Watch the Video here: https://vimeo.com/645816045/df5035a727

A Warwickshire town’s Remembrance Sunday service was able to reach far more people than ever before thanks to a big screen showing it live in the town centre.

Shipston-on-Stour Town Council hired a big screen to broadcast the service from inside the town’s church, St Edmund’s, which can only fit a few hundred people inside.

The screen was installed above Lloyd’s Bank in High Street, close to where the parade started its procession.

Those wishing to pay their respects but who could not enter the church due to its limited capacity were then able to stay in High Street and watch the service safely.

And plenty of people did so, with many returning to High Street after the wreath-laying at the memorial to watch the indoor service.

The use of the big screen coincided with the 100^th anniversary of the Royal British Legion and the first ever Poppy Day.

The funding for the big screen was provided through the Welcome Back Fund, from the European Regional Development Fund money through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The programme is managed by Shakespeare's England on behalf of Stratford District Council.

Grants are given to projects that help to attract local residents and visitors alike into high streets or town centres post-Covid.

Cllr Ian Cooper, Shipston’s mayor, thought the big screen was a great addition to the service and meant turnout was a lot higher than in previous years.

He said: “We were so happy with what the screen brought to our Remembrance Sunday service this year.

“Turnout in Shipston is usually very good for Remembrance Sunday, but in the past we often had people hanging around outside St Edmund’s as they weren’t able to get inside. They had no way of knowing what was happening or when the service would finish.

“The big screen changed all that. It allowed residents to gather safely in High Street, watch the service and pay their respects in a much more inclusive way than what was possible before.

“We would definitely consider using the screen again in subsequent years – it worked really well.”

Mike Wells, chairman of the Shipston branch of the Royal British Legion, added: “Anyone wishing to quietly reflect during Remembrance Sunday should be able to do so, and the big screen allowed more people than ever in Shipston to watch the service.

“St Edmund’s is a lovely church, but its size means we cannot fit everyone in. But this year, having the big screen allowed more people than ever before to view the service. I think it was a great addition to the day.”

And Glyn Slade, Welcome Back Event Manager from Shakespeare’s England, said: “Projects funded through the Welcome Back Fund are supposed to attract people back onto the High Street, which is exactly what Shipston’s big screen did.

“It was fantastic to see so many people come out to watch the service on the screen and pay their respects to the fallen.”

As a young man, I lived in Stratford but my career took me away for 20 years until I had the opportunity to relocate to Shipston 16 years ago with my wife, Jane, and our 4 children who have since progressed through the Shipston Schools and moved on into their own careers.

I am already known to many people in the town having previously served as both a scout leader and as a youth leader for several years. For the last 10 years, I have had the pleasure of serving the town as a Community First Responder, something that I remain passionate about.

Career-wise I have been a store manager in a variety of well-known brands like Woolworths, B&Q and Wickes. I am currently a procurement professional working for Bromford Housing Group, a charitable public organisation providing affordable housing solutions. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling and eating out and also having simple nights in.

Throughout my life, I have been committed to helping and supporting people in the community. The opportunity to represent Shipston as a councillor is both an honour and a challenge that I hope will allow me to help make a positive difference for the

This year, Remembrance Sunday is 14th November. The Royal British Legion (RBL) has been working closely with the Town Council, Police, Lions, St Edmund’s and the Town Band to agree a format for the morning and this will involve both a full parade and service at St Edmund’s.

Parade participants and spectators are invited to assemble in the High Street from 10am in preparation for the parade, led by the Town Band, moving off promptly at 10.45am, 15 minutes later than usual.

To enable as many participants as possible to witness the laying of wreaths, the reading of the names of the Fallen and the Two Minute Silence, all three of these elements of the service will take place in Church Street in front of the War Memorial.

The members of the parade and those members of the public who feel comfortable to be indoors with other people will then enter St Edmund’s for the remainder of the Service – limited to 330 people total and masks will be mandatory. For those who would normally attend the service, but are uncomfortable doing so, it will be screened live in the High Street on a big screen hired by the Town Council. The funding for the big screen was provided through the Welcome Back Fund, from the European Regional Development Fund money through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

At the end of the Church Service, the parade will reform and return to the High Street, led by the Town Band. Following fall out, all are welcome to join the RBL in The George.

