The B3400, Whitchurch to Andover road, is currently closed west of Hurstbourne Priors.
Works are required by Southern Water as an “Emergency Repair to Rising Main” to the Carriageway and verge opposite manor Farm at Hurstbourne Priors and are listed as taking from 14th May to 23rd May, although dates may change as work proceeds.
Alternative routes should be taken.
This post is too short and must be extended.
This post is too short and must be extended.
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The ‘WHITCHURCH RAINBOW TRAIL No.2’ has been launched.
This activity that combines exercise for young children and a pleasant family activity in these tough times has been enjoyed by many – and it is so simple.
The start is in Newbury Street (no.27 – the house with all the pictures in the windows – just up the hill from The Square, a few yards on the left).
Just follow the Trail of Rainbow Pots and collect the stickers. Place the pot back, give a Big Smile, and continue the trail.
Remember to take your hand sanitiser with you and stay safe.
The directions are in the sheet that can be downloaded and printed off here – and there are a few at the start if needed.DOWNLOAD the Trail HERE Rainbow pots trail 02
ENJOY
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From Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Overview of government guidance updates
The Prime Minister’s address to the country yesterday about the restrictions in response to the coronavirus epidemic has been followed by more guidance and announcements today
The address gave a high level overview of the Government’s ‘roadmap’ for reopening society and the economy and taking the first steps to modify the lockdown measures. Today the government’s full COVID-19 recovery strategy has been published.
General guidance on the gov.uk website has also been amended to reflect the changes around the restrictions, the key points of which, announced yesterday and today, are outlined below.
General points:
A new Covid Alert System has been set up with five alert levels, five being the most severe and one meaning the disease is no longer present in the UK. The current status is level four, but about to decrease to level three (definitions of all levels still to be published);This is not the time to end the lockdown but there is a change in emphasis to “Stay Alert, Control the Virus, and Save Lives” – a move away from “Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives”;There are six new principles:Stay at home as much as possible;Work from home if you can;Limit contact with other people;Keep your distance if you go out (two metres apart if possible);Wash your hands regularly;Self-isolate if you or anyone in your household has symptoms.Progress will be monitored locally, regionally, and nationally and if there are outbreaks, or if there are problems, the Government will not hesitate to put on the brakes;
Step one – from today:
Anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work. People should work from home if they can, but, if they cannot, then they should go to work; However, people should avoid public transport if at all possible –social distancing must be maintained and so capacity on public transport will therefore be limited – this is being mitigated by measures announced by the Secretary of State for Transport on 9 May and a £2bn funding package for cycling and walking;New guidance is being issued for employers to make workplaces COVID-secure;From this Wednesday 13 May, people can sit in their local park, can drive to other destinations, and can play sports but only with members of their own household;Social distancing must be observed and fines will be increased for those who break the social distancing rules.
Today, updated guidance giving more information on the above has been published:
Staying safe outside your homeStaying alert and safe social distancing
Step two – at the earliest by 1 June:
At the earliest by 1 June, phased reopening of shops could take place; andPrimary pupils to go back to school in stages, beginning with reception, year one and year six;Secondary pupils facing exams next year should get at least some time with their teachers before the holidays.
Step three – at the earliest by July:
At the earliest by July – and subject to all these conditions and further scientific advice – if and only if the numbers support it, it is hoped that at least some of the hospitality industry could reopen, and other public places, provided they are safe and social distancing is enforced.
Today the public has also been advised to consider wearing face coverings in enclosed public spaces such as shops, trains and buses to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
More detailed guidance is expected in the coming days and weeks.
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REVIEW – THE JAM MAGAZINE
Despite the virus, one group has produced a wonderful magazine – and such a wonderful cover too expressing ‘Hope’.The Jam Magazine is the official organ of the Whitchurch United Football Club and is packed with news of the Jam Boys – the local Whitchurch football club.
