Category: Business News

SHOPKEEPERS in and around Thame are being encouraged to help brighten up their surroundings by taking advantage of a shop front improvement scheme.

Funding is available to assist shops in Thame and the nearby Oxfordshire villages improve their shop fronts and help make a real difference to the local shopping area.

The scheme is open to all freehold owners, lease holders (with at least five years on their lease) and tenants of premises in Thame and its catchment area (including Chinnor and Wheatley) with commercial shop fronts. These include:

shops ? including hairdressers, beauty salons, funeral directors, laundrettes, dry cleaners etc
financial and professional services ? banks, building societies and estate agents
restaurants, pubs, cafes and takeaways.

Funding is available towards work ranging from entirely new shop fronts and large scale replacement and repair work, to painting, signage, displays or lighting.

Shop fronts are the most noticeable part of a building and make a big impact on a town centre. They contribute to people?s first impressions and can dramatically affect a town?s image. High quality shop fronts make a town feel more welcoming to local residents and visitors; they help to give a place a sense of identity; and, most importantly, they encourage more people to visit the shops.

Applications must be received by June 30, 2011, and work completed by September 30, 2011. Priority for applications will be given to premises in High Street, Cornmarket, Butter Market, Upper High Street and North Street in Thame.

The scheme is being administered by 21st Century Thame, a partnership of representatives from Thame Town Council, businesses and community groups, South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council and is being funded by South Oxfordshire District Council and the South East England Development Agency?s Rural Towns Programme.

The scheme can provide up to 50 per cent of the total expenditure on the project, with each project required to match the funding by 50 per cent. A maximum of

THERE’S a second chance to learn about Thame’s shopfront improvement scheme if you missed the recent talk at The James Figg, in Thame.

SODC’s Conservation experts will be on hand to offer advise – as well as giving a facinating talk on the history of Thame’s shopfronts, with illustrations! And, there will be some great foody nibbles to tide you over until supper time.

ARE you a Thame business owner considering smartening up your shop front or considering any of the follow?:

? repairs?
? re-instating original architectural features?
? repainting or re-rendering?
? pedestrian access improvements?
? new signage?
? new window display equipment?
? replacing external shutters with internal
security grilles and or security glazing?
? lighting?

Then 21st Century Thame might be able to help. This local partnership has secured some money from the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA)and South Oxfordshire District Council and is offering grants of up to 50% towards the cost of the work.

Interested?

Come along to our shop front workshop on Wednesday, May 4,at 6pm in the Stables, The James Figg, Thame, and hear more about it. You will find out about eligibility criteria, money available, decision-making process etc. You will also be able to talk to our conservation experts about your plans or ideas and get free planning advice if required.

To register please email: caroline.wood@southandvale.gov.uk or call 01491 823313.

Not free on that date?

Not to worry! All information is available from:
? Caroline Wood, Shared Economic Development Officer, South and Vale district councils on 01491 823133 or email at caroline.wood@southandvale.gov.uk.
? Or pop-in to see Sonja Francis at ThameNews.net (please call ahead 07792 487030).

Our conservation experts will also be back in the town for free planning advice in April and May (dates to be announced).

Please note that closing date for application is 30 June 2011. So get in touch to register your interest as soon as possible.

PHOTO: A Thame shop front made to look like an old camera shop for Midsomer Murders! (Now returned to its former glory as Rumsey’s in Upper High Street)

THAME transport company, Interoute Transport Services, has announced an increase in turnover and profit for the year ending December 31, 2010.

The Thame-based warehousing and distribution company increased its turnover by 8% to

A THAME jewellers is providing the wedding rings for a couple that will see each other for the first time, just minutes before the ceremony.

Today, Yvette and Matthew Cundy of Kismet Jewellers in Buttermarket, Thame, will today attend the wedding of the strangers. The Oxford-based radio station, Jack FM have been running an experiment to see if it is possible to match two strangers and for them to be married!

