Archive for category: News

The PopUp Business School will be returning to Didcot to run a free five-day course to help anyone thinking about setting up their own business and to advise existing small businesses on how increase profits.

From Monday 27 January, the course will run daily from Monday-Friday, at Didcot Civic Hall at 10am-3pm, and will include tips on marketing, how to create a website, attract more customers through social media and how to shape the business to suit – all without spending any money.

During the informal sessions, trainers help build people’s confidence to kick-start their new venture by teaching them the vital skills on how to set goals and what they can do when faced by new or unexpected challenges.

Last time the PopUp Business School visited Didcot in 2018, 53 people attended, from South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district areas with others coming from further afield from Reading, Witney and Swindon.

Through the week 15 brand-new businesses were created, including a wedding photographer, a vegan fast food retailer, a life coach service and an entertainment hire company and, by Friday afternoon, nearly all had made their first sale.  The other 38 attendees that attended all week were almost ready to kick-start their own enterprise too.

The workshops are being held in partnership with Soha Housing as part of South Oxfordshire District Council’s national award-winning project to support new business start-ups in the southern Oxfordshire area.

You can sign up to attend the school via www.popupbusinessschool.co.uk/didcot

This year’s parish duck race will be held on Sunday 16 February, 2-4pm. The racing is in the brook down Church Lane, close to Fiveways Corner. The lane can be mucky so wear wellies. The event is free of charge.

At the same time, cream teas and cakes will be available in the church.

Christmas is over and its time to dispose of the Christmas tree. Garden Waste subscribers can leave their tree out with the green waste and have it collected by the end of January on the appropriate brown bin day.

Others can take their tree to one of a number of dedicated locations for free disposal.

See http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/services-and-advice/recycling-rubbish-and-waste/christmas-waste/what-do-your-christmas-tree for more detail.

Chinnor Village Centre is bringing its Christmas Float to the parish next week – on Tuesday 17th December, starting in Icknield Close at 18.00. This year the float is calling house to house, but is restricted to only knocking on doors from 18.00 to 20.00.

The centre is not sure how far Father Christmas will get round the parish given the time restriction. So if any parents in Aston Rowant want their children to definitely meet him it’s recommended that the children are driven round to Icknield Close in Kingston Blount at about 18.05 where Father Christmas will greet them personally.

If anyone wants to join in and shake collecting boxes door to door, that would be appreciated –  it is always good to have helpers who are themselves known to villagers.