Annual Parish meeting

22 April 2016 Report booklet

Deanshanger Parish Council

The parish council would like to thank the residents of Deanshanger for voting for them in the 2015 elections, it’s been a challenge as well as hard work, but though the learning curve is a steep one, the council is delivering results now and has plans for 2016 which will help the village.

The parish council have maintained the same precept as 2014/15 which is excellent news to residents as there has been no increased costs. The Council have all finances and the records up to date to ensure the monies secured and held by the Parish Council are accountable and the use of funds is widely known. The council has the precept as well as some secured funds from development in the village. There is also the New Homes Bonus which groups of Deanshanger have access to apply to for funds.

We have this year looked to work with the police to ensure we have issues facilitated and managed and worked with the police to maintain a safe environment. Also working with the police and the community to support Neighbourhood Watch and understand where we can support new initiatives such as street watch.

The council has seen a lot of a change with new councillors, now up to capacity along with a new clerk. All of which has been exciting and challenging, to ensure that the running of the council is in order, up to standard and for everyone to understand the polices which sometimes have been challenging due to the amount of bureaucracy involved.

We will see a new initiative this summer from a joint action group working with Service Six who will be connecting with the younger generation in the village, with a view to providing guidance and advice on providing facilities for this generation.

A questionnaire was produced to ask Deanshanger what they wanted, sadly a low response of only 40 responses were received.

We have employed a handyman for 6 months for 16 hours a week with the idea to improve and maintain the areas we are responsible for, with litter picking and to manage the maintenance. The handyman will also work to enhance the areas and keep up to an acceptable presentable standard. The Parish Council print their own newsletter which has saved money, also paying locally for delivery to help support the community. We are also working to try and embrace more and more groups and individuals so that we can share what is happening and deliver any news items. If you wish to contribute please notify the clerk as soon as possible so that she can build up a record of contributors.

The Parish council had its first stand at the feast which was a great opportunity to be part of a community event, as well raise money for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance from denotations from the Co Op.

We have an open spaces working party, of which the public are welcome to join and share ideas with the councillors so we can ensure we improve facilities with input from everyone

We saw a change in the village this year with the Co Op opening; this seems to have been welcomed to the village. There have been comments of litter and parking issues, all of which the Co Op supported by the Parish Council are trying to address. There is a great community spirit here along with the way they have integrated with us. The co-op also has generously donated to a number of groups in the village.

We are going to be working with Elizabeth Woodsville School to initiate ways in which we can work with younger generations and generate link to the council. 2015 we saw the success of the signs installed by Deanshanger Athletic club which were the result of the Parish Council running a competition for the primary school. The children were asked to design posters for preventing dog fouling. These have been well received and it’s great to see these around the village.

The state of the roads is mentioned repeatedly, this is an issue for county council and we do report in the newsletter reminders where you can report these.

There was the successful installation of the defibrillator by the community centre and in 2016 we will see installation of another one near the Co Op.

The Parish Council have also met informally to share ideas and known concerns from residents to put these into a plan so they can be implemented in 2016, you will see these completed as the months roll on through 2016 if you follow the agendas and minutes.

The Parish recognise the hard work and enthusiasm brought from a group of volunteers, Deanshanger in Bloom. This group care about the appearance of the village and will continue in 2016 to enhance the appearance of the village. They welcome new volunteers at this group as they want to become a part of this village as well as garden. Thank you to them for the exceptional efforts in the village; it is appreciated by the Parish.

Thank you everyone for attending the meeting tonight, for coming to listen and to those who have contributed not only with reports but with the efforts to collaborate bringing the village together. Deanshanger does have a great community spirit and a vast amount of amenities and activities, it’s fantastic.

The Parish Council want all groups and people to know we are here for them to support, do contact us for clarity on processes and grants as we are open to support where we can.

The Council would like to thank the clerk who joined us in December 2015, working hard to bring inline the Parish Council finances and administration. Report by your County Councillor Allen Walker of 2015/2016 for: Alderton, Ashton, Cosgrove Deanshanger, Grafton Regis, , Paulerspury, , Wicken, Whittlebury, Yardley Gobion.

What a year!!!!! Who would have thought we would be talking and moving to a complete new structure at NCC? (Next Generation Working) What does this mean to you the residents of the above Parishes of my Ward.

Well probably very little to you in real terms. But to us Councillors a smarter, better, more financially sound County Council. The Structure as I have explained simply over the year is to split the major elements into Trading Companies. So we will have Environment & Transport doing as it does now with our Partner KIAWSP. There will be a New Mutual Company for Wellbeing and its partners in the NHS, a new Community Interest Company for Adult Services/Social Services, as well as a new Mutual Trust for Children & Young People, complementing our own Trading Company LGSS. All having their own Directors and workforce. These will still be controlled by the CXO and his team and us Politicians known as NCC Group, we will have a 51% controlling stake in each element. Which will be governed by Cabinet and Full Council decisions still. (There, easy peas`y)

At NCC numerous activities that I have been involved in are still taking place. The first being, we have improved too, Good from Inadequate, for our “Looked after Children” I am pleased to say that this has been done by a total revamp of the dep’t and a new director. Albeit the cost has been horrendous (Extra £10M – £15M). Our Academy school for Social Workers is also paying dividends with nearly 100 new people being adequately trained to meet this demanding job. This has been established as an exemplar for the Council.