Further details will be published on Facebook (Shipston Notice Board and Town Council), as well as on the RBL and Town Council websites and on the RBL Notice Board in The Bury.

Armistice Day will be observed on Thursday 11th November with a Two Minute Silence in the High Street outside The George at 11.00am.

For more details about Remembrance fortnight or to find out about joining the RBL as a member,

Shipston Town Council is inviting grant applications for the 2022/23 financial year, which begins in April 2022. This year grants totalling more than £20,000 were made, supporting a wide range of community initiatives across the town, delivered by voluntary groups and charities.

The scheme is open to any voluntary group or charity based in Shipston, or those who actively work in the town. Grant applications must be for specific projects, for example, the purchase of equipment or to support a planned event. Typically grants range from £250 to £2,000 for individual organisations, however, larger sums can be made available for
some causes.

The closing date for applications is 30th November. Application forms can be requested from the Town Clerk (see page 15 for contact details).

Grants from Shipston Educational Charity

This year nine applicants to the Shipston Educational charity received a total of £1340 in grants. Each year local young people can apply for funding to support their educational aspirations with applications invited during mid-summer.

Tim was co-opted as a member of Shipston Town Council at the September meeting.

I moved to the Shipston area some 18 years ago from the big smoke (London).

I currently live in Hanson Avenue with my fiancee Caroline, two sons and a very young daughter. Caroline works at Greenfields Nursery and our son has just started in Reception at Shipston Primary School so we are well and truly embedded in the town which we proudly call our home.

So why join Shipston Town Council? Well, I felt that I would like to use some of my work skills to help make our amazing town more resilient for our future generations plus I get frustrated seeing so many moans and groans that I thought why not try and help.

Some of you may already know me as the “Three bed house man” – so the story goes during lockdown we were urgently looking for a private rental and I literally bombarded local social media pages asking for a house. It worked and we finally found one. So lesson learnt constant pestering can help you get what you want.

I’m a lover of most forms of music, I DJ at local events, I like to refresh myself in our amazing drinking establishments, I like to keep things local to help support our economy, I’m passionate about the climate and how we leave it for our children and our children’s children, I want to see safer routes to schools, the right infrastructure for the town given all the growth that has occurred, great accessibility routes for users of pushchairs, mobility scooters & cyclists within Shipston whilst retaining a fair and equitable environment that takes into account the needs of everyone. Oh and I have two rescue donkeys called Fifi and Honkey and I’m mad about a specific brand of 4x4 that have a very large head office near the M40 (sorry Greta).

That’s me in a nutshell. I welcome conversations with members of the town to discuss how you feel we can make things better. You can contact me by emailing tim.shickle@shipstontowncouncil.org

If you have really strong feelings about our amazing town why not use that fire in your belly and come and join the Town Council to help make a difference to the place where we live and love. There are still vacancies if you would like to join.

At the August meeting of the Town Council, Councillor Marianne Westwood was unanimously elected as the new Deputy Town Mayor after Councillor John Dinnie withdrew his nomination for the post in her favour.

This followed the resignation from the council of the previous Deputy Mayor Councillor Sheelagh Saunders and Councillor Peter Cowley for personal reasons.

During the meeting, Councillors paid tribute to each of them for their valuable contributions to the town.

Shipston Town Council currently has four Town Councillor vacancies and would like to hear from anyone interested in becoming a community leader by representing the views of Shipston residents.

We are looking for people who would like to become more involved in influencing and shaping the future of our town by improving the environment and services available in Shipston and the surrounding area. Shipston Town Council is an elected body of Councillors, including a Mayor and Deputy Mayor, who are supported by a town clerk and assistant. It is the first tier of government providing services on behalf of the residents of the town.

Formal meetings are held monthly on the second Monday of the month and there are working groups which Councillors are encouraged to join depending on their individual experience and expertise.

Councillor Peter White has been serving on the council for over seven years and is the current chair of the Communications Working Group. “I joined as Councillor to understand more about local government and to work with fellow Councillors to try and improve the town for its residents,” said Peter. “I have a young family and I’m particularly keen to hear from the younger generation on how we can improve the facilities and services available to children and young adults. It is important that young people in Shipston have a voice and are able to discuss their views about what Shipston is like to live in, it would be fantastic to hear from anyone who would like to join as a Councillor to represent the younger population.”