“Well, where to begin? Tough one.”Pete Adams, Chairman, opens his message with “Well, where to begin? Tough one.” the season was brought to an abrupt end but there were already a host of positives to take on for when the terrible virus emergency is over. It is Peter’s last season as Chairman and over his tenure the Club has been put in a strong position with the Testbourne artificial pitch now available and the Town Council’s sports pitches nearing completion. He ends by noting that the Club needs support “to maintain the great set up”. It deserves it.
Packed with newsThe magazine runs through the opportunities and challenges that face the Club and the great camaraderie that exists within the management, coaches, supporters and the players, along with the sadness that goes with the tenure of managers Mark Whitehorn and Darren Blake coming to an end. There are also round ups from all the teams along with the success of the First Team being 8th in the league when the season regrettably ended prematurely.
New Wessex Team Secretary Peter Flint took over from Kelly Rutledge last July and has firmly established himself as strong administrator and hard worker shown my his highlight of “cutting the grass around the whole pitch with a motor mower – I will never complain about cutting my small lawn again”.
Don’t ask!
An incredible 17 youth teams – and more tooWhitchurch United is to be commended for its commitment to all levels of the game with 17 Youth teams including all ages from under 7s to under 16s, a Mini Kickers sessions for ages 4 to 6, a girls set up including Wildcat introductory sessions for girls which attract 20+ attendees, and of course the Wessex Senior side.The future looks good.The strong social and supporters activities are also highlighted, including quiz nights, race nights – and this publication wouldn’t be right without a brain teasing page of its own of its own – ‘Derek’s Quiz’.
Sadly there is an obituary to Brian Clifton who went on from Whitchurch United to play as an amateur for Southampton before turning professional and playing for Grimsby Town where he took the captain’s armband. He continued playing for various teams into his 60’s. Certainly a player to look up to. RIP Brian.
Whitchurch should be proud of its Club – its more than just football.When Derek Robins, the Under 13 Black Coach, is asked in the magazine’s Spotlight feature “Do you have any ideas on how we can improve Football at Grass Roots level?”he answers:“We need to remind kids that it is not just about winning but also friendship and fun”.
It is a philosophy that rings well; whatever the activity.
DOWNLOAD for a good read.The magazine can be downloaded here:The Jam – May 2020
——johnb
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Are you aware of anyone in the Whitchurch area who may need support?
If so please contact Whitchurch Borough Councillor Cllr.Dave.George@basingstoke.gov.uk
*********************************SAFE AND SECURE ACCOMMODATION and SUPPORT FOR ROUGH SLEEPERS.
Rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping in the borough continue to be supported following the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) thanks to the joined up approach of the Basingstoke and Deane Social Inclusion Partnership.
Safe and secure places availableFor the borough’s most vulnerable people, those known to be rough sleeping in the community, the council and partners have ensured safe and secure places are offered or available alongside the continued support of the outreach team and other services and charities within the partnership.
HomesThis accommodation includes 10 vacant homes provided by housing association VIVID, supported by church volunteers, the food bank, the night shelter, the furniture project and the outreach team Julian House to furnish the home and provide food parcels and support.
Various groups are working togetherThe Social Inclusion Partnership brings together public services, commissioned housing providers, voluntary and faith-based groups and many more with a shared aim to combat homelessness and rough sleeping in the borough.Working together with partner organisations including May Place, the Camrose Centre, Julian House outreach, medical services and citizens advice, the council is ensuring support continues for those most in need during these challenging times.
People who are concerned that a person may be rough sleeping are also asked to contact Streetlink by calling 0300 500 0914 or visiting www.streetlink.org.uk
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What are you doing for the VE Day 75th Anniversary?
If you are marking this is any way why not send a picture to us here at the community website and we could make up a gallery for posterity? Could be fun?
Decorated houses, English teas, raising a toast, flying a flag…
Let’s SHARE our good day.