We have taken nearly £200M from our base budget in the last 5 years and planning to take another £130M+ over the next 4 years. We have had some concessions from Government. We can now use a four-year plan (as opposed to balancing the books yearly) £65M, £30M £17M, £18M

The cost of running our services would double in the next 4 years if we did not change. It will mean closer working with the 6 Districts & Borough. This also brings to the fore the Unitary Debate…. SNC are already paying for a feasibility study to go to a Combined Authority with Cherwell in OXON. Whereby the rest of Northamptonshire Districts/Borough are talking unitary. As your County Councillor I have kept out of the debate at present until more concrete factual evidence one way or other is given. We at NCC are continuing towards a Tri County Alliance with Oxford & . To establish Strategic links in the Heartland of

Project Angel is progressing at a pace, we will see our staff move into a modern purpose built building in Northampton by March 2017. We have done this by closing & selling 12 buildings, effectively making the £54M to pay for this. As I have said before “What you see is what you get” with me. Hopefully I have lived up to your expectations as your County Councillor of 19 years. Every year seems to get harder financially.

From my Empowering Councillors monies of £7,000 (this will change to £5,000 from May 2016) I have donated grants to:

Ashton Village Magazine, Wicken Sports Club (Tennis Courts), Potterspury Youth Club (Projector), Potterspury John Hellens Primary School (Outdoor Equipment), Potterspury Improvement Group (Garden of Remembrance), Deanshanger Primary School (Sports Hall), Yardley Gobion Recreation Centre (Road reinstatement),

My activities locally as your County Councillor have involved;

Cosgrove, Yardley Gobion, Potterspury, 90 Bus services; Paulerspury, Transport issues; Wicken Drainage and Solar panels; Old Stratford 89 Buses, New Developments, OSR issues, Quarry extraction at ; Deanshanger 89/90 Buses, Stratford Rd reinstatement and Traffic congestion issues; Ashton, Aderton & Grafton Regis, Traffic management along the A508; Whittlebury Speeding A403 (High Street)

I have had successful separate meetings with Highways Officers, regarding future traffic management on the A5, A422 A508 and the over capacity of the Roundabout at Old Stratford to enshrine in the NCC Highways Strategy approved by Cabinet, for future action.

I am still Chief Whip for the Conservative Group at NCC as well as Chair of the Standards Board and Chair the Scrutiny Network. As well as being involved in continued dialogue with MPs and other Councils.

I was re-elected (May 2015) District Councillor for Deanshanger Ward representing Deanshanger, Wicken and

My County & District work activities for parishioners is higher than ever (Due to the changes being made at NCC) but I still maintain a 24hr turn around on initial call contact.

I would again thank your Clerk & you Councillors. Not forgetting you residents for your forbearance whilst working and communicating with me in dealing with matters on your behalf.

I am still contactable on: Telephone 01908 – 260302

E – Mail [email protected] or [email protected]

Report by your District County Councillor Allen Walker for 2015/16 for;

Deanshanger, Wicken & Puxley

My thanks to those who voted and re – elected me again as your District Councillor for another 4 years. Also congratulations to Dennis for succeeding as well.

My duties at SNC are:

Being elected Chair of the Scrutiny Committee, dealing with such things as. The Forum Building, Parking in , The Corporate Business Plan, IT Services (or lack of them) introduction of Dell tablets, SNC Performance Management and our own work program of Community Infrastructure, Communications, Affordable Housing and lately Safeguarding….

SNC over the last year has moved into its new building (The Forum) at Moat Lane Towcester. This building is a lot easier to get to than Springfields (although car parking does need sorting out). SNC is a Council that is still continuing successfully with joint working and Cherwell District Council. It has reduced duplicated working for both Councils by sharing activities thereby giving a better Quality of Service for the tax you pay. It`s introduction of Food Waste collections has been more than successful and has the best recycling record in the County.

SNC has the lowest level of unemployment throughout the country

A Council that is debt free. A council whose tax bill that remains unchanged (0%) rise in five years. A council that costs you £170.00 per year, £3.27 per week.

Ultimately rated the one of the best places to live in, in the Country.

My one disappointment is the introduction of CIL (New build roof tax) as opposed to locally negotiated S106 agreements. I only hope I am proved wrong in my doubt regarding the benefits to local resident….I also have reservations about the Devolution program for Northamptonshire

What more can I say. I will continue in the same vein serving you the residents Deanshanger at SNC as I have done in the past.

Deanshanger:

Congratulations to the nearly all new elected Parish Council. I am sure new people will bring new ideas for the residents of Deanshanger.

Well the dust has settle and the Fox and Hounds is now a Co – Op and is thriving. This village has not always been harmonious but has always worked together communication wise. In this case common sense has prevailed. It`s noticeable that many who petitioned against this now use the Co-Op!!!!!