Please feel free to contact any of the current Councillors (see page 11) to discuss what is required for this role and how you may be able to volunteer around your current commitments.

Local resident Abigail Sheridan de Graaff was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queens’ Birthday Honours in June for the part she played in setting up and running the Warwickshire Scrubbers, a group formed to make and deliver PPE to local healthcare settings. At the beginning of the pandemic there was a severe shortage of PPE and Abigail saw the need arise in her local area from the NHS Trust hospitals, GP surgeries and pharmacies to community health teams and care homes. From the initial fundraising, procuring fabric, distributing fabric and patterns, collecting in the items to delivering over 25,000 items across the county it took a whole army of people.

“There were, of course, hundreds of other people involved who all stood up to help in whatever way they could in the strangest of circumstances,” said Abigail. “We all worked as a truly phenomenal team and it was an amazing thing to be part of. People who could sew made scrubs, headbands and laundry bags and those that couldn’t, helped by driving, delivering, cutting patterns or even supplying food!”

At one stage there were over 360 dedicated scrub makers and nearly 1000 people in the group. The scrubs were made in lots of different fabrics. There was, of course, the standard polycotton but people delved deep into their laundry cupboards and no bedding was safe. There were scrubs made from vintage floral bedsheets, Winnie the Pooh and superheroes – the paediatric teams loved the bright and cheerful sets. Shipston and the surrounding area was particularly well supported and lots of people were making scrubs and other items across the region.

“It was great to be able to supply the local GP surgeries and Ellen Badger Hospital with scrubs, bags and headbands as required,” she continued. “It’s brilliant to know that a lot of these scrubs are still being used today, 15 months after being delivered. One of the nurses at my surgery received a pair of scrubs made from Liberty fabric which make me smile when I see her at work! The strange thing is that although I started out with the intention of making scrubs myself, sewing is therapy after all, I didn’t make one set of scrubs because the coordination took all of my time!”

The British Empire Medal is a public recognition of meritorious civil service and Abigail will be presented with the medal at a ceremony later this year.

Local charity, Shipston Home Nursing, is appealing for support in anticipation of another difficult financial year. The impact of fewer fundraising events during the pandemic, and a limited calendar of events planned for this year, is taking its toll on the charity’s income.

The Shipston based hospice at home charity, which cares for adults with incurable illnesses who wish to spend the last few weeks in the comfort of their own homes, provides free of charge nursing care for patients in Shipston, Wellesbourne, Kineton and the surrounding villages.

As the need for its hospice at home services continue to grow, there is concern that fewer community events and the associated goodwill generated by the members of the public attending the events, may reduce and put a strain on the charity’s finances. In a normal year nearly 90% of the cost of the care provided is funded by donations and events. However, most of the planned events in 2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic and in 2021 there will only be a limited number of socially distanced events, which means the charity’s forecasted income is significantly reduced.

Andrew Revell, Executive Director of Shipston Home Nursing, said: “Like so many other charities, 2020 was challenging, we have been both delighted and humbled by the generosity of our friends and local supporters, but we don’t take this generosity for granted. We continue to nurse more patients, year on year, and have seen an increase in those wishing to die at home.

We are acutely aware that there are many other incredibly good causes. However, in this uncertain environment, with an increased demand for our services and reduced income, the charity needs to be to able plan with confidence to ensure that we can continue to care for everyone who needs us.”

“We are therefore asking for our community’s help by setting up a regular monthly donation to ensure that Shipston Home Nursing is sustainable for the foreseeable future. If you cannot manage a regular gift, even a small one-off donation will be very much appreciated.”

If you would like to help, please visit: https://shipstonhomenursing.enthuse.com/profile where you can sign up for a monthly donation to Shipston Home Nursing.

On 14th June, the Town Council unanimously approved amendments to the budget for Shipston Area Flood Action Group’s (SAFAG) programme of works for the remainder of the year. Two further projects, amounting to £5,000 of work have now been fully scoped and agreement has been reached with the landowners. A total of £78,000 of expenditure is now planned in 2021, funded through £46,000 of Community Infrastructure Levy grants via Stratford on Avon District Council, £30,000 in grants from the Environment Agency and drawing £2,000 from an existing balance of £40,000.