The two strangers, “Dancing Queen” and “Mr Inquisitive” will be saying: “I do!” at 1pm, in the ceremony which will be broadcast live from Mal Maison in Oxford.

Is love really blind? Find out when they meet face-to-face for the first time.

LINK to: Jack FM http://www.jackfm.co.uk/ to listen.

A FREE guide has recently been published for homeworkers interested in getting together informally with others in their village to share experiences and knowledge.

The Oxfordshire Rural Community Council guide features ten case studies of widely differing groups set up by people working from home in the smaller towns and villages around Oxfordshire. It also outlines the process, from identifying local need through to the initial get together, based on the experiences of more than 16 informal village groups.

Says Catharine Arakelian who led the project for ORCC: ?The idea of Oxfordshire villages as merely dormitories for commuters is outdated ? evidence from this project reveals they are hives of hidden economic activity. A recent parish survey in the Baldons found 18% of villagers (48 individuals) say they work from home each day settling down in their home offices, sheds and on kitchen tables to run their businesses. That?s a lot of microbusinesses in just one small area. Replicate those statistics across Oxfordshire and you can see the enormous contribution to the local economy made by homeworkers in villages.?

Informal business groups often start through a meeting of friends in pubs, coffee shops or at each other?s houses. Learning from each other, and sharing the ups and downs of running your own business may be enough to sustain a small group of up to 15 members. Some larger groups structure their time around short workshops and talks.

The ORCC project has revealed just the tip of an iceberg with 16 groups identified, new groups starting in Chilton, Blewbury, Bampton, and Wendlebury in recent months, and many other stirrings. Says Catharine: ?The future of homeworker village groups in this era of joined up communications could include developing an Oxfordshire-wide village business network. Even a loose network could offer value to each other in mutual support, collaboration, information and market intelligence, sharing preferred suppliers and problem-solving.?

The guide is available online at www.oxonrcc.org.uk

A THAME business woman is to join forces with Rosemary Conley CBE and hundreds of other local women in supporting the Florence Nightingale Hospice charity’s Gemstone Midnight Walk in July.

Thame company, Kismet Jewellers of Buttermarket, Thame, is lending its support to this year?s Florence Nightingale ?Gemstone Midnight Walk? ? with owner Yvette Cundy set to take part in the event for a second-year running and encourage more local ladies to get involved.

It is hoped that the women-only event, taking place on Saturday July 16th in Aylesbury, will see over 750 ladies pounding the streets at Midnight (in a bid to break last year?s record of 500 participants) – undertaking a six or 12-mile walking challenge around Aylesbury, starting from Aylesbury College, to help raise money for the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC), which provides comprehensive care and support through in-patient and at-home services to local families affected by life-limiting illness.

Commenting on the forthcoming Florence Nightingale Gemstone Midnight Walk, Yvette said: ?My husband visited the Florence Nightingale Hospice a few years ago following our involvement with Thame?s Got Talent, and had such a good feeling about the place, we decided anything we do Charity-wise will always be in support of the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity; the devotion of everyone involved is immeasurable, and bearing in mind we are all touched by cancer at some stage in our lives, here was a Charity that was really helping people to live with it.

?I shall be taking part in the Midnight Walk again this year,? said Yvette, who helped raise over

ARE you a Thame business owner considering smartening up your shop front or considering any of the follow?:

? repairs?
? re-instating original architectural features?
? repainting or re-rendering?
? pedestrian access improvements?
? new signage?
? new window display equipment?
? replacing external shutters with internal
security grilles and or security glazing?
? lighting?

Then 21st Century Thame might be able to help. This local partnership has secured some money from the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA)and South Oxfordshire District Council and is offering grants of up to 50% towards the cost of the work.

Interested?

Come along to our shop front workshop on Thursday, March 31, at 6pm in the Stables, The James Figg, Thame, and hear more about it. You will find out about eligibility criteria, money available, decision-making process etc. You will also be able to talk to our conservation experts about your plans or ideas and get free planning advice if required.

