Community Awards 2006 Nominees

Cherwell District Council

Community Group of the Year
(Sponsored by Cherwell District Council)

Age Concern Banbury
Age Concern Banbury has been active in the town for the past three decades. Ninety-year-old Norman Claridge has been using the service since November, and says it had transformed his life.

He said: “They have been very good to me. My neighbour used to take me shopping once a week but when he fell ill he couldn’t do it any more. The people at Age Concern recommended I try the home delivery service run by the Co-op in Kidlington, which has really made things easier. Without it I wouldn’t be able to eat!”

Mr Claridge receives a monthly home visit from Age Concern field worker Neville Halford.

It was Mr Halford who nominated the charity. He has been working for Age Concern for ten years and spends 40 hours a week of his time caring for others.

Age Concern puts on daily transport to take elderly people out for lunchtime and evening social events, and Mr Halford said the personal touch offered by the charity was the key to its success.

He explained: “Age Concern is the only organisation that actually goes out to see older people rather than simply dealing with them over the phone. It’s a very enjoyable job and I’m lucky to do it.”


Hook Norton Care Group
A WIDOW has praised a community group for acting as a lifeline for older people.

Since breaking her hip two years ago Gweneth Edgington has struggled getting about in Hook Norton.

But thanks to the Hook Norton Care Group which offers company, food and entertainment to older people on a weekly basis, she can still meet and chat to friends and remain very much part of the community.
“ It’s been so good to me,” said the 84-year-old, who used to be parish councillor, church warden and member of the village’s horticultural society. “Everybody, volunteer and guest alike, is so friendly and genuinely concerned for each other.”

The group meets in Hook Norton’s Baptist Hall every Monday and currently has 16 members, who pay £4 a visit. Activities include quizzes, bingo, guest speakers and trips out.

The Rev John Taylor is a main organiser along with paid staff Rosemary Allen and Pat Stratford, and overall there are about 40 volunteers who help out.

“ Quite a few of our members wouldn’t be able to get out on their own and there’s nothing really like it in the village, it’s a bit of a lifeline,” said Mr Taylor.

“In today’s society old people do get a bit forgotten and pushed to the sidelines which is wrong. Older people are individuals in their own right and have a valuable contribution to make to society.”

Volunteer Respite Service
BEING a carer is a 24-hour job few people are prepared for.

For some, like those whose partner or parent develops a degenerative disease like Alzheimer’s, it is a responsibility that increases gradually.

For others, those who have to look after a stroke victim, for example, it can present a very sudden and unexpected change in lifestyle with demands for round-the-clock caring.

Whichever way the responsibility falls upon someone, the relief when a dedicated and knowledgeable person offers to take over for a while can make a huge difference.

A Banbury volunteer group which can provide invaluable respite opportunities for this dedicated band of individuals is The Volunteer Respite Service.

It has been nominated by Elaine Gilbert who, as a project co-ordinator for the North Oxon Carer’s Centre, knows only too well what having a few hours off can mean to those with a disabled or sick dependent.

“Those who are part of the Volunteer Respite Service sit with and befriend the cared-for person while the carer takes a break from their very demanding role,” she said.

“ The carer may choose to catch up on some shopping, go swimming or for a coffee with a friend. The break can often help the carer avoid reaching crisis point.”

Mrs Gilbert said another valuable element of the service is that it provides an opportunity to note the wellbeing of the carer and the cared-for person.

Banbury Bulldogs Skater Hockey Club’s Pee Wee Team
THE Banbury Bulldogs Skater Hockey Club’s Pee Wee Team has been nominated thanks to their impressive skill and success on the court over the past few years.

The Bulldogs began life in 1999 as the Cavalier Skater Hockey Club and the squad was founded by Darren Capel. Its original base was at an army camp in Kineton, but it has since moved to Spiceball Park Sports Centre in Banbury and in the intervening period its popularity has blossomed.

Last year the Pee Wee team, established in 2002, was one of just 12 squads across the country to qualify to take part in the prestigious Skater Hockey National Tournament held in Devon.

In spite of the fact they were the smallest team in the national competition, the Bulldogs pulled out all the stops during the tournament to clinch ninth place overall, much to the delight of club secretary Carolyn Capel, wife of Darren.

Mrs Capel’s two sons Adam and Ricci both play for the Bulldogs in the Southern Area Skater Hockey League (SASH).

Mrs Capel said: “The sport requires a lot of skill. It’s like ice hockey but on roller blades. We now have more than 50 members aged five and above.

“Without the support of the parents and committee within the Banbury Bulldogs the team would not have come as far as they have. We are very proud of their achievements.”

