Local News

Wendover u3a Anniversary

Wendover u3a recently celebrated its 21st Anniversary and marked the occasion by planting a tree and installing a memorial bench in Ashbrook playing field. We planted the tree on 4 October – it’s a Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), a British native. The flowers are a pollen and nectar source for pollinating insects, while the berries are eaten by several bird species. The plaque on the bench reads:

In celebration of the 21st anniversary of Wendover u3a in 2021 and in memory of those who suffered in many different ways in the Covid pandemic.

(Bench and tree photo above)

Can you help?

Do you or your friends know of a family who have recently had a baby or are about to in the next month? After 21 years of secondary school teaching; I decided to have a career change. After passing a child counselling diploma I have started an MA in child psychotherapy. As well as working on placement at a primary school and going to college once a week to learn theory, I need to complete a child observation. This involves observing a baby with their family to observe the growing relationship over two years; 80 weeks in total. I am looking for a family who have recently had a newborn or are due in the next couple of weeks.

If you know of anyone who would be interested in this unique, special experience please message nicola@sylvanwoodservices.co.uk.

Nicola Wood

Good News or Bad News?

On 2nd November I was walking down Lionel Ave and the next minute was spread-eagled face down on the pavement. I knew that I had done something to my left arm and immediately five people had gathered around me. Their kindness, care and thoughtfulness turned what could have been a nightmare into a good experience. They phoned for an ambulance, contacted my husband, kept me warm with blankets and a hot pad, and chatted to me about anything and everything. So the hour of waiting for the ambulance to arrive passed quickly and pleasantly. As one of these lovely people later said, "it was almost like a street party"!!

How kind and thoughtful most people are. I can never thank you all enough for your help to me on that day. And, in the midst of so much bad news, I wanted to share this good news with all who read it.

Oh, and what happened to me? That's the bad news! A dislocated elbow and fracture at the head of the radius! But, it WILL mend.

Glenys Newman

Covid Remembrance Tree

There was a large congregation at the Annual Memorial Service in St Mary's on Sunday 7 November. For some it was the first gathering they were able to attend because only very low numbers had been allowed at funerals. As a mark of all we had lost during the time of Covid, a Memorial Tree was planted in the Churchyard after the service.

Covid remembrance tree

Proud of Bucks Awards

The awards are open for nominations until 31 December and aim to recognise and applaud outstanding community contribution carried out by local individuals, groups and organisations.

They celebrate Buckinghamshire’s communities that have made a positive impact in their local areas. More information on the awards including how to nominate someone from your local area can be found on www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/ community-and-safety/proud-of-bucks-awards/.

Wendover Quiz

The quiz finishes after press date so more in the January 2022 Wendover News. The quarter final draw announced 15/11 featured:

Wendover Free Church A V The Old Nickers

Bookworms V St Mary’s Alpha

Wendover U3A V St Anne’s

Distilled Knowledge V Rotary

Aylesbury Nightstop

Not knowing where you are going to sleep can be terrifying and isolating. Homelessness leaves people vulnerable and makes the simplest of daily tasks a challenge. Compared to the national average, Aylesbury Vale has 22% more young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Local charity Youth Concern runs Aylesbury Nightstop. Nightstop’s aim is to prevent any young person from experiencing a homelessness crisis. Since 2012, Youth Concern have provided emergency accommodation to 150 homeless young people in Aylesbury Vale.

Nightstop offers a few nights’ short-term emergency accommodation to homeless 16 25 year olds. Trained volunteer hosts provide a safe place to sleep, a meal and a warm welcome for one young person at a time. Each young person is thoroughly assessed to ensure the safety of the host. With the basics covered, Youth Concern then works with the young homeless person on finding a longer-term housing solution, helping them get their lives back on track.

If you are welcoming, hospitable and have a spare room or access to a car, please get in touch. Thank you for helping to keep Aylesbury Vale’s young people safe at night. www.youthconcern. org.uk/what-we-do/homelessness 01296 431183 nightstop@youthconcern.org.uk

Cycling on Footpath to Vinetrees

Would cyclists please refrain from cycling on the footpath from Vinetrees to Aylesbury Road? They are a danger to pedestrians and there are clear NO CYCLING signs at both ends, in Vinetrees and on Aylesbury Road.

name and address supplied

Hospice Lottery Winter Superdraw

Local not-for-profit organisation The Hospice Lottery Partnership has launched its annual Winter Superdraw to raise much needed funds for local hospices who have all experienced an unexpected loss of income over the last eighteen months due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Tickets cost £1 each and are available to buy online at hospicelottery.org.uk/superdraw. Tickets are on sale until 4 January 2022 and the main draw takes place on 5 January 2022.

Handy Helpers Service

The Community Impact Bucks Handy Helpers project provides time-limited internal and external maintenance, preventive measures and practical tasks in and around the homes of vulnerable and infirm people who are Buckinghamshire residents, aged 65+ and infirm or below 65 and living with a disability. More information can be found on the organisation's website www.communityimpactbucks.org.uk.

Library Charity Golf Day

The Wendover Community Library Charity Golf Day at Whiteleaf Golf Club is probably the Friends of Wendover Library's biggest fundraising event every year and this year was no exception. The generosity of the golfers resulted in over £1800 being raised by the event which will go to improving the facilities in the library.

Double whammy for Ashridge Home Care

Shortlisted at SME National Business Awards The Amersham-based home care provider is shortlisted in two categories at the fifth annual SME Business Awards - Best Employer of the Year and Service Excellence. The awards recognise industrious, hardworking and enterprising SME’s (Small and medium enterprises) nationally and culminate in a Grand Final at Wembley on Friday 3 December. See advert page 24.

Charity Concert

Aylesbury Vale Concert Orchestra with guest performer, international virtuoso guitarist Xuefei Yang, will present a concert with a Spanish flair in aid of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre 27 February 2022. Booking on atgtickets.com/aylesbury.

Country to Capital Ultra Marathon 2022

The 14th running of the Country to Capital will start at the Shoulder of Mutton Pub at 8.45am on Saturday 8 January. There will be a temporary traffic restriction order from 8.40am to 8.55am for the High Street above Station Approach and down to the Clocktower roundabout.

Overnight Road Closures - A413

Topographical surveys for HS2 are expected to be completed overnight, see also EKFB article, page 15: Phase 1 - Mon 22-Sun 28 Nov, 9pm-5am. Phase 2 - Mon 29 Nov- Sun 5 Dec, 9pm-5am. Phase 3 - Mon 6-Sat 11 Dec, 9pm-5am.