Our next job is to ensure all the amenities remain, to keep this growing village on the up. The Pharmacy needs our help. So as my saying goes “If you do not use it, you will lose it”

I have also dealt with further Bus Service changes and we have still maintained a regular service. Attended an appeal by the applicant for the last phase of the Elementis site for commercial premises. Which is now taking longer than envisaged to agree. Headed up a meeting with Redrow (re their responsibilities regarding Stratford Rd) and Highways (Street Furniture). Overviewed the Post office move to Puxley Rd and am negotiating a new Post Box at the bottom of the Village. Spoken up for Deanshanger regarding the Core Strategy at SNC and re-establishing our Village Boundary a well as Conservation Area. The creep of the MK Plan into this area. Spoken on the inequality of the new CIL planning arrangements. Helped out some of our Elderly folk re new Inland Revenue laws. Had a number of discussions with local business men/women and their views on Devolution for SNC and setting up a joint Authority with Cherwell and the Unitary implications within Northamptonshire.

Wicken:

Drainage Leckhamstead Rd, Verges Deanshanger Rd, involved in the consultation to reduce the size of the application for Solar Panels along the A422. Assisted with two major household planning Applications.

Puxley:

Potholes and road conditions generally, as reported to me by telephone.

My workload from individual parishioner is pretty stable at about 25 per year, answering within 24hrs, except for holidays.

I am contactable on: -

Telephone 01908 – 260302 E – Mail [email protected]

Also at [email protected] Deanshanger Memorial Community Centre

Again a good year for bookings and finance, with this in mind there are several improvements we would like to make.

The hall floor has 2 large cracks and several holes needing to be filled. We contacted Granwood the original installers and have a quote of £3,775.25 for a complete refurbishment, however this will mean the hall will close for 1 week commencing Monday 13th June. It was felt this would be a good time to consider redecorating the hall from top to bottom, the ceiling, in fact has never been painted, too high for our volunteers to attempt.

Earlier in the year we increased our hire charges for Parties, Dances and Weddings knowing that we were going to have to increase the hourly rate paid to our small workforce to conform to government requirements.

Since last summer we have been trying to get the N.C.C. Libraries to repair the automatic front doors. Libraries lease states they have a responsibility to pay 75% of repair costs. We are finally nearing a result, however currently a starting date for this work has not be given, costs to the Community centre will be approx. £1,500.00.

We are having boiler problems again, the Branch Surgery boiler has been leaking and suffered some internal damage, our Gas Safety Engineer is of the opinion it needs replacing (this boiler is only 2 years old)

Bosch were asked to visit and we are awaiting the results.

The Branch Surgery is financially holding its own but still underused. Last month the Parish Council met with the Community Centre Committee to discuss options and ideas to increase usage of the venue.

It is with regret that Jennifer Cross and I are no longer able to run and organise the Annual Deanshanger Flower Shows. We have advertised for help in this matter but so far no-one has responded. We will be making Sunday 21st August the last one should no-one come forward.

This will be my last Chairman’s Report as I will be standing down in May at our A.G.M. I have had a brilliant Committee working alongside me and with John, my husband’s support I have enjoyed the challenge. Last summer I became a Trustee and hope to attend the monthly meetings in the future.

Stella Lawson

Chair- 2nd Deanshanger Scout Group

The 2nd Deanshanger Scout Group provides a range of activities to over 85 young people. The membership of the Group are aged between 6 and 14 and are led by a dedicated group of 13 volunteer leaders split between the 3 sections: beavers (6-8 year olds); cubs (8-11); and scouts (11- 14). The Group is managed by an Executive Committee which looks after the meeting facilities, fund raising, equipment, finances and administration as well as supporting the leadership team in delivering activities for the young people.

The Scout Association and the Group’s aims are to develop the physical, mental and spiritual attributes of the young people and to prepare them for adulthood through a series of structured programmes under the direction of the national Scout Association. We look to develop team working, leadership and an attitude of trying new things and never saying no to an activity until it has been tried. The programme of activities is broken down into various headings which include, outdoor, community, creative, fitness, Skills and international themes.

Beavers: The Beavers section caters for our youngest group of children (aged between 6 and 8). They meet on a Wednesday night from 5:15pm

As is suitable for this age group, much of the activities are based around crafts and games, but we also do some work on maps and other basic scouting skills. We are currently celebrating the 30th anniversary of the creation of the beavers and recently attended a party with approximately 180 Beavers from across the District.

Cubs: The Cub Scout section (for young people between 8 and 11) continues to thrive with an increase in membership throughout the period from 34 to 43 cubs at the year end. This is both the maximum capacity for the existing facilities and just within the safety rations for the young people to the number of cub leaders. As a national organisation we are celebrating our 100th year in 2016.

In summary the last 12 months have provided the cubs with the opportunity to

 Spend up to 9 nights away on camps and other residential experiences  To gain several of the 400 badges earned by the whole group  To help the group raise almost £8000  To push their personal limits, develop new skills and best of all have some great fun along the way by participating in 40 weekly meetings and the events and activities outlined below.

This has been achieved only because we have a stable and well trained leadership team – who continue to work together successfully. On the leader front we have 4 wood badge holders, 3 adventurous activity permit holders (Windermere is freezing in February) and 3 nights away permit holders. New leaders are progressing with their training towards being fully qualified and all leaders have up to date safety, safeguarding and first aid qualifications – the cubs are well cared for!

During the year we lost David …… who is now running a group in Ely in Cambridgeshire!

