder site says that refunds should be processed within 5 working days, so please keep an eye out.

Thanks again for your support. It's made us all the more determined to do what we can to make our little patch of the world greener.

Best wishes,
"Greener Great Coxwell"
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The following documents have been added to the website:

Parish Council Meeting Minutes - May 24th 2021
District Councillor Report - May 2021
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I came across this and thought others might find it of interest, some of the facts seem a little out but may be the result of keying in the data - for example:

"The village, which contains few houses of interest, straggles down half a mile of a lane running south from the Highworth road. The church of St. Giles lies back from the road near the southern extremity, the school being further north. A little beyond is the Independent chapel, built in 1875. The reading room was opened in 1801, the site having been given by the late the Hon. Duncombe Pleydell-Bouverie."

For 1801 we can read 1901, the description otherwise seems a little harsh.

There is a long description of the Church and the local name Webb crops up a couple of time.

If you have anything to add, let me know at [email protected].

Citation:
'Parishes: Great Coxwell', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London, 1924), pp. 487-489. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4/pp487-489.
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Dear friends,
 
Thank you for your wonderful support so far! 
 
We've reached £30,000 in pledges in just a few days, so we're half way to our target.
 
We'd like to invite you to an informal online Q&A about our proposals on Monday 24 May (next Monday), 8.00-9.00pm. We'll report on progress, answer questions, and we'd love to hear your ideas. Just click here to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81418894165 
 
Alternatively, you can find our contact details in the attachment if you'd like to talk separately. Please do let us know if you'd like to support the project.
 
Thank you again.

You can find out all about the project here.​

The following documents have been added to the website:

Annual Parish Council Meeting Agenda - May 2021

Please take time to read the attached which provides full details of the opportunity for the village to acquire some green space, more information can also be found on the crowd funding page.
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The meeting will start at 2.30pm.  The speaker will be Dr David Jones who will talk about The Ecology of Earthworms.  Dr Jones is one of our most popular speakers; working at the National History Museum in London, he lectures at Imperial College.   As an entomologist he specialises in soil ecology; during this talk he will address issues such as how many native species of earthworms there are in Britain, what do they eat, and how do they contribute to soil processes and the ecosystem health.  He will reveal some of the fascinating secrets about earthworms and their role in temperate habitats.
U3A members will be sent the Zoom link a few days before the talk.
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