Send to contact@whitchurch.org.uk
or post on our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/whitchurchhants/
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Hampshire County Council has confirmed that Household Waste Recycling Centres will re-open on Monday 11th May for those who cannot store waste safely at home.
All sites will reopen under temporary revised daily opening hours of 10am to 4pm, with the following measures in place:
Use of sites is only for essential disposal of waste whereby storing such waste causes a risk of injury or to health.As per government guidelines, residents in the specified vulnerable category (those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, people over 70 and pregnant women) are strongly advised not to visit a site.Restricted numbers of vehicles will be permitted to access the site at any one time and site staff will enforce this at the site entrance.There will be staff at the entrance to each site, wearing a body camera, to manage the flow of vehicles. Security staff will be deployed at all sites and there will be a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse.New temporary barriers will be in place at the entrance to each site and used to mark out new parking arrangements with site staff guiding vehicles, from a safe distance, into spaces.As far as possible, only one person per household should visit the HWRC.Due to social distancing measures, site staff will be unable to provide any assistance with unloading material or carrying material. Residents are asked to bring only the amount of waste they can comfortably carry and empty into containers.Trailers are not permitted. Enforcement of social distancing on site means severely reduced capacity for manoeuvring trailers. Vans should be bringing no more waste than that which would fit in an average saloon car boot.Everyone must always keep at least a two-metre distance from others at all times.Sites will accept all waste material streams, except for chargeable waste – soil, rubble, asbestos and plasterboard. However, some processors have shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and it is likely that some materials outlets may not be available in the short term. Please check the website before your visit to check if any specific material is not able to be accepted temporarily.Reuse sales areas will remain closed. Where possible, please continue to store items of furniture which could be reused, donate to local furniture charities, or use online platforms (for example, Freegle, Facebay or Gumtree). Please see the Smart Living websitefor more information on furniture reuse.
Where residents or members of their households have had COVID19 symptoms in the last 14 days, they should not travel to or enter a HWRC. After this period, any COVID-19 contaminated waste should be double bagged and put aside for 72 hours before being brought to a site.
The start date for the HWRC vehicle registration scheme has been postponed in light of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
However, the online vehicle registration system remains open in readiness for implementation later this year.
More information at: www.hants.gov.uk/recyclingcentres
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With the lockdown, use of social media and in particular Facebook has increased so here’s a look at the main Whitchurch sites that seem the most active, plus a few others.
It is a certainty that with such a list, a great many are not included – this is just a small snapshot of what we found, so PLEASE don’t shoot the Messenger if any of your favourites are missed.
Here are some of the main pages with number of followers/members (at time of writing) and a brief description.Note that some are ‘Pages‘ and some are ‘Groups‘ and the administration of each may vary, but that’s how social media works.
THE LIST
Whitchurch Hants Hampshire (c.3500)WHITCHURCH COMMUNITY WEBSITE Community WebsiteThe Town Community website (this site) is under the auspices of the charity the Whitchurch Association, and mainly covers local news and general community items submitted by residents and volunteers, as well as a town calendar.Items are usually also posted on an associated Facebook page, itself heading towards its 10th Anniversary having been launched in September 2010…..Which is…WHITCHURCH COMMUNITY Facebook (c.3500) Community PageNumbers of followers have gradually been increasing. Most of its published ‘articles’ reach 1500 – 2500 users although some are much higher, even reaching nearly 30,000 on one occasion earlier this year. It is managed and moderated wholly by volunteers and is often used by other commercial news media for sourcing content (sometimes without them asking!)
Whitchurch Nostalgia (c.2000) Private GroupWHITCHURCH NOSTALGIA FacebookFormed in December 2015 the page states “Our community is here to remember, discover and celebrate our fantastic little town! History, social history, past and near present given the amount of change that is happening.” It has a wealth of historical chatter and sharing which often puts long lost friends together and regularly raises interesting historical facts. It has just reached 2,000 members many of which are in other parts of the world.