So what have we done with the cubs:- Berzerk (1 night) Evening / nights spent at an indoor play area followed by a sleepover.

Tesco Stores Visit Part of their “Farm to Fork” programme informing the cubs how their food arrives on their plate – evening involved sampling many of Tesco’s products.

Raft building (models) Using recycled items the cubs built rafts and floated them in a paddling pool, in readiness for building the real things at camp.

Sculpture walk Visiting and being photographed with many of the sculptures and artworks of .

Totem Pole Team entered the District competition and came second – this is an event which tests their scouting skills and knowledge as well as their ability to operate as a team in games.

Walesby camp (2) An indoor camp which included canoeing, Hiking in the Peak District with some rock scrambling, a visit to the coal face down a coal mine and archery.

Big Rock Climbing An evening at the indoor climbing centre in Milton Keynes

Cycling (Salcey Forest) Bike ride through the woods

Adventure Golf Crazy golf at Abbey Hill Golf centre Milton Keynes

Belchamps camp (5) Camp in tents near Southend on sea in Essex which included rafting, fencing,

go-Karting, abseiling, visits to fun fair, fish and chips on the sea front, UKs longest pier walk, fires and water purification, rope bridges across streams, hospital with broken bones, driving diggers and JCBs,

Golden Hinde (1) by train included much walking and tube travel but also included a boat cruise along the Thames, visits to St Pauls, Hamleys, Science Museum, the top of the Walkie-Talkie building, guided tour of the Tower of London, sleepover on the replica Golden Hinde with enactments on the ship (from firing a canon to assisting the Tudor surgeon).

Remembrance Day As the biggest contingent of young people on parade we marched through

the village and joined the legion, the guides and brownies and everyone else at the event at Deanshanger church.

Floats / BHS bag pack The cubs fully participated in the three key end of year Group Fund raising events that being floats and a door to door collection around the village and a day spent in BHS in Milton Keynes – packing bags and shaking buckets. Both events together raised almost £5000.

Christmas party Disco and party jointly with the beavers. Our pack evenings have covered the following activities:-

 DIY projects including rope making  First Aid training  Hikes / Navigation including map reading, compass usage and a history walk around  Knots and Lashings & pioneering  Fitness

Looking ahead to the rest of 2016 – as we celebrate 100 years of cub scouting (with 10 nights away) and the following events duly planned

 Paris and the Disney Parks (2) by Eurostar  Cycling in the woods  Bournemouth (6) including visits to the lifeboat station, Corfe castle, the IOW by Hovercraft, Portsmouth’s historic dockyard, the beach at Studland’s bay, splashdown, crate staking, rifle shooting, and a ride on a very long zipwire!  New Forest (2 night camp)  Duxford / Hendon – air activities (winter term).

Scouts:

The Scout section provides activities for older children (11 to 14 year olds). There are currently 14 scouts enrolled and whilst most of these were previously in the cub section, this isn’t a prerequisite to joining us. The section currently has 3 fully trained leaders and would be keen to hear from anyone who would like to join us. The opportunity to encourage and support the young people of Deanshanger to become skilled and considerate citizens is a really satisfying one. The section meet on a Thursday evening and provides a wide range of activities which are targeted at gaining some of the many badges. The activities during the past 12 months have included:

- First Aid training & Survival hygiene - Fire building - Communication; Morse code, semaphore, amateur radio - Photography - Hiking and cycling - Shelter building - DIY - Rock climbing - Practical skills: ironing, sewing, puncture repair, wiring a plug, cooking - Map reading - Rhythmic drum workshop - Healthy eating

Although our visit to Milton Keynes police station had to be cancelled, we have had a visit from PCSO Peter Firth during the current year.

We have also had 3 weekend camps during the last year, all under canvas, which have included activities such as abseiling, archery and raft building. In addition to this, 3 scouts attended the annual ‘Jamboree on the Air’ event at Spotley Wood amateur radio station, where they spoke to other scouts from around the world.

Looking forwards to the coming year, we are planning on doing some backwards cooking, shooting, caving, archery, some further DIY and a District night hike. We also plan further camping experiences.

Future Plans: The group is currently reviewing the accommodation available to it with the aim of improving the site and facilities to make sure that we can provide a good Scouting experience to the growing number of children in the village. If you would like to find out more about our plans, then please come along to one of our fundraising events where leaders and committee members will be more than happy to talk to you. Our next event is a bingo night on 20th May followed by a golf day at Silverstone Golf Club on 24th June - contact Emma Ward ([email protected]) for more details.

DEANSHANGER METHODIST CHURCH REPORT TO PARISH COUNCIL – APRIL 2016

At Deanshanger Methodist Church or ‘the chapel’ as we are more commonly known, our aim is to provide a place of worship, fellowship and friendship within the village. Without taking anything away from any other place of worship in Deanshanger we pride ourselves on our level of pastoral care (considering our size) and like to think of ourselves as the ‘ little chapel with the big heart’ or maybe the ‘little chapel with big ideas’!!

With regard to worship, we have our regular Sunday Services, twice yearly bible study sessions, which are available to all and special Christmas and Easter services.

