Archive for the ‘Local News’ Category

BT has launched its ‘Race to Infinity’ initiative to provide a better, faster, improved service to smaller communities, which show support to improve communications.  Residents and businesses are being urged to register their ‘vote’ on the bespoke BT website for the “Turgis Green” exchange that serves Bramley, Sherfield On Loddon and the surrounding areas.  By entering your postcode and telephone number you can add your support to the race to infinity for our area.  The top five will have their exchanges upgraded.  A minimum of 1000 votes and votes need to be registered before 31st December 2010.  http://www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/
Bramley and the surrounding areas currently have 404 votes (15.58%) out of 2593 lines (as of 11th December at 16:51)
The league table can be seen here http://racetoinfinityandbeyond.veadas.net/league (and you should see our current status below).

This has many benefits for our communities.  Including: Improved business communications, better school facilities and streaming web content for everybody.

Please add your vote now! All votes must be made by the 31st December !!

Remember, we need a 1000 votes before we are even considered. At the moment, 64% of our area will rank us number 5, so we really need over 1282 votes to get into the top five. That shouldn’t be too hard for our area, so pass on the message to your neighbours. We have a great opportunity to make a difference to our broadband, let’s make the most of it.

Hampshire Police Authority is an independent body made up of local people, who’s role it is to make sure that Hampshire Constabulary operates efficiently and effectively and gives best value to local people. The Authority in consultation with the Chief Constable, sets the strategic direction of Hampshire Constabulary and holds the Chief Constable to account on behalf of local communities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Police Authority has a statutory duty to consult with communities on policing issues to inform policing priorities for the future.

The Authority would like to invite members of the rural community to a focus group event that it is holding on Wednesday 06th October in Winchester to listen to and understand the policing priorities of the rural community. The event will provide an opportunity for community members to share their own personal experiences of policing in the two counties. The event will take place at our offices in Winchester (the full postal address is below), beginning at 18:30 for a 19:00 start and should conclude by 21:00.

The Authority will be more than happy to reimburse any costs of attending the event on the day but you will be required to provide a receipt as proof.
If you are interest in attending this event please could you confirm your attendance by e-mail to me ASAP (no later than Friday 17th September).

My e-mail address is below: –
[email protected]

Tel:  019 6287 1680

Could you also let me know if you have any access or dietary requirements (a small buffet will be provided on the night), we have limited space so places will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

Thank you
RK Pathak

POSTAL ADDRESS: –
Hampshire Police Authority
Westgate Chambers
Staple Gardens
Winchester
SO23 8AW

Some of you may remember the spectacle of some transformers being delivered to Bramley some time ago. This Saturday and Sunday there are due to be further movements which will require the road through Bramley to be closed. The lorry approaches from the Tadley end.

The timetable is:

• Saturday 31^st July, 9:30am, the load will leave Bramley sub station
• Sunday 1^st August, 9:30am leaving from Southampton Port towards Bramley (the load should arrive at Aldermaston Road at about 1:00pm)

On the next page, you’ll find some more pictures from the last visit !

A ginger and white tom cat has been missing from the Bramley Green area since July 7th. He’s a short haired neutered male who is micro-chipped. Details are also available on AnimalSearchUK at http://www.animalsearchuk.co.uk/view_lost_pet.php?id=18931

He is ginger down his head, back and tail (although the tail goes ‘dusty’ towards the end) He has a ginger splodge about thumb size on the right hand side of his nose, and white on his stomach and down his legs. He is a very friendly and purrs like a derailing train and is terribly missed.

If anyone has seen or found a cat matching this description please use the contact form and we’ll pass the message on to the owners.

Note: The owners are offering a reward of £100 for information leading to his safe return.

Between April 16th to April 18th 2010, the worlds biggest fundraising swim took place  at over 500 pools around the UK.

Swimathon provides motivation and a personal challenge to swimmers nationwide.  It also offers a goal to train for, a target to achieve and a great cause to support.

Duncan Goodhew, Olympic gold medallist and Swimathon President.

Swimathon History

• Swimathon launched in 1986
• Over £32 million has been fundraised for various charities
• ½ million swimmers have taken part

Bramley resident Zoe Sadler of Farriers Close, a 36 year old mother of two took part in this years challenge despite finding it personally demanding, and did so because of ‘the cause’.

Read the rest of this entry »

Back in 1991, whilst Mark I’Anson was serving in the Army, the last thing he wanted to see after he left the aeroplane was his parachute failing to open correctly. Hitting the ground at over 30mph left him with a dislocated hip, a ‘dodgy knee’ and a 45 minute ambulance ride to hospital with gas and air as his only painkiller.