All of the schemes delivered by SAFAG are reviewed by the relevant flood authority to ensure compliance with environmental and health and safety regulations. The adverse weather means that the programme of works is currently running a month behind schedule. Any work unable to be completed before October when conditions become unworkable will be rolled into the 2022 programme.

The doors to the past will be opened when the doors of the new Shipston Museum are finally unlocked this Summer, after last year’s opening was halted due to the pandemic.

It fulfils the long held dream of the late Shipstonian Mike Ashley who saved local artifacts for years with the idea of sharing the story of the Shipston area with our community and visitors to the area.

The delayed opening due to lockdown was disappointing but work in its future home of Clark House (near the Town Council offices) continued with recording and archiving the many items collected by Mike and his long term friend Dick Burge plus others donated by local residents.

Archiving Mike’s extensive photograph collection is Martin Russell who says interest in Shipston already comes far from our borders. “A lady now in Australia asked if we have any pictures of her mother as May Queen and I hope to discover one among the many we are currently sifting through.”

Recognising and recording the past are vital tasks but plans also focus very much on the future. An integral part of the Museum will be the handling room where kids will learn by holding items from the distant past. “And we have other exciting ideas and initiatives in mind,” explains Trustee Chair Bekky Hillman. “Garden Finds – identifying what you come across close to home, video clips introducing items of particular interest and changing displays – we want to involve our local community so they come back regularly to see the latest events in their museum.”

This reflects Mike’s concept of a museum for the local people, by the local people, as his daughters: Rebecca Ashley and Justine Taylor explain; “Our father asked us both to keep the connection and we have kept that promise by becoming Trustees and are proud of the wonderful legacy for us all embodied in our new Museum.”

Visiting the Museum promises to be fun as well as fascinating as trustees Martin Russell, Rebecca Ashley and Bekky Hillman show by wearing firemen’s old helmets as they foresee the entrance door’s unlocking – date to be announced soon.

Be part of this exciting community project

Here’s your opportunity to help with the launch of our Museum. A team of volunteers is needed to greet visitors and help with admin tasks. You may be retired? working? kids at school? carer? job seeker or student looking to add to their CV? Think about helping for a few hours each week/month. If you would like to know more about volunteering please make contact (sewalker3@hotmail.com) You don’t have to be a history expert – but have some time for a great local cause and want to contribute to our vibrant community- so welcome aboard!

Keep an eye out for your copy of the Local Housing Needs Survey which will be dropping through your door very soon. Commissioned by Shipston Town Council, the results will provide detailed information about the future housing needs of all Shipston residents.

The results will stand alongside the Neighbourhood Plan to support building that is wanted and needed by residents and help resist unwanted developments.

It is essential that as many people as possible complete the survey, regardless of whether they have a pressing housing need so that everyone is represented. To incentivise participation, every survey returned on time will be entered into a PRIZE DRAW with a chance to win one of 3 cash prizes of £100. Winners will be contacted after the survey deadline and, subject to their agreement, will be announced in a future edition of the Forum.

When the County Council disposed of the Youth Club building in 2008, it was to a landmark joint-venture between the Youth Club and High School. After £35,000 of County Council funded repairs, the project was viewed as a great example of the community coming together to make maximum use of assets, with the school having access during the day and the youth club for their club nights.

The Youth Club has continued to go from strength to strength with high attendance (over 50 young people on some evenings) and activities delivered by a fantastic team of staff and volunteers. Sadly, in Autumn 2019, issues with drains and the boiler meant it was deemed no longer safe and the Youth Club has been informed that approximately £9,000 of repairs are required.

Now the Youth Club has been asked to vacate the premises within six weeks, meaning they risk losing their permanent home.

Rev Daniel Pulham, who Chairs the Youth Club Management Committee, addressed the Town Council during their meeting of 26th April, lamenting how the original vision had “reflected the Shipston spirit” and that he has received “no invitation for further conversation or consideration”.

It is hoped that the council can mediate a discussion between the school and Youth Club to reach an amicable solution.

The High Sheriff is the Queen’s representative in the County for all matters relating to the Judiciary and the maintenance of law and order; much of the High Sheriff’s year is therefore spent supporting and encouraging the voluntary and statutory organisations who work in this area. In Warwickshire, this means involvement with the Crown and Magistrates’ Courts, in addition to the Police, Prison and Probation Services.

