TFLRA Christmas Nibbles

A few members of the TFLRA Committee gathering for Christmas cheer - a well deserved evening!!!

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New Year!!

Snowy Festive Cheer

Well done for this wonderful snowman!!! Certainly made a few people smile as they passed him. Hope everyone stayed safe on that treacherous ice!!

Lost and Found

Found - a pair of reading glasses in Byron Close.  Owner can contact the finder via the tfl_ra@zoho.com or by leaving a message on 07548 419 545.

Textile and Small Electrical Items Recycling Collection

Back in October we told you about ’new’ arrangements for collection of textile and small electrical items.  This information had been sent to us by Biffa.  It turns out that this information was ... ahem ... rubbish.  The Vale have confirmed that the collection arrangements have not changed and that the Biffa call centre is now using the correct instructions.  We are sorry that we passed on this incorrect information.

In brief, textiles are collected fortnightly, the same week as the green recycling bins.  The textiles are put in a supermarket size carrier bag, which does not have to be clear,  There is no limit on the number of bags. Bags of textiles are sometimes picked up by the food collection van, sometimes by a separate van.  Because of the possibility of different vans at different times, bags should be left out all day if necessary.  If they are not collected by 6.00 p.m. you can email municipalteam1@biffa.co.uk or ring 03000 610 610.  Household batteries are left on top of the green bin, these in clear plastic bags.

Small electrical items are collected on grey waste bin days, also should be left in supermarket size bags, which do not have to be clear.

We would be interested in hearing from residents if they find that these arrangements are not working.

Stonehill Community Gardens - Merry Christmas from all !!!

Christmas and Winter Opening - We will be closed for 2 months, December and January, over Winter whilst it is cold and the garden goes to sleep.  Our last open Wednesday of 2017 will be Wednesday 28th November, and we will open again on 7th February 2018, after which we will be open every Wednesday once more.

2018 Workshops

⦁ Pruning Fruit Trees - Sat 27th Jan - 10am-1pm - £15
⦁ Grafting Fruit Trees - Sat 17th Feb - 10am-1pm - £15 inc taking your own fruit tree home
⦁ Composting inc wormeries - Sat Mar 3 – 10am-1pm - £15
⦁ Year Round Crop Planning - Sun 18th Mar - 10am-1pm - £15
⦁ Introduction to Permaculture - Sat 24th Mar - 10am - 4pm - £30
⦁ Designing Edible Spaces - Sat 7th April - 10am-4pm - £30

Ideal Christmas presents!!  Bursary places available - please contact us

Please vote for us!! - We have submitted our Sensory Garden space project to Aviva and voting is now open!  Please use this link to vote for us and share with your friends.  Everyone gets 10 votes and if we receive enough votes, we will get £1000 towards our sensory garden.  The space will include planting for all senses and a quiet space to sit and enjoy the surroundings - something we know a lot of our visitors will use.

Funding for Groups to visit the garden for FREE - Thanks to the grant from Oxfordshire Community Foundation, we have funding for 20 groups to visit the garden for free - if you know a group who may benefit from a relaxing or educational point of view, please get in touch.  Feel free to pass this on to anyone in a local group.

Forest Garden Planting - Our Trees will be going in the ground on the 14th February 2018 11am - 3pm.  Please join us to dig in!  There are many ways in which you can support us, both at the garden and away from it.  Get in touch if you would like to be involved in a small or a big way.  Our Honey, Fruit and Vegetables are sold by donation every Wednesday from the garden.  We're there on Wednesdays 10am - 4pm.

Accounts 2017

The TFLRA accounts to November 2017 have been inspected by an independent examiner and are available for viewing for anyone who wishes to.

Textile and Small Electrical item Collections

You may have been wondering why your bags of textiles have been left on the verge after the normal rubbish collections have passed by.  The Vale / Biffa have had problems with their old vehicles, now replaced, but the most recent problems of uncollected textiles seem to be because they have changed the rules - again.

We are now told that textiles will be picked up at the same time as weekly food waste.  Textiles must be in clear or semi-clear bags, no bigger than a normal supermarket carrier bag.  These can be put out each week now but only one bag per household.  The same applies to small electrical items which must fit completely into the clear/semi-clear carrier bag and will be picked up by the refuse and recycling crews each week.

Happy recycling!!

Stonehill Community Gardens - Wildlife Event Wednesday 25th October

Wildlife Event - Wednesday 25th October 11am - 3pm

Beautiful UK butterflies - come along to our event tomorrow to learn how you can encourage butterflies and other wildlife into your garden.

⦁ Build a bug house and take home with you

⦁ Birdhouse building kits available

⦁ Animal print identification
⦁ Build a hedgehog house & take home with you
⦁ Plant lists for wildlife

⦁ Pond dipping

⦁ Why wildlife are needed in the garden

Everyone welcome - free to attend.  Garden produce will be on sale

Aviva Funding - please vote for us - We have submitted our Sensory Garden space project to Aviva and voting is now open!!  Please use this link to vote for use and share with your friends:

https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/17-3968

Everyone gets 10 votes and if we receive enough votes, we will get £1000 towards our sensory garden.  The space will include planting for all senses and a quiet space to sit and enjoy the surroundings - something we know a lot of our visitors will use.

Funding for groups to visit the garden for FREE - Thanks to the grant from Oxfordshire Community Foundation, we have funding for 20 groups to visit the garden for free.  If you know a group who may benefit from a relaxing or educational point of view please get in touch.  Feel free to pass this on to anyone in a local group.

Forest Garden Update - We have identified some exciting species to be planted in our Forect Garden, from almonds to medlars, to local apple variety 'Milton Wonder'.  Tree planting will be the the first step - dates coming soon.  Sign up here.

Winter opening hours newsletter coming to you soon.  There are many ways in which you can support us, both at the garden and away from.  Get in touch if you would like to be involved in a small or a big way.  Our honey, fruit and vegetables are sold by donation every Wednesday from the garden.  We're there on Wednesdays 10am - 4pm.

Halloween Trick or Treating ......

Police will be carrying out patrols on Halloween to make sure that people who are trick-or-treating are doing so in a friendly manner and not causing a nuisance.

For some people, this time of the year can be a bother as your evenings are interrupted with people knocking on your doors for treats.  Most of these children or teenagers are just getting involved in the Halloween celebrations and will be friendly.

If you feel unsafe:

⦁   Don’t open your door if you’re unsure who is there.  Use your spyhole, look out of a window and use your door chain if you do decide to open your door.

⦁   Have a contact number of a close relative or good neighbour to hand by your telephone, just in case you need to phone them.

⦁   If you are part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, let your coordinator know that you will be on your own at Halloween.  If you are a coordinator, please identity people in your scheme that may be vulnerable and offer them reassurance, you could also help by downloading the poster.

You can download the 'no trick or treat' poster at the bottom of this email to display on your door.  

Thames Valley Police will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour at any time of the year.  To report anti-social behaviour, call 101, the 24-hour Thames Valley Police non-emergency number.  If you feel threatened, if it’s an emergency, or if a crime is in progress, call 999.

Car Theft

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following the theft of a vehicle in Abingdon.

Between 11pm on Sunday (17/9) and 10am on Monday (18/9) a white Ford Transit was (index Y***NTX) was stolen from Francis Little Drive.

If you have any information relating to this message please call the Police via the 24 hour non-emergency telephone number 101. 

Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org.  No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.