Whitchurch (Hants) Community Live Events (c.2000) Public GroupWHITCHURCH COMMUNITY LIVE EVENTS FacebookA new kid on the block, this very new site was created as a result of COVID-19 in March 2020 and the cessation of the Whitchurch live entertainment scene along with the closure of local pubs through the lockdown.The vision is “to create virtual live local events that (logistics permitting) we will publicise and produce which you can watch and engage with live and in real time via this page. Whitchurch TV if you like”. It has been amazingly successful with quizzes, cookery, yoga, music, visits to farms, and many other activities featured on its live programme of events.
Whitchurch Families (Hampshire) (c.1500) Private GroupWHITCHURCH FAMILIES FacebookThis site was set up nearly six years ago in August 2014 to enable local parents to share information.The admin say: “This group was set up as a way for Whitchurch (Hants) parents to communicate with each other anything relevant to their children and their family and local life. From questions about potty training to recommendations about local businesses to swaps and exchanges of used items, organising play dates etc. etc.”
Whitchurch (Hants) Community Support (c.1000) Private GroupWHITCHURCH COMMUNITY SUPPORT (COVID-19) FacebookA very new group set up in March 2020 response to the Covid-19 outbreak.It says: “Please let us know if you, family members, friends or neighbours, need some assistance. We’re hoping that we can get some shopping, pick up prescriptions or run small errands during this challenging time.”It has built up a terrific network of helpers providing support to the town’s residents. If you need help this is a place to visit.
Items For Sale in Whitchurch Hants area (c.2300) Private GroupITEMS FOR SALE IN WHITCHURCH HANTS AREA FacebookA local selling group for Whitchurch, set up in July 2011.Note that due to COVID-19 great care needs to be taken when selling and buying goods.
A POT POURI:
There are many other pages and groups in Whitchurch, far too many to mention from clubs and businesses to public bodies and specialist interests.Here are just a few that we like and that fall into our Pot Pourri category:
Whitchurch Wocks Group – Hampshire (c.750) Public GroupWHITCHURCH WOCKS FacebookA fun group – Hunt for painted and decorated rocks around Whitchurch. Take a pic and upload it. Re-hide it or keep it.
Walkers are Welcome – Whitchurch, Hampshire (c.530) Community PageWALKERS ARE WELCOME FacebookA page that supports and promotes walking and the countryside as part of the national Walkers are Welcome organisation.
Wildlife of Whitchurch (c.280) Public GroupWILDLIFE OF WHITCHURCH FacebookPerhaps the newest of Whitchurch ‘sites’ formed in April 2020 it is “a forum to share photos, learn about and enjoy the wonderful wildlife of Whitchurch.” There are some nice pictures here and members share knowledge about flora and fauna.
Low Waste Whitchurch (c.260) Public GroupLOW WASTE WHITCHURCH FacebookDescribed as “a community group set up to reduce waste and persuade our local authorities to deal with the waste we can’t avoid in a more environmentally-friendly way.” Created in May 2019 it is associated with regular monthly meetings (suspended during the lockdown) but continues to share information.
Whitchurch Cycling – Hampshire (c.200) Local and TravelWHITCHURCH CYCLING FacebookA low-level site set up in October 2012 for sharing the experience of enjoying riding bikes in the country lanes, river valleys and downland of north Hampshire.
All Hallows, Whitchurch (c.200) Religious OrganisationALL HALLOWS FacebookRecently become more active since COVID-19 commenced having been quiet since its launch in September 2017. It covers the Parish Church activities but has raised its profile with its support for the wider community
WRAG – Whitchurch Residents Action Group (c.40) Private GroupWRAG FacebookThis very dedicated and focussed group was created in July 2019 to help and support protecting our green spaces. The catalyst for its formation was the threat of development on the Whitchurch Knowlings Field. The group has been created for information only.
…and there are loads and loads of others.
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