Traditionally, High Sheriffs look after visiting High Court Judges to the county, although such visits are now rare in Warwickshire. However, the High Sheriff does make awards to those who, in the opinion of the Judges at a criminal trial, have been active in the apprehension of certain offenders.

The Office of High Sheriff is apolitical and as such the High Sheriff is in a unique position to be able to bring people together within the county and to support the enormous contribution made by the emergency services, the armed forces, local authorities, church and faith groups and the voluntary community.

As part of their ceremonial duties, the High Sheriff assists the Lord Lieutenant of the County with Royal visits, is the Official Returning Officer for parliamentary elections and has responsibility for proclaiming the accession of a new Sovereign.

Recently Shipston Rotary have made a further £2,000 donation to Shipston Home Nursing (Right: Rebecca Mawle, Head of Community Nursing at Shipston Home Nursing with Rotary president Stuart Mclean). In addition, the funds raised from the Tree of Life (£632.20) have been presented to Acorn’s Children’s Hospice.

N.B St Edmunds church is closed at present, however, the Book of Life will be there when it reopens.

Understanding the needs of the nation helps everyone from central government to local organisations, such as councils and health authorities, plan and fund public services across England and Wales. Census outputs inform where public funding is spent on services like transport, education and health.

Information from the Census makes a difference to the life of every single person in Warwickshire as Census data is used to plan things as diverse as maternity services, apprenticeship schemes, new bike lanes and nursery spaces.

Privacy is also respected throughout the process. All data is made anonymous and personal information is locked away for 100 years, so it cannot be seen by government officials dealing with individual applications for support or influence the payments or services someone receives. The anonymised census results are available 12 months after the census takes place.

Households will begin receiving letters with online codes in March explaining how they can complete their online census. People can also request a paper questionnaire if they’d prefer to complete the census that way. In areas where lower online completion is expected, around 10% of households will receive a traditional paper form through the post.

There is plenty of help available, with people also able to complete the census over the phone with assistance from trained staff via the ONS’ freephone contact centre. The ONS also aims to provide in-person support to complete the census online through Census Support Centres where it is safe to do so.

Census 2021 will include questions about sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. For the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

For more information and advice on how to answer the questions, visit census.gov.uk.

In its latest act of generosity, Shipston Rotary has donated £1,000 to Shipston Primary School to enable the school to purchase laptops, broadening access to online home learning.

Glyn Roberts, Head of School at Shipston Primary School, said: “Throughout all of the past difficult year, and especially over the past week since Lockdown was announced, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our wonderful community. The help that you have given to provide laptops to ensure that all of our children can access online home learning is amazing and extremely humbling.

“We have already been donated some laptops raised through donations and are hugely grateful to the Rotary for their continued support which now includes a donation of £1,000 towards purchasing more laptops.

“The support of our community means so much to us in school, not just in helping us to continue to deliver the very best education to our children that we possibly can, but also in reminding all of us in school that we are all it together. It is moments like this that we hold on to and give us the strength to know that we will get through these times. Thanks again and stay safe.”

Photo:  Children of Shipston Primary School, Lucy Bosley (School Computing Lead) and Glyn Roberts (Head of School) with some of the Chromebooks donated to the school.

The winner of this year’s Rotary Best Dressed Window competition is Dice of Church Street. Pictured outside her shop is Jayne Scandrett, the proud owner, holding the trophy presented by Rotary President Stuart Mclean.

In second place was the Cottage Garden Florist, The Alleyway (Jemma Parnell) and third placed was Dr CP Grey Opticians at 29 High Street.

The judges said they were very impressed with the number of shops that took part and the quality of the beautiful displays. Picking the top three was very difficult!

This is a very good reminder to shop in Shipston if possible, but if you do need to buy something from Amazon, Shipston Rotary urges you to go to smile.amazon. co.uk and choose Shipston Rotary as your charity. It won’t cost you a penny more, and the Rotary will receive a small donation.

This year Rotary’s focus is local charities especially Shipston Home Nursing. You can donate at JustGiving, or by using the QR code here. Scanning the code using your mobile phone takes you directly to the Rotary’s Just Giving page and is an easy way to donate.