Riverside Pool and Splashpark 2024 Season – talk to councillors on 23rd March, 10-12

We invite you to share your views on how the wonderful Riverside Pool and Splashpark’s operation could be changed for the better in the 2024 season and beyond.  We’ll be at St Mary’s Church café from 10am – 12pm on Saturday 23rd March.  SODC and Wallingford Town Councils will be there to listen, ask questions and discuss. We imagine there may then be further conversations in the coming months.  You want to get involved practically too – to help new ideas happen – when the time comes. And to be clear; SODC has a contract with Better to operate the facility until 2026 which may mean that some suggestions may not be possible, ever, or at least until then. And, in the spirit of sharing creative ideas and having the discussion, we invite you to come along and talk about this great community asset.

James Barlow

SODC

Compost Giveaway – Sunday 17 March 9am– 11am

Sunday 17 March between 9am– 11am at the old South Oxfordshire District Council car park, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, OX10 8ED.

This March the compost give-away is back! Come along with your own box, bag or container to fill up with local compost! Residents can take a maximum of three bags.

Remember to bring a spade!

Housing and Environment  
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils 

Ipsden – Guided Bird Walk – Sat 24 Feb – 9am

Join a guided bird walk in Ipsden, led by local resident and bird enthusiast Gary Magill, and Emma Davis.
We will meet at 9am at Woodhouse Farm, Ipsden (OX10 6PT) for a 90-minute walk around the farm.
We expect to hear and see a number of different bird species, including winter-only visitors. We plan to walk past the memorial plaque recently installed in memory of the crew of the Stirling bomber, and finish with coffee/tea, cake and chat in ‘the Bistro’ at Woodhouse Farm.
Suggested donation – £12.50 (all proceeds to St Mary’s Church, Ipsden). Numbers limited to enjoy the birds. Afraid no dogs.
To join: please contact Robin Hart, 1 Crabtree Cottages, 07979 426336 or [email protected].

Tree Planting on the Recreation Ground

Residents will be aware that there is encouragement to plant trees to help with the climate emergency and also to support biodiversity and wildlife. On this basis, the Parish Council decided to plant some less-used areas of the Recreation Ground with broadleaved trees. Four hundred saplings were donated by the Woodland Trust and shelters to protect them from deer and rabbits were funded by a grant from SODC and the Parish Council. Volunteers from the Parish came together on two occasions to both plant the trees and erect the biodegradable shelters. Species planted were Field Maple, Silver Birch, English Oak, Grey Willow and Rowan. When established the new woodland will provide a valuable complement to the existing nature area on the Western edge of the Recreation Ground. Some of the tree planters are pictured below.