Category: Business News

THAME based computer company, Soundbyte, is holding a charity day on Friday, February 26, 2010, and is offering its expertise to local charities free of charge.

Simon Gray of Soundbyte, said: “Soundbyte Charity days give us the opportunity to help local charities solve computer problems free of charge. We dedicate two engineers on the day to provide their services free, one for onsite visits and one for workshop repairs. We make no charge to the charities concerned – all we ask is that the work is carried out locally (within 30 minutes of Thame) for onsite work or is brought to our Thame workshops.

“Charities wishing to take part need to contact us by phone (on 01844 216981) or by email: office@soundbyteresponse.com and book one of the available slots before 26th February. You should include your charity’s name and charity number when contacting us.”

There are three onsite slots available, each of 90 minutes duration. These can be used for any PC, Networking or Server issues. The time is yours to use as you wish, whether for resolving faults or simply discussing the use of your machine(s). Requests for these slots are dealt with on a first come first served basis and you can only book one slot on each charity day.

Simon added: “We are also providing three workshop bookings. Typical problems we can help with might be tuning a slow machine, software and hardware repairs or providing free installation of upgrades. All the labour we supply for these slots, both workshop and onsite, is free. If parts are required we will charge for these (with your approval) but fit them free.

“We believe this is a practical way of helping small charities within our local community and giving something back to the town and surrounding villages.

Soundbyte Response Limited Avon House, 82 Wellington Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 3BN 01844 216981 ? www.soundbyteresponse.com

THE Late Breakfast Thame event will be on Thursday, February 18th, at The Spread Eagle Hotel, Cornmarket, Thame, OX9 2BW 9.00 – 10.30 am.

The presentation this month will be by Christine Rayner ACIM DipM of Tangram Ltd, and titled:

“Magical Marketing on a shoestring”

Are you a small business who needs to put a little magic into your marketing?

Did you know that as a small business you have the advantage over your larger competitors?

Would you like to know more?

Christine has been working with small businesses for the last 12 years since she founded Tangram. Marketing is for the main part common sense but to reach it’s maximum effectiveness needs carefully planning, focused implementation and constant monitoring.

You can book and appear on the guest list (cut off Wednesday 12.00 )or simply turn up on the day. Either way the entry fee of

OXFORDSHIRE County Council is stepping up its efforts to help young people into work by encouraging local businesses to take on young apprentices.

As part of national Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 1st to 5th February 2010, the county council is running a number of events to celebrate the role apprentices can play in Oxfordshire?s business community and to publicise schemes to help young people into work and training.

On Tuesday 2nd February, Keith Mitchell, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council and Richard Dick, the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, will host a Business Breakfast at Egrove Park in Kennington. The event will be an opportunity for employers to hear from apprentices themselves and to find out about government plans for apprenticeships, local schemes and the training and salary funding available.

Throughout the week, Connexions Personal Advisers will be visiting locations where large numbers of young people are currently unemployed to inform them of apprenticeship schemes. The Connexions Opportunities Team, which helps employers to advertise jobs and matches employers with potential young employees, will be promoting apprenticeships to employers over the phone.

Leading by example

Oxfordshire County Council has had an Apprenticeship Programme in place since 2006 and currently employs 60 apprentices in five areas of work – social and health care, business administration, outdoor education, IT and civil engineering.

In 2010, the programme will be extended and apprenticeships will be offered in youth work, playwork, creative arts (based at the Oxfordshire Museum Resource Centre), customer service and schools.

The county council also coordinates the Future Jobs Fund for the county, which provides salary subsidies for businesses willing to offer work placements to long-term unemployed 18-24 year olds.

A win-win arrangement

Councillor Keith Mitchell, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said: ?The recession has greatly reduced the number of job opportunities for school leavers in our county and we are seeing a worrying increase in the number of long-term unemployed young people.

?Apprenticeships are a wonderful way to give young people some paid work and invaluable experience and to bring new energy to local businesses. In February, the county council will take on its 100th apprentice and we want to laud the benefits of these schemes.?

If you are a local employer and would like to find out more about apprenticeships, please contact the Connexions Opportunities Team on: Tel: 0845 6029375 or email: opportunities@connexionsoxfordshire.co.uk

PHOTO: Courtesy of rafmaf.org

THAME Football Partnership (TFP) will be holding an open evening on Thursday 11th February at Thame Town Hall, starting at 7.30pm to invite local businesses and companies wishing to tender for work on the new community complex at Church Farm to meet with the main contractors Buckingham Group who have been appointed by TFP to build the facility.

Buckingham Group have much experience in stadia construction having recently completed the build of the MK Dons Stadium and about to commence building Brighton?s new

THE world?s first dedicated town iPhone application is to be launched in Thame, Oxfordshire, in February.

Going live on the world?s most popular mobile smart phone application store, Apple, iThame is intended to provide useful information to visitors and residents whenever they want to access it, via their mobile phone.

iThame will be free to download and will offer information on the move that includes local amenities, heritage and historical walks, sports, accommodation, travel, news (RSS feeds), business, events in Thame, music and local information for young people.

Users will be able to provide feedback on services they want to see introduced in new versions, as well as receiving directions to points of interest in the town.

iThame has been put together by local businesses consultants, Andy McDonald and Simon Ralphs with the assistance of www.Thamenews.net editor, Sonja Francis. Thamenews.net has supplied a large part of the content including text, images and links to its own site and external sites of interest.

Andy told ThameNews.Net: “Our intention is to promote Thame as a vibrant place to visit and spend money.