As many people in the village know, we are constantly trying to improve on our level of outreach and as well as the existing ‘Drop In’ lunches where we provide a homemade 3 course meal on the first Friday of the month from March to July and October to December; we also have ‘Pop In’ 4 times a year where we serve homemade cakes and coffee or tea and homemade soup with bread. We hold a quarterly ‘Breakfast Service’ with an informal communion which is shared at the table, where we serve a buffet breakfast which includes yoghurt & fruit, juice , cereal and bacon , fried eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms. It may seem that we all about food and although that isn’t entirely true I think I can get away with saying that we do ‘food’ rather well!

Some other members of our congregation hold lunches & afternoon teas in aid of several charitable organisations and we also collect food items to donate to ‘ The Food Bank’ and one of colleagues has arranged a collection point at the local Co-op.

As with many old buildings we have a constant battle to keep the’ rain out and hold the warmth in’ and to this end have yet again had to spend a considerable amount of money over the last 18 months . Approximately £4155 so far with another £2000 to pay out ; although that may not seem a massive to some it is a lot for a chapel of our size and it does mean that although fundraising isn’t our main aim it has to be high on the list .

This is where the big ideas come in; as I said before we are constantly trying to improve and come up with fresh ideas, so there are some new things coming up in the future. If you read the article in the latest Parish Council Newsletter I did say ‘watch this space ‘. So please do!

June Lake Steward & Secretary Deanshanger Colts

I ended last year’s report by saying that we had been nominated for the Northants FA Charter Standard club of the Year award for 2015, well I am very pleased to say that the Deanshanger Colts did receive the accolade. We received tickets for the FA community shield at Wembley which we auctioned off, and along with a £200 award from Northants FA we were able to donate £360 to the Deanshanger Day Centre, which is another organisation the village should be proud of.

Moving on, the Colts are once again enjoying a successful season on and off the pitch, with 200 boys and girls signed to the club. On the pitch the Under 16’s have secured the MK Border Counties Division 3 title while at the time of writing the Under 15’s top Division 2 and need to beat Roman Rangers and for them to drop a further point to clinch the title. The Under 14’s look set for a top three finish in their division.

The non- league squads, Under 11’s to under 7’s have all tasted victory and defeats during the season. Off the pitch we have invested heavily in the coaching staff of the club with five new FA Level 1 coaches added, while Andy Davis is due to complete his FA Level 2 youth module this month.

We have also benefited from fifty hours FA Coach mentoring from Uefa A coach, John Reynolds who was supplied by Northants FA. John has put on sessions as well mentoring coaches individually, and will be hosting a CPD session for the whole of the club. The club will again be applying for another fifty hours next season.

On the down side the Club has been unable to get the adults with disabilities football sessions off the ground despite Northants FA’s assistance, and the planned new dressing room development has yet to start due to a number of issues, but once the FA, Premier League, government and other funding partners have agreed who puts in what, our application for funding will again be considered.

The Colts is not just about coaching children football, we also encourage the older players to get involved with assisting the young players and hopefully keep them at the club in the future. We have two lads from the Under 14’s and one Under 11 regularly referring matches on a Saturday. The under 6’s are also benefitting from three players who are putting on sessions for them on a Saturday morning.

Despite losing the Under 13’s squad for this season due to coaches stepping down and being unable to find replacements, the club have added the second Divas squad at Under 10’s level. Again Northants FA approached the Colts about taking on another girls’ team, and once we gave the green light they put a qualified coach into the primary school for ten weeks, and we have now taken on the squad of 12 girls, two of which are now also training with Northampton Town. Staying with schools Elizabeth Woodville have asked if we can put coaches in place for them to hold after school sessions as they only have the one PE teacher. On the 5th May the first session took place and we plan to continue until the end of the term.

In the Easter holidays we hosted a Soccer skills session with 36 players taking part, and one girl was selected to train with the Northants FA girl’s squad, with the parents recently emailing me saying, “How football has gave her confidence in all aspects of life”

The club will again be holding a FA soccer morning during the Whitsun half term.

The club have recently invested £500 in aerating their two main pitches, and would like to thank the trustees of the Playing Fields Association who are supplying grass seed and top soil for the pitch maintenance. For next season the club will be supplying every player and coaches with sweatshirts

to improve the image of the club.

To close, as the Deanshanger Colts & Divas prepare for their end of season presentations, the club is in need of people to come forward to assist with the running of the squads and help with the day to day chores that need doing in a grassroots football club.

Passenham United Charities Report on the Trusts’ activities 2015

1. During the year we had an income of £1019.68. This came from rent for Poorsfield, £865.00, investments of £97.78 and the rent from Western Power Distribution of £56.90. 2. During the year the expenditure was £830.00. All in funeral grants 3. We began the year with £531.76.and ended with £721.44

2015/2016 Report to Parish Council re: Deanshanger Village Heritage Society

The Heritage Society has had a very positive year. Membership currently stands at 118.

During the past year the Society has organised a number of events. The Annual Brook work party was held in April and a good number of people attended this and did a great job. The main event of 2015 was the WW1 Exhibition and Activity Day held at the Community Centre which was very well received. This was the culmination of a bigger information collecting and display project which was funded by a Lottery Grant through the Great War MK project.

