Category: Business News

THAME-BASED company, Travelodge, whose Head office, Sleepy Hollow, is in Aylesbury Road, are to instal hammocks so that staff can take a short siesta in the afternoons.
The company is responding to recent survey among UK workers, to which a half apparently replied that they would be more productive if they followed the example of their European counterparts and took a snooze in the afternoons.

BUSINESSES in Oxfordshire are to be given the chance to ease their concerns about how new national waste laws affect their day-to-day operations.
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THAME is on course to join Modbury and other towns in becoming plastic bag free town.

A campaign is being launched by Thame First (formely Thame and District Chamber of Commerce), part of the 21st Century Thame Partnership, and already several retailers have set the ball rolling by offering sustainable alternatives. The following information sheet is about to be delivered to all retailers in the town to explain to them the environmental damage posed by throw-away plastic bags:

Bring Your Own Bag to Thame Campaign

WHAT?

THAME FIRST is encouraging people to join the Bring your own Bag campaign and hopefully see Thame eventually become a PLASTIC BAG FREE TOWN.

The project will be launched on Saturday June 30, in conjunction with the ‘Packaging Unwrapped’ day organised by the Community Action Group (CAG) and Oxfordshire Federation of Women?s Institutes.

There is increasing evidence that shoppers are going for the eco friendly option, make sure that you can supply it.

WHY?
* Plastic bags have been in the news lately; they are being taxed or banned all over the world. The average adult uses 300 plastic bags a year, that?s about one million bags a minute! On average each plastic bag is used for 12 minutes before discarding it.
* Plastic never disappears; it will outlive you and your children. It breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces contaminating soil, waterways and the seas, and enters the food chain through animals. YUK!
* 46,000 pieces of plastic debris floats on or just below the surface of every square mile of the world’s oceans.
* After an animal dies from ingesting plastic the body decomposes and the plastic is then released back into the environment to kill another animal. 100,000 animals die each year from plastic.
* 47% of windborne litter that escapes from landfill is plastic. Biodegradable plastic needs sunlight to break down; in landfill there is no sunlight under the layers.

HOW?

Thame First has ordered 1,000 ethically traded, and ecologically printed jute shopping bags. These will be available to buy at cost (£2) to either sell at cost or give away.

A THAME HAIR salon group based in Thame, has received a prestigous employment and learning skills award.
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HADDENHAM company, Jenks, is aiming to raise

DAF Trucks, who are based in Thame, have provided a fleet of clean, green recycling trucks for Birmingham City.
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Photo courtesy of Letsrecycle.com

A SPOKESPERSON for the Woolworths store in High Street, Thame, today categorically denied that the store was closing and that Marks and Spencer were to open a new food store on the site.
A rumour, that the up-market food store was planning to move in to premises currently occupied by Woolworths, has been circulating throughout the town for a couple of weeks.
The Woolworth’s spokesperson told ThameNews.Net: “The rumour is definitely untrue. We suspect that, because Marks and Spencer are moving into the old Budgen store in Princes Risborough, and because our site used to be occupied by Budgens, people are getting confused.”

LIKE any thriving town, Thame’s High Street enviroment continues to evolve.
The Music House, formerly in the Lower High Street, is currently undergoing a refit and will reopen as a Natural Cafe, selling natural and organic food and drink, with a useful children’s area.
What was previously Pickles, in the Upper High Street, is also opening shortly as the Ramsey Chocolaterie, selling coffee and hand made chocolate products made on the premises.
What was Local Tastes in the Buttermarket, Thame, has been acquired by an independent fashion shoe retailer and after many years in Thame, Don Butler’s shop in the Cornmarket is to close and will be taken over by a French kitchen designer.
Don will however, be continuing with the re-upholstery side of his business.

DETECTIVES have released CCTV images of a group of people they believe are responsible for a series of burglaries at shops across the Thames Valley.
The latest was at Tura Newsagents, Oxford Road, Abingdon on Thursday, March 22. Six people entered the store and while some distracted the shop assistants, the others went upstairs and stole money and jewellery from the living quarters above.

The thieves were disturbed and challenged which resulted in a member of staff on the shop floor being assaulted as the gang attempted to escape. They drove off in a silver-coloured car, possibly a Ford Mondeo or a similar style vehicle.

Det Con Will Downey from Abingdon CID said: ?These men and women have proved how ruthless they are in their attack on an innocent member of staff at the Tura Newsagents.
“There have been a number of incidents of this nature across the Thames Valley and other forces have experienced similar crimes. Smaller shops with only one or two workers are being targeted and we urge shop keepers to be on their guard.
“We believe this particular group are eastern European and have links to the Berkshire area, in particular Slough and Reading. We would urge anyone who recognises one of these people to get in touch with us as soon as possible.”

If you have information please contact Det Con Downey via 0845 8 505 505. If you do not wish to speak to police you can contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

SMALL businesses that may have been hit with bad news via the Chancellor’s budget are being offered the chance to make savings elsewhere – and help the environment at the same time.
More than 250 Oxfordshire businesses have received a waste audit that has pointed them in the direction of how to manage their businesses in a way that means more waste is recycled rather than sent to landfill.
Some businesses have seen their waste bills cut by around 50%.
Daniel Dempsey is Oxfordshire County Council’s Commercial Waste Manager. He is the only person employed by a council to reduce commercial waste in the country. He said: “Recent research shows that more than half of Oxfordshire businesses find the tax regime problematic, so small business owners won’t be pleased with tax hikes. It is also worth noting that 80% of Oxfordshire businesses want to improve their environmental performance – this is good news and we are happy to help them. County Council services will help businesses cut costs and go green. Get in touch with us and we will tell you more.”
Councillor Roger Belson, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “We’re disappointed that small businesses have been hit in this budget. They are hugely important for Oxfordshire’s economy. Fortunately for businesses in Oxfordshire, the county council provides some of the best support for businesses of any local authority in the country.
“Businesses that want to cut costs and do their bit for the environment should take advantage of our waste audits – and see their waste bill cut by up to 50%.”
Businesses can apply for audits by emailing Daniel Dempsey via daniel.dempsey@oxfordshire.gov.uk. Information about all of the council’s commercial waste services is available at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/commercialwaste