“The App is funded by leading businesses in Thame, including Thame Service Station, Newitts Butchers, Racquets Fitness Centre, Brothers Hair Salon, the Thatch pub and restaurant and Kismet Jewellers, demonstrating how the town has embraced the new age of consumer demand for information on the move through an entrepreneurial spirit not seen anywhere else in the country.”

Commenting on iThame, the Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green, said: ?This initiative is the first of its kind and I am proud to represent a town that has pulled together such a unique initiative. I am sure it will be followed by most other towns in the UK, and possibly worldwide, that want to increase spend within their communities.”

iThame will soon be introduced on the new Google Android platform which is predicted to rival the success of the iPhone. It is expected that many other businesses and services will be introduced on the iThame application once they see the widely expected interest and usage of the application.

iThame has been built using the unique mobile content management system from MDB Consulting who have a proven track record in delivering iPhone applications live on the app store.

The app will be live in two weeks and will also be available on the new Google phone operating on the Android store, widening the usage rates.

PHOTO: Flash back to Thame’s food festival which drew visitors to the town from far and wide.

LOCAL businesses, town councillors and representatives from Thame organisations, have demonstrated their support for a major funding bid that could bring

A BUSINESSMAN from Thame has taken advantage of the slippery conditions in the town due to the severe weather, and has acquired a truck load of salt which he intends to sell to local residents.

Rob Parker (pictured), who runs Stoneworld (Oxfordshire) Ltd, at Great Milton, near Thame, told ThameNews.net: “Despite hearing that the county councils are having difficulty getting supplies of salt and grit to treat roads and paths, I managed to get hold of a truck full of food-grade salt which will be delivered to our depot on Monday.

“We intend to mix it with grit and make it available to local residents to purchase as from Tuesday. Today I used the mixture to treat my own street in Thame and it worked very well.”

The salt/grit mixture will cost

BUSINESSES, clubs and societies in the Thame area are being invited to enter a team in a ‘Santa Dash’ to raise money for the Florence Nightingale Hospice charity and St Johns Ambulance.

The event is taking place this Sunday, December 13, in Vale Park, Aylesbury. It is open to young and old who want to run or walk the 3.5km course.

Everyone who enters will be provided with a Santa costume. More information can be found at www.aylesburysantadash.org

DESPITE the doom and gloom pervading the pub industry nationally, Thame saw its second new pub enterprise in a month open last night (03/12/09).

Just three weeks after she helped officiate at the opening of the town’n first micro brewery for a hundred years at the Cross Keys, the Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green, helped pull the first pint at The James Figg, in Cornmarket, formerly the Abingdon Arms.

The pub has been completely renovated inside and out, though not, thankfully, ‘gentrified.’ retaining a real local pub feel. The new name, The James Figg, celebrates one of Thame?s most famous sons who, according to local pub historian, David Bretherton, was supposed to have had his headquarters at what was in those days, The Greyhound, in the late 17th century. Figg, was England?s first undisputed champion boxer, winning 270 bouts in the early 1700s.

He was also a master of the broad sword and staff in his day, being well known as a teacher of these skills to the young men of the gentry. Figg’s image, showing him complete with a wig of the type fashionable at that time, is reputed to be in the background of one of Hogarth’s series of paintings, The Rake’s Progress.

The revived free house, which is run by Peach Pubs, the same people behind The Thatch, in Thame, will serve quality real ales and lagers, some of them brewed locally, alongside wines by the glass and simple traditional pub food, in a convivial atmosphere including log fires.

Also fully refurbished is The Stables, an events space in the pub?s courtyard, formerly Murph’s and then TBA’s, will be available for private parties, meetings and community events with its own bar, Wi-Fi and facilities for a DJ.

Frazer Sutherland, who runs The Thatch in Thame, will also be overseeing The James Figg, with manager Tony Lindsell behind the bar. Frazer explained: “I?ve long thought that what Thame needed was a simple, friendly pub with an enjoyable atmosphere where you could drop in for a drink or three, have a good night out with friends or family, and a quick bite to eat too, if you wanted. That?s really what we hoped to achieve in the new-look pub.”

A portrait of the pub?s namesake takes pride of place in the front bar and as well as restoring the memory of James Figg, the pub celebrates British sporting champions down the years with a series of classic photos lining the walls. There will also be the chance to see the country?s current sporting heroes in action with major events being shown in the pub, as well as regular quiz nights for regulars who fancy being local champions themselves.

PHOTO: Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green (centre) with the Manager of The James Figg, Tony Lindsell (left) and Frazer Sutherland (right)

THE nephew of legendary racer, Sir Donald Campbell, is hoping to reach 100mph on a locally built lawnmover, when he attempts to break the current record at Pendine Sands in Camarthenshire in February next year.

Don Wales’ team, Project Runningblade, has has been working with Countax Ltd, based at Great Haseley, near Thame, on a high-spec machine which includes parts from three different Countax mowers.

The current record stands at 80mph, set by Bob Cleveland of the US, in 2006. According to Guinness World Records? rules, it must still be able to cut grass after all the modifications.

The team?s project manager, Stephen Vokins, is reported to have said (quote: Horticulture Week): “This started out as a daft idea that everyone laughed at but nobody is laughing now. Be under no illusions ? this is not a collection of blokes standing around in a shed wondering what to do until the pub opens. We have all sorts of experts on board: an aerodynamics expert, a fuel additives expert ? all sorts.”

The record breaking attempt will take place on February 27-28, 2010.

PHOTO: Don Wales on the Countax machine, at The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu where it was revealed on Tuesday (December 1, 2009)