In October we organised the Feast for the last time. It was a difficult decision to take but it was felt that it was time for some younger members of the community should take this on and a call was put out for volunteers to come forward to take over the running of it. It appears that there are a couple of people working on this so we hope that last year’s Feast will not be the last Feast altogether as members of the community have, over the years, really enjoyed the social interaction that it provides. We are very grateful to Andy and Lynda Limbert who headed up the team that worked so hard on the sixteen Feasts that we organised.

During the year we have been invited to install a display area within Deanshanger Primary School and we were able to secure grant funding to enable us to do this. The second set of exhibits is currently being prepared to replace the first. This is an ongoing project that was instigated by a request from the school. The school had been involved in the World War 1 Project the previous year.

This year we have already held two Members & Friends evenings. At the first of these the speaker was Anna McEvoy who gave a presentation about the restoration of Stowe House which was very interesting. The second was held after the AGM at the end of March and 37 people enjoyed a presentation of images of the village with sound coming from the archive of memories. In March we organised the big Clean for the Queen Litter Pick. 22 residents came and helped with the main event at which we collected at least 50 bags of rubbish. We also involved the primary school (all year groups took part) and the brownies and more recently the cubs also have done a litter pick as part of the project.

Coming up we have the Annual Brook cleaning work party on 16th April. The next event after that is “Strictly Tea” which is an event involving afternoon tea and dancing to live music to be held on 2nd July from 3 – 6 pm. Tickets will be on sale before the event.

Also in July we are organising a “Picnic in the Park” on Sunday 24th July from 2pm. At this event we are having various games, including the popular water rockets, a Punch and Judy show and live music. This is a free event and is open to all members of the community.

Finally, on 10th September we are planning a ‘Pop-up’ exhibition on the green space within the Redrow development. This will feature displays relating to the area and around – The Roman Villa, the Canal, North field itself, etc. Refreshments will be available and we will also use this event to launch our 2016 Daffodil project. As before, we will be asking all Deanshanger residents to donate just one daffodil bulb. These will be collected together and planted in the autumn by whoever volunteers to help. The daffodils you currently see on the verges were all planted by villagers and supplied by villagers in our last project in 2001. We aim to fill up all the gaps and reinforce areas where there are fewer bulbs.

During this year we are planning to reinstate an old Roberts Water Standpipe in its original location. We have a team working on that project. Our archive, IT, planning and memories teams all meet regularly to take forward the work of the Society.

So, it has been a busy year. Our committee of twelve work extremely hard for the benefit of the community.

Deanshanger Environmental Management Committee

This committee manages the maintenance of and improvements to the Pocket Park which is a very valuable asset to the community. The land identified as The Pocket Park was once part of the ancient field system and, from the air, it is possible see how it connected with the fields on the other side of the by-pass. The ancient ridge and furrow system is also clearly visible both from the air and at ground level when the grass is cut short. The Pocket Park came into being in 1996 as a result of the by-pass being built. The formation of it as a Pocket Park was part of the bigger project pioneered by the County Council.

The current committee has managed the park since 2008. During the past year the Committee has met every two months and has 8 members. The list of volunteers is much larger and they are sent the programme of work parties at the beginning of the year and reminders before each working party together with a list of jobs proposed and tools needed.

Working parties are held regularly to carry out various works in the Park. These include replacing trees that have failed to establish, reinforcing hedgerow plants, weeding, mulching, planting wildflower seeds and plants, managing the weed in the pond. The committee has been instrumental in obtaining grants to cover major works and the total of grants obtained, to date, have amounted to around £30,000. The projects that these grants have funded have been the establishment of the young woodland areas, the community orchard, the seats and picnic tables, the stone circle, the hedgerows on the EWS boundary, the new gates, an amphibian hibernaculum, the information panel and the stone based paths which follow the natural contours of the land so as not to destroy the ridge and furrow.

The grant received in 2015 from the Big Lottery fund was solely for the installation of the hard based paths around the north-eastern and south-western sections of the park. This work is not yet completed. Unfortunately, work was halted in September of last year and by the time permission to continue with it was granted the weather had changed and conditions were not suitable for the use of heavy machinery.

As soon as weather conditions improve and there is no risk to other parts of the park from the impact of heavy machinery and the availability of the contractor, this work will resume.

The installation of stone based paths around the north western section will also be carried out when the conditions are suitable and when the contractor is available. When completed, this means that all the paths in the park will have a firm base.

In 2014 a new pond was dug by a charity called Froglife. This was arranged by the County Council with the permission of the Parish Council. The site was chosen so as not to destroy or damage the valuable ridge and furrow still evident in other parts of the park.

The future of the Pocket Park is positive. It is very well used by those seeking to immerse themselves in nature; to walk their dogs; to pond dip with their children; to paint and draw; to picnic; to bird watch; to spot butterflies and other creepy crawlies and generally to enjoy the tranquillity of the park.

Deanshanger WI

We are more than “Jam and Jerusalem”!

Deanshanger WI meets on the second Thursday of every month with the exception of March and August. We meet in the Deanshanger Memorial Community Centre at 7.30pm. Our programme is varied with speakers on all sorts of interesting and diverse subjects. As members, we have access to opportunities to learn new skills through courses that are available and visit places of interest.