Mark was very active before the accident; skiing, squash, water skiing and of course running, but he spent the next 10 years with a ‘dodgy knee’ and developed a catchphrase of “let’s get a cab”. Last year, Mark finally went to the doctors and asked for an operation because his knee was beginning to have a major impact on his quality of life. Three days after seeing the doctor, he was in hospital and after a successful operation, was pain free for the first time in many years.

What started as an initial visit to the gym with his wife Deborah, Mark began running once again. After running 2 miles on the treadmill and finding he was pain free, he returned the following night and did another couple of miles, and soon began returning night after night gradually building up the miles once again.

This year, Mark ran in the Virgin London Marathon and completed the course in an official time of 5hrs 25mins. You can read his personal account of his marathon adventures later on in this article. Read the rest of this entry »

Bramley Parish Council – April 2010 – Jane Payne

All change at Bramley Parish Council! With two Councillors standing down and another looking to move out of the village anybody who’s ever considered standing for the first tier of local government should apply now. Eligibility criteria have been posted on each of the village notice-boards and applications should be made to the Parish Clerk (email [email protected] or 01256 883734); any of the currently serving Councillors will be happy to discuss the role with potential applicants. After a number of years admirably serving the Parish Council Gill Fowler has decided to relinquish the role of Parish Clerk. Councillors are very sad to see Gill leave and anybody interested in applying for this part-time, salaried role, should apply to the Council by 22nd May. More information can be obtained from Gill (email [email protected] or 01256 883734).

There were few other new topics discussed at the meeting. Councillors had previously agreed to review how future requests for donations should be handled and a new draft proforma has been circulated for comment to ensure consistency in the process. The proforma should ensure that funds are directed for the benefit of Bramley residents and groups and not simply to any group that might apply.

Looking to the future Cllr John Ferguson has solicited the assistance of B&DBC to help produce a feasibility study looking at ‘Community Facilities’ for the village. Up to £10,000 will be set aside from community funds to ensure that this exercise is professionally run and to ensure that any proposals are properly evidenced. Cllrs Ferguson, Wood and Payne will discuss the Parish Council’s initial thoughts with the Village Hall Trustees at their April meeting.

Full meeting minutes are available on notice boards, at the Post Office and on the village website (www.bramleyhampshire-pc.gov.uk). The next Parish Council meeting is on Monday 17th May, 7.30pm at the Village Hall.

For more information please visit the following links:

• Bramley Parish Council Agendas and Minutes
• Bramley Parish Council Meeting Notes

Please can you help us find our cat, who went missing a fortnight ago. He has been seen around Coopers Lane, but could have wandered off somewhere else by now. If you see him, could you call me (Rich) on 07786 548974, and we’ll come and get him.

He’s a fairly sleek looking grey cat, without a collar, called Schumie ("Shoo-mee"), and is cautious but inquisitive!

We all miss him, but especially our daughter, so any help is appreciated.

The picture below is not Schumie, but apparently is a good likeness. Please keep on the look out for him. With the warmer weather, he may have walked into a garage/shed whilst you’ve had it open to get the lawn mower out for the 1st time this year. Have a check in any lockups you have just in case".

There are a couple of vacancies on the Bramley Parish Council.

• Parish Councillor
• Parish Clerk

Read the rest of this entry »

Community Responders have been operating in Hampshire for over 10 years and there are now over 600 active Responders across the County. Community Responders are volunteers who give their time freely to help save lives in their community. They are trained by South Central Ambulance Service in basic life support, the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and the treatment and control of a wide range of potentially life threatening conditions.

Community Responders are dispatched by the Ambulance Service Emergency Operations Centre to appropriate life threatening incidents in their community. They operate within small distinct areas and so can often be at the patients’ side in under 5 minutes, providing vital medical care and reassurance. In cases of cardiac arrest, without defibrillation, the patients’ chances of survival decreases by up to 14% for every minute that goes by so early defibrillation is vital. Community Responders are trained to use Automatic External Defibrillators that can provide this vital intervention. Community responders are always backed up by the nearest available ambulance resource.

All applicants for this role will need to meet the following criteria:

• Be over 18
• Hold a current Driving Licence
• Be of good health and character

Responders attend incidents in their own car under normal driving conditions and will not be permitted or trained to attend incidents under emergency driving conditions.

If you are interested in becoming a Community Responder in Bramley/Sherfield on Loddon or would like further information, please contact the ambulance service directly at:

Community Responders
South Central Ambulance Service
Freepost (Licence No. RSAH-SGUZ-UZZE)
Winchester
SO21 2RU
Tel: 01962 898090
Email : [email protected]

You can also download an application form and view the 2004 Handbook on the Community Responders website