Home Start Banbury and Chipping Norton
HOME Start Banbury and Chipping Norton provides friendship and support to families with at least one child under the age of five.
Voluntary staff visit families in their own home on a weekly basis to play with the children, chat to parents or offer advice on any issues which are concerning the family.

Deborah Hayter, chairman of the Home Start management committee, said: “Home Start volunteers give up their time every week to befriend and help families with young children who are having difficulties. They are an absolutely fantastic bunch.”
Mrs Hayter previously worked as a volunteer herself and got involved because she wanted to give something back to the community.

Mrs Hayter added: “Having had young children myself I know how difficult being a parent can be. But I think all the volunteers will agree it’s really good fun.”

The charity’s 37 volunteers have supported 84 families over the last year.

The volunteers are selected for their friendliness and understanding and undergo an eight week training course.

The organisation is based at the Britannia Road Family Centre, Grove Street, Banbury.

Banbury and District Canoe Club
BANBURY and District Canoe Club, which became only the fourth club in the country to achieve Sport England’s Clubmark award, plus the Top Community Club and Top Performance Club awards in October, boasts members ranging from seven years old to 70.
The club has a number of international paddlers, as well as national champions.

The club’s paddlesport officer Dom Murphy said: “We’re a small club and we punch above our weight. We’re a very competitive racing club and match the biggest clubs in the country. We’ve got three junior internationals and four in a development squad.

“ The people at the club are incredibly hard working and a lot of people put a lot of effort into it.”

The club has done outreach work in schools and with youth groups, as well as running regular beginner courses for both adults and juniors.

An important aspect of the club is the hard work put in by members, many of whom have been encouraged to become coaches, giving the club one of the highest coach uptakes of any canoe club in the country.

Bloxham Village Museum
PETER Barwell, nominator and registrar at Bloxham Village Museum, says his 100-strong team of helpers is making a really positive contribution to the surrounding community.

The museum has recently undergone two years of repairs using Lottery grants and donations which has seen structural alterations and a new tiled floor.

Mr Barwell says the change has brought in new visitors and has given the museum team a new lease of life in the work it is doing.
He said: “The museum is run for the community, by the community and with the community. All the renovation work has been carried out with the help of local.”

Bloxham Village Museum houses more than 5,000 items and is open every Sunday from 2.30 to 5.30pm.

Mr Barwell said: “We want people to enjoy the museum and it is all done for the people of Bloxham.

“ But we also encourage people from overseas to come and visit us; especially those who have a connection with Bloxham from the past.

“ It’s our policy to share the work here and ages of our helpers range between 50 and 90.”

The museum was first set up about 26 years ago to display items used or donated by people living in the area.

Its continued value as a community group has been highlighted by Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum which donated a new set of show cases, and a Lottery grant used to lay a new tile floor.

Chipping Norton Lido Ltd
AGAINST the odds, Chipping Norton Lido Ltd has succeeded in keeping the town’s much-loved pool open after West Oxfordshire District Council withdrew funding at the end of 2004.

Last year the group won Fundraiser of the Year category in the community awards for its Keep Our Pool Open (KOPO) campaign and now the group, renamed Chipping Norton Lido Ltd, is hoping its continuing efforts will be recognised.

Trustee and nominator Claire Jarvis said: “What has been achieved at the lido has been achieved by the community.

“ Running a public swimming pool is a huge challenge and people here have been willing to take on responsibility for health and safety, understanding insurance, legal employment and running training programmes for lifeguards.

“ None of us had experience of any of this in the past and it is a huge amount of work.”

Chipping Norton Lido is run by a group of eight volunteer directors. In its first season of independent operation it increased turnover by 20 per cent with the number of swims at 16,000.

Ms Jarvis said: “In addition to playing an important role in the social and cultural life of Chipping Norton, the lido provides employment for 25 people and also offers training to its employees.”

Banbury and District Community Bus Project
A VOLUNTARY organisation which was crowned Rural Project of the Year last year will be hoping for a second year's success.

The Banbury and District Community Bus Project (BDCBP) has been put forward for Community Group of the Year in our 2006 awards.

Project co-ordinator Sharon Barrett said the nomination confirmed that the project's work was appreciated in the community.

The community bus travels to rural areas to offer services such as Ofsted registered child care, computer facilites and coffee mornings to encourage people to come together and socialise.

Only recently the future of the bus was secured for the next three years with the awarding of a second Lottery grant to continue to provide the bus with its main source of funding.

Based at the East Street Centre in Grimsbury, it was nominated by regular bus user Elizabeth Langton of Woodford Halse who has been enjoying the bus facilities for about two years.

She said: “A lot of work has been done to secure funding for children in the next few years to enjoy this resource as much as the children who presently use the bus.

“The bus has made a huge impact within the community and it would be great to see the team's efforts recognised.