Due to the fact that we are part of a national organisation we have our own monthly magazine “WI Life” and Newsletter. Each year the WI also campaigns on wider issues that affect our communities.

Carol Pattinson President

Day care Centre

Over the past year our numbers have increased and we are now serving lunch to approx 30 people.

We took our members to Millets farm for a summer outing, where they enjoyed a cooked lunch and then enjoyed going round the various shops and pet farms

At Christmas we had a party with entertainment and a traditional turkey dinner cooked by Kay, each member was given a shopping voucher and a bag of groceries.

Already this year we have enjoyed a special Easter Lunch after which they all received an Easter Egg.

We would like to thank the council for the grant they give us and we are forever grateful to Alan and Jenny Dott for always supporting our fund raising efforts and they can always be relied upon if we are in need of assistance.

This has been a good year for generous donations from several groups, companies and individuals of course this cannot be taken for granted and we are always aware that a lot depends on our own fundraising so that we have enough to cover the cost of the bus, hire of hall, and insurance etc.

It would be nice to see some younger members of the community coming along to help or just for a chat with folks who come each week as for many this is the only time they get out.

I would like to finish by thanking our helpers for all their hard work especially Barbara who never ceases to amaze us with the variety of delicious meals she cooks. Report on the Deanshanger Village Feast

The Feast has now been running for the past 16 years after it was resurrected by the Deanshanger Village Heritage Society as a millennium event way back in Oct 2000 Since the first running of the Feast it has grown in strength, the number of activities, the amount of villagers and others who have enjoyed the afternoon festivities. We have also raised a considerable amount of money not only for the Air Ambulance, to which we have donated over £9000. Over the years we have also given either money or items of equipment to a number of village organisations. In 2015 we donated a sum of £200 to the Village Day Centre. We were, yet again blessed with good weather for this year’s event, which brought out the crowds in very large numbers.

Through this we raised more money than in previous years and we had more attractions and stalls to entertain those who attended.

As ever the fireworks where a great hit and the evening weather was perfect for the display. We thank both the Parish Council, and GRS Road Stone, the operators of the quarry at Passenham for the monies which we receive to pay for the fireworks. We also thank Jim Khambatta and Dave Bramwell, our trained pyre technicians, for giving up there time to entertain the large crowd which assembled on the Green to watch the display. Andy and Lynda Limbert, who have organised the Feast over the last 16 years, have reluctantly decided to retire. Over the years, they have dedicated many thousands of hours, to put on the event, however all good things must come to an end, and they have decided to hand over the mantle of organising and running the event to new blood.

The Limberts have agreed to assist any person or organisation which wishes to take the Feast forward and they have available all the contacts and relevant information, needed to run the event, ready to pass on to the new organisers.

If the Feast is run as a community event, as in the past, then members of the Deanshanger Village Heritage Society, are also willing to assist on the day, as they have over the years.

It is hoped that the Feast will continue and that Tom Emmett will head up the event, this year and in the future.

In closing it must be stressed that without the kind support which we have received from many of the villagers and organisations associated with the village and the sponsorship from the Parish Council and GRS Road Stone for the firework display, it would not have been possible to organise this great village institution.

Andy Limbert

Feast Team Leader

Report of Governors---Deanshanger Primary School April 2015—April 2016

It has been a year of many changes within the life of the school and on the Governing Body. It has enabled the school and Governor’s to work together to introduce new approaches to how we deliver the best possible outcomes for our pupils, given all staff the means to provide innovative teaching and widened the role the school has in the village community.

As a Governing Body we have faced the challenge of changes to Governance---the means by which we are constituted and able to support the school as a whole. These changes have included how the Governing Body is made up, the skills we bring to the Governing Body and the roles we have as a result of changes to priorities. We have also looked at our committee system and made them more focussed around specific areas such as performance, resources and strategy.

Governors visit the school on a regular basis either individually or in more recent instances as a group as part of a Learning Walk. This has allowed us to gain a better understanding of how the curriculum is delivered, the challenges and changes that are part and parcel of school life and how we can help the school in moving forward.

Over the past year we have said goodbye to three Governors’s, Angela Rowe, Rod Rodrigo and Polly-Ann Wright and thank them for their support. We welcome Victoria Archer as a new Parent Governor and welcome back Jonathan Heap after taking a short break. We also welcomed Trevor Gregory back to the Teaching Staff and as a Staff Governor

We said goodbye to Pat Sinfield our long serving---over 21 years--- School Crossing Patrol Lady. She was a familiar face to so many children and parents and we wish her well in her retirement

As Governor’s we have in the past year had a working party looking at our vision for the school and this has included starting a discussion on Academies and the options available, this will be an ongoing process guided by both local and national advice and directives and also by looking at timing and the right opportunity.

The school has built up strong links with various village organisations including the Heritage Society, Deanshanger Library, the Parish Council, British Legion and both Tesco and the Co op who have helped paint classrooms.

The school has taken part in a village litter pick; Foundation Stage children have visited the library to take part in practical sessions linked to the curriculum and within school celebrated both Magna Carta and Shakespeare.

