Category: Business News

THE Trustees of the Thame Youth Memorial Trust, are appealing for the support of local businesses to help them raise funds for a memorial to the young people of Thame who have died tragically. The following is a letter from the Trust’s Chair, Mike Dyer:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Sadly, over the years, Thame has unfortunately lost several young people to tragic and unexpected circumstances. A unique and visionary project, supported by Thame Town Council and involving all sections of the community, is now under way to build a permanent memorial in the town, which we believe will be the first of it?s kind in the country.

The memorial garden has already been completed and, at an opening ceremony scheduled for 3 January 2010, will be dedicated as a place of reflection and remembrance for those who died too young, the ?lost youth of Thame?. Thame Youth Memorial Trust, involving many young people amongst its Trustees and supporters, is now seeking to raise funds to design and commission the memorial itself.

You will become aware over the next few months of many events and initiatives in support of this charity but the first main fundraiser will be a community raffle, for which we need your help and support. The raffle will be widely supported through many outlets and the objective is to touch every individual, household, and business in the community ? our aim is to sell at least one ticket to every resident of Thame and the surrounding villages. We will launch at the garden opening ceremony and run through to the Big Draw in the Spring.

We are therefore looking for some really great prizes and, indeed, have already received some very generous offers. This project will be the highest profile local community appeal of 2010 and has already attracted considerable media coverage, including ThameNews.Net, the front pages in the Thame Gazette, an interview on Radio Oxford, and a slot on BBC TV South.

Businesses donating headline prizes will be featured on the tickets, and all donors will be credited on our web site which can include a hyperlink to your own web site if desired.

Thank you in advance for your time and support. I really hope that you are able to contribute to our raffle and make a difference by supporting your local community.

Kind Regards,

Mike Dyer

Chair of Trustees – Thame Youth Memorial Trust.
76 Park Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 3HU (07973 440229, mike.dyer@thameyouthmemorial.org )

To find out more visit our website at www.thameyouthmemorial.org

FOLLOWING the Oxfordshire market towns second network event recently, on how to brand our market towns, the third and final workshop has now been confirmed for Tuesday, November 24, 2009, at the Spread Eagle Hotel in Thame. The workshop will start at 4.30pm and will finish by 7.15pm.

The main objectives of the workshop, which will again be run by Miller Research, are:

* To present the ideas on distinctiveness and
a brand for Thame, that came out of the
earlier workshop ? Steve Capell (Capell
Creative) 4.30pm to 5.30pm

* To share ideas for the distinctiveness
action plan for Thame – Chris Jones (Miller
Research) specifically:

o Present and agree areas for action

o Prioritisation of projects

o Setting a timetable for action

o Understanding what are the initial steps for
delivery?

o What are the big projects? Where do we start
with these?

* An agreement to the next steps in the local
process and how the distinctiveness work fits
with wider activities and projects

Email Claire Harris at Miller Research, via: claire@miller-research.co.uk if you would like to attend.

A light buffet will be available at 5-30pm.

GOVERNMENT confirms majority of business rate bills will fall in the South East: Article reproduced from News Distribution Services for the COI.

The majority of business rate bills in the South East ? more than one hundred thousand ? will fall next year as a result of revaluation, the Government confirmed today.

The Government will not collect a penny more of extra revenue as a result of the 2010 revaluation. Regular revaluations ensure the rate each business pays is fair and reflects changes in the relative value of property over time.

The final arrangements for calculating new business rate bills were published yesterday (17/11/09). Most business properties in the South East (68 per cent) will see falls in their rate bills next year following revaluation.

For the minority paying more, the Government is putting in place a

LOCAL business people, councillors, residents and other stakeholder in the town, have begun work on re-branding Thame, with a view to encouraging more visitors to the town to ensure its economic sustainablity.

They were joined at a South Oxfordshire market towns network event at The Spread Eagle Hotel by representatives from Henley and Wallingford, and spent the morning discussing rach individual town’s assets and potential, developing ideas for a brand for each town.

Marketing associate of Miller Research (who are leading the exercise on behalf of South Oxfordshire District Council’s Economic team), Steve Capell, will work up some of the ideas over the next week or so on the key words, vision, colours, fonts, images and ingredients that Thame needs to project to its future visitors.