To register please email: caroline.wood@southandvale.gov.uk or call 01491 823313.

Not free on that date?

Not to worry! All information is available from:
? Caroline Wood, Shared Economic Development Officer, South and Vale district councils on 01491 823133 or email at caroline.wood@southandvale.gov.uk.
? Or pop-in to see Sonja Francis at ThameNews.net (please call ahead 07792 487030).

Our conservation experts will also be back in the town for free planning advice in April and May (dates to be announced).

Please note that closing date for application is 30 June 2011. So get in touch to register your interest as soon as possible.

THAME is bucking the trend when it comes to the number of empty shops in the town, a new survey has revealed, the number remaining vacant being well below the national average.

The survey, carried out in February by the Market Town Co-ordinator for Thame Alison Isherwood, revealed that just three per cent of shops (or five units) in the town centre are currently empty. This compares to an average of 14.5 per cent for towns throughout the country, and with 98.6 per cent of the total available retail floor space (including vacant premises) in use the current situation is even more impressive.

Despite the tough economic situation the number of empty units has continued to remain low and Thame has been buoyed over the last twelve months after a number of new businesses started trading in the town centre, including a new Sainburys store (in the premises formerly occupied by Woolworths), a Costa Coffee (on the High Street), Powder, Wallace Homes Boutique and White Lion Antiques.

There has been even more good news for the town with hairdressers Eclipse moving to a larger unit on North Street and the vacant shop in the Shambles that they left behind taken up by a guitar specialist. On 17 March the town received a further boost after M&S Simply Food opened its new store adjoining the BP garage on the eastern edge of the town.

According to research carried out by the Local Data Company one shop in every seven in Britain?s high streets is currently empty, however at a time when many towns are struggling Thame, with its distinctive independent retail offering, continues to buck the trend and attract new businesses and, similar to the other market towns in South Oxfordshire, maintains an impressively high number of occupied shop units.

Cllr Rodney Mann, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: ?During these tough economic times it is a real boost for the people and businesses of Thame that the vast majority of shops in the town are occupied. High streets that show they are doing well are much more attractive to shoppers and potential investors than those with lots of empty units.?

SOURCE: Press release

LONG Crendon based company Mummy?s Maid, has made the finals of this year?s Mumpreneur Idol 2011 Awards. The annual Mumpreneur Idol competition awards the best of the UK?s female entrepreneurs who juggle raising a family with starting and running their own business.

This year the competition attracted 200 entries and Mummy’s Maid is one of just four finalists. According to the judges, Mummy?s Maid business idea was chosen because they: ?..felt the business model had longevity, and could easily become a national household name.”

Mummy?s Maid was founded by Kez Luckett, mother of two, whose vision for the business initially started after she gave birth to her daughter and found that she was unable to keep up with the day-to-day running of her home due to complications during labour.

During her second pregnancy, Kez suffered with Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction which made any physical exertion almost impossible. At that time she needed short term help with the children and the home. Unfortunately none of the companies she approached were able to provide less than a few month?s contract.

With this in mind her aim became to provide all mothers with short-term household help and support in a non-intrusive way, providing busy mums with a range of short term household services including one-off cleaning, washing and ironing, errand running, new mum service, Nursemaid service as well as childcare.

Visit: www.mummysmaid.co.uk

PHOTO: Kez Luckett

THE next Late Breakfast event in Thame will be in the Eden Centre at The Spread Eagle Hotel on Cornmarket,OX9 2BW, on Thursday, March 17, 9-10.30am

There is a presentation this month from CLAIRE SNOWDON of Expat Know How, title: Working across Cultures.
The international nature and global reach of many businesses requires most of us to interact with colleagues from different cultural backgrounds as
part of our jobs.

An overseas business trip; a long term posting; working as part of a multicultural or virtual team; how do you ensure that you will get the very
best results when you find yourself in one of these situations?

Please book here or through our website by noon Wednesday 16th to appear on the guest list or simply turn up on the day.The entry fee of