A recent innovation has been the creation of an Anti Bullying Committee made up of Pupils Teachers, Parents and Governors; they meet regularly to discuss how to develop strategies to raise awareness within the school and work together to support pupils

Of course our parents and volunteers play an important role in the life of the school supporting various fundraising events and listening to children read. Our PTA continues to support the school in various ways and help provide additional resources for our children

Both the school and Governing Body look for to the coming Academic Year and working together to continuing to deliver the best possible education for all children and making Deanshanger Primary School a centre of excellence.

Deanshanger in Bloom Report 2015-2016

I first visited the Parish Council on a cold autumnal evening to see if they were interested in some ideas I had about brightening up our village, and asking their advice on what I needed to do to make things happen. I then needed to see if anyone was interested in helping me achieve this vision, so I advertised on the village notice boards. Two people came forward Sharon and Stephanie, who is now a Parish Councillor. Both still commit to this day and we have formed a firm bond around our passion for plants.

We arranged a meeting where we all put ideas forward (or areas of concern) that could possibly be tackled by Deanshanger in Bloom as we are now called. Some ideas are taking longer than we would have wished due to having to obtain licences from different authorities’, but we weren’t going to let that hold us up, and we carried on with work that only needed commitment by us.

Last year we built, painted, planted and placed 23 boxes, and 6 wheelbarrows around the village, which were all funded by a grant from the Parish Council of £1250. The three really large planters outside Elizabeth Woodville School were funded by a Grant from South Northants Homes of £750 and the planting from our grant from the Parish Council.

We also edged the pathway from pocket Park up to Elizabeth Woodville School and chopped back and cleared over grown hedging and weeds from and around the traffic calming island by the old Post office, where we discover a path no one knew existed. This alone filled 14 green wheelie bins, kindly loaned by the residents of that area, as well as two one ton bags that were taken to the dump.

We also trialled a hay basket on a the Elm Drive road sign, which was quite successful and really brightened up the entrance to that road, but needed constant watering as it is only a shallow container. This would look nice but needs commitment from residents to be feasible to continue around the village. We could look at different hay basket designs to see if this would help.

We also collected £157.03 from collection boxes and games at the October Feast. Which we spent on the plants, compost, wood stain, screws etc. for planters

Our plans for this year are to firstly revisit and improve what we started last year, so starting at the entrance to the village we are going to give the entrance planters a permanent base, remove and place bigger planters on the green outside the Parish Office. We will find new homes for the ones we remove. If we can get more volunteers we would also like to continue path edging in this area, making it look neat and tidy as well as colourful.

This will then hopefully blend in with The Heritage Societies brook clearing and tidying.

Next is a brand new flower bed in front of the entrance to Pocket Park that will include roses, as a celebration to Northamptonshire, which used to be known as the Rose of the Shires. The planting for this will be funded by the £250 collect from the various collection boxes over the winter period, so the residents can see a lasting result of where their money is spent.

We are also assisting the Parish Council in planning and planting in the North Way Park in late spring. We have approached Lodore house in Church Lane and with their approval are going to plant on a waste piece of ground in front of their boundary wall which is currently full of weeds.

We are constantly being asked for more boxes around the village, which is a good sign that people like what we do. But we also need their commitment to help maintain them as we don’t having watering facilities. As we have done a lot in the older part of the village we are aware that the Glebe Road area needs to be our next point of attention and in fact have walked the area to see suitable places for planters.

Deanshanger Athletic FC

We have re constructed the fencing around the pitch, to put it back to how it was. This was funded solely by Deanshanger Athletic from the fundraising we have carried out previously. We have had a lot of great feedback about how good it looks now, of which the North Bucks and District Football League have officially complemented us on. They have also suggested if we carry on to do some more improvements for the spectators and disabled access, they will look to hold all League finals at the club, which is something we are working on.

We have been extensively finding new sponsors, in order for us to raise money towards building new changing rooms in the near future, which is on-going.

Carried out extensive improvements to the pitch surface, with maintaining the surface throughout the season and running the drag net on it every Friday. We have also financed to have the pitch Verti-Drained and will be putting 10 Tons of Sport Grade soil on the pitch and will be hiring an over-seeder to properly re seed the whole pitch on the 2nd May.

Our Vice Chairman Mark Riley in conjunction with Deanshanger Athletic, has also been proactively raising money for the charity “Harry’s Rainbow”. We donated a sponsor board for them and made them Deanshanger Athletics Official Charity. He has helped raise £1800 in total, with some money raised from the club and also money raised from negotiating and manning parking at Magnet for the MK Dons, with all money raised going to the charity.

The parish council kindly provided us new goals which we are hugely grateful for and without these, well there would be no club.

The team has improved hugely as well and we are currently in 6th place in the league. Our under 18’s are also well established now and could potential win their current league.

Deanshanger Athletic has also helped around the village when we can. We helped put the dog signs up and also assisted with Christmas lights.

So far the last 12 months have been the best, in terms of improving the club and we intend to keep this up.

The Annual Parish Meeting is not a council meeting it is a meeting for the Parish about the Parish. The chair of the Parish Council has to call the meeting but this meeting is for you. It’s a chance to celebrate all the great things this Parish has to offer and catch up on events in the past year .If there is anything you would like to see at the next Annual Parish Meeting for example: Guest speakers, displays ,demonstrations etc, please let the clerk know on 01908 566373 or [email protected] All help and ideas gratefully received