A third workshop will then take place on November 24, also at the Spread Eagle, to take things forward.

The picture shows some of the creative work and emerging ideas that the group brought together.

The Speakers at the networking event were:

Cllr Rodney Mann, Cabinet Member for Economic Development & Finance, Welcomed delegats and prsented the programme for the event.

Nick Miller, Director, Miller Reseach, who presented the results of the ‘distinctiveness’ project so far.

Steve Capell, Associate, Capell Creative, who spoke about developing a town image in market towns.

Nick Quail, Q and A Research, who presented the findings of visitor surveys done in the three towns and led a reflection on what it meant for businesses.

A Thame Brewery will makes is debut this weekend, serving the first beer to be brewed in the town for more than than a century. The new micro-brewery?s real ale will be unveiled at the Cross Keys pub at lunchtime on Saturday, November 14, when Thame’s MP, John Howell will serve the first pint to BBC Radio 2 personality and local resident, Ken Bruce. The Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green, a regular at The Cross Keys, will also be there to sample the new brew.

The launch brew is a medium-strength bitter called Mrs Tipple?s Ghost, named after a former
landlady who ran the pub in the 1950s and whose picture still hangs by the bar. The beer is
aptly named as current landlords, Peter and Trudi Lambert, have restored the pub to the levels
of popularity that Daisy Tipple herself would have been proud of.

A year ago, the Cross Keys had been closed and was facing an uncertain future. Then Thame-based
Oak Taverns considered buying the pub and asked Peter and Trudi to spend a month assessing its potential. Having previously made their mark by reviving an Oak Taverns pub in West London, the couple arrived in Thame in February 2009, trebled the Cross Keys? turn-over within a month and, having trebled it again, decided to stay.

Peter explained the formula that has enabled the Cross Keys to thrive at a time when 50 pubs
per week are closing around the country.

“There were two real ales here when we arrived, along with a well-known keg beer,” he said.
“The first thing I did was disconnect the keg and remove the pool table, and within a couple
of months we had installed five real ale pumps. Then we added a sixth pump for our house ale, the best bitter from Vale Brewery in Brill.

“During the nine months since we have been here, we have gone through 350 different guest ales, all of them from micro-breweries. I have never sold so much mild in my life, and we are also regularly offering porter and stout on draught.

“Word has been going around the town and the community has become involved ? it is a place where women also feel comfortable, where there is no background music and no fruit machines, and the only sound you hear is the sound of conversation.”

Peter says the launch of Thame Brewery is a logical development of the pub business, making good use of a barn at the side of the main building where he hosted Thame Round Table?s charity beer festival last July.

Since then, he has installed a range of redundant brewery equipment from another Oak Taverns pub in Dorset.

“Having never brewed beer before, I have been learning fast,” Peter reflected. “Installing the
equipment was a serious challenge, and I have never done so much plumbing in my life.

“At some stage in the past, all the pubs in Thame would have brewed their own beer. But it has been well over 100 years, and possibly 200 years, since any beer has been brewed commercially in the town.

“As a result, there has been an enormous interest in the new venture and I have conducted numerous tours of the new brewery. The opening with Ken Bruce and John Howell will be a real community event, and it will also launch our Christmas raffle in aid of Ken?s charity, with a polypin of our new beer among the prizes.”

10/11/09

THE BUDGET hotel chain Travelodge, which is based in Aylesbury Road, Thame, has axed 15 office staff jobs.

A spokesman for the company, which is owned by investment group Dubai International Capital, is reported to have said: “There is no doubt that we are in the middle of a tough price war. We need to keep costs down as much as we can.”

Travelodge recently slashed its prices from

A Shop Watch scheme, which aims to reduce disorder and crime by improving communication between shops and the police, has been introduced in Thame – and already has 85 members.

These include all the independent retailers in Swan Walk, Thame.

Shop watch works by linking all its members to each other and the police through the Ringmaster system and any reports of crimes or suspicious activity can quickly be circulated to all the members.

The members are made up of town centre shops and businesses and all display a Shop Watch sticker in their windows.

PC Russell Hounslow, from the Thame neighbourhood policing team, said: “I am really pleased that so many shops in Thame have agreed to take part in the scheme and am looking forward to having greater communication with the staff in an attempt to combat shoplifting and deter any possible thieves.

“Out of the 85 members, we identify the top 10 to 15 premises that are most likely to be targets for shoplifting and ask them to start a ring-around system, so that all of the shops and businesses can be kept informed of suspicious behaviour and incidents that happen.

“We will be monitoring the Shop Watch system to ensure we are quickly on scene to arrest any thieves. Other shops in the scheme can also be prepared by being kept informed of what is happening around the town.”

Sector Inspector Martin Ford added: “In the run up to Christmas, incidents of shoplifting generally tend to increase and I would like to warn any thieves that we will not tolerate this and we will be working closely with shop staff to make Thame a safer place to be.”

PHOTO: The proprietors of Ricochet, Arts Desire and Thame Audio, in Swan Walk, Thame, who are among those Thame shops signed up for the Shop Watch scheme.

ARE you interested in finding out why customers choose to visit Thame, and in understanding customer demands and what it means for your business?

Then come along to this Market Towns networking event, at the Spread Eagle Hotel, 16-17 Cornmarket, Thame, OX9 2BW, 8am to 12pm.

You should attend if you are interested in:

* getting a greater understanding of who visits Thame, Wallingford and Henley, and their motivations

* finding out how developing your town distinctiveness can improve business performance

* gaining greater understanding of the current economic climate in each town and what you can do to maximise your business

* sharing best-practice and build links with other towns; and

* looking at new ideas and how they can be implemented.

Key speakers: Nick Quail from QandA Research. QandA Research provides a full range of market research services to meet business needs.

Representatives from Miller Research. Miller Research (UK) Ltd is a specialist research and evaluation consultancy company, focusing on projects related to the learning, skills and labour market agenda.

There is also an opportunity to visit exhibitor’s stands, take part in workshops and network over breakfast and lunch. To register an interest please email caroline.wood@southoxon.gov.uk or telephone 01491 823313

Photo: Visitors to the town stop by one the stalls at the recent Thame Food Festival.

A WEEK dedicated to putting younger people in contact with employers in Oxfordshire begins on Monday, October 26, 2010.

Connexions Oxfordshire, the information, advice and guidance service for young people in the county, will be engaging with local companies during its Employer Week to:

identify employment opportunities
to raise awareness of its services
gather local labour market information on current employment trends

The week aims to increase the number of countywide vacancies available to young people and to encourage employers to offer apprenticeships or work experiences opportunities.

The service gathers occupational trends and uses the information during its work with young people to improve their prospects of finding employment.

Connexions Oxfordshire assists employers to recruit and retain young staff through its free vacancy service and has already worked successfully with national and local employers across a variety of sectors.

Statistics show that there are more than 1,300 young people not in education or employment in Oxfordshire and more than 2,000 young people in jobs without training.

VERY SUCCESSFUL

Sean Kearns, Connexions Oxfordshire’s Delivery Director, said: “Our Employer Weeks have proved very successful in the past as they are a great opportunity for us to raise our profile with employers and increase the number of vacancies we advertise for young people.

“This benefits employers who can advertise their vacancies free of charge through our Opportunities Team and also benefits young people who can access an increased number of opportunities.”

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

Employers wanting to find out more can call the Connexions Opportunities Team on 01865 328460. Young people can find their nearest Connexions Centre by visiting www.connexionsoxfordshire.com.

Connexions advisers support job seekers aged 16 to 19 in schools, colleges and in Connexions Centres all over Oxfordshire by offering advice, guidance and information about finding employment.

AS part of current research into the distinctiveness of Thame, a fact-finding bus ride to a neighbouring town is being planned as a sort of mobile workshop.

The bus tour to Woodstock is the next in a series of workshops organised by Consultants, Miller Research, to determine what the town needs to do to attract more visitors and ensure a sustainable economic future, for itself.

The trip will be followed by a walk around Thame to look, with the eyes of a visitor, where holes in the the town’s offering might be filled, and an evening workshop at the Spread Eagle Hotel to discuss how visitor stay and spend can be increased through providing more of what people want.

Local community and other interested groups are being invited to jump aboard on Wednesday, October 14, 2009, between 12.30pm and 5pm, and then to join the workshop at the Spread Eagle between 6.30pm and 9pm.