Winter 2019 Issue 56 THE ALTONIAN THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FROM ALTON TOWN COUNCIL DELIVERED TO ALTON AND ITS SURROUNDING VILLAGES Alton Town Council, Town Hall, Market Square, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 1HD Mayor’s Christmas Message Coming up on the 30th November and festive spirit alive throughout the month. 1st December we have the annual Our churches will be offering a range of Yuletide Festival, when the Christmas lights activities including carol services. will be turned on across the town centre, As Mayor of Alton I am enjoying meeting including the new feature on the Assembly many people in the town who work Rooms Lawn. Congratulations to our tirelessly to help others. The greatest form Children’s Competition winner Willow of giving is to give time to others. The McKeown, age 5 whose design will be lit up many people who work, mostly through this Christmas in the High Street voluntary organisations, to bring Christmas Father Christmas would not want to miss to their neighbours all year round are the out on his visit to Alton and will be found soul of our town. Let’s think of them as we What does Christmas mean to you? Is it in his grotto based in the town centre on settle down to enjoy our Christmas about the birth of Jesus Christ, a visit from Saturday during the Santa Run and then in celebrations. Father Christmas, receiving gifts, giving to the Community Centre on Sunday. The others, eating and drinking, parties, or just I wish you a happy Christmas and a myriad of stalls in the High Street and the soaking up a magical atmosphere? Maybe it prosperous New Year. Assembly Rooms will have plenty of is all of these? Whatever you are seeking entertainment and goods to offer. Our Councillor Graham Titterington this Christmas, Alton is the place to be! shops, restaurants and pubs will keep the Mayor of Alton Leaders New Year Message The first few months as Leader have been to engage with Altonians at every opportunity. Plans are already in place very busy. In the 40 years I have lived in It is important that we listen to your views, be for many events next Alton, I have seen many changes, and the it at the networking café before our meetings, year including a Civil increase in housing development is one that out in the town, at residents’ meetings or at War re-enactment and challenges many of us. Government dictates local events. Many of my in depth discussions Commemoration of the the housing figures and we are obliged to have happen while I am at the supermarket. 75th anniversary of some of them. The Council does listen to VE day. As a Walkers As a result of community engagement last your views and we do fight for the best are Welcome town, we year, the new youth hub, Kings Arms (Alton), outcomes for the town; the Neighbourhood will be promoting now has a home following the purchase of the Plan bears witness to that. The uncertainty walking and cycling as part of our health and old tannery (formerly Bartlett and Butchers). surrounding the new local plan is causing a well-being initiative, especially during our While the internal work is being completed, great deal of concern to us all. annual Walking Festival in May. Kings Arms are running their sessions at the We recently declared a Climate Emergency Community Centre and later this year there Watch out for the 2020 Events Guide and for Alton and are working with a number of will be a new skate park at Jubilee Playing please get in touch if you feel you would like groups to develop a strategy to address this. Fields. to volunteer to help at any of our events they We owe it to future Altonians to ensure they could not happen without your support. have a planet fit to live on. Our recent ‘Refill’ In 2020 we look forward to working with campaign was a small step forward and the EHDC on its Place making scheme; to find May I wish you a Happy Christmas and a Council is in the process of carrying out an ways to enhance our High Street and the peaceful New Year. audit of its own carbon footprint, have you town’s economy. We are also in negotiations God’s blessings on you all. done yours? for Alton to become a Gateway town for the South Downs National Park. Councillor Pam Jones All councillors benefit from being actively Alton Town Council Leader involved in the community and I encourage all www.alton.gov.uk 01420 83986 altontowncouncil altontowncouncil @alton_council Alton Men’s Shed It has been another busy year for This is just a small sample of our We are constantly striving to local charity Alton Men’s Shed, work and there is clearly no expand on the limited space of where we have undertaken a shortage of practical work for our our current shed in Queen’s variety of practical projects for members! Road and as a registered charity the local community. we are now exploring Our work is not just confined to opportunities to secure more Recently we have completed our shed as we have recently workshop and meeting space. So works for the Allen Gallery opened up a hobbies room for please don’t just think of retired gardens, repaired bus shelters and residents at The Lawn, a men sitting in a shed, we notice boards, cleared residential care home in welcome men and women of all overgrown gardens, made some Holybourne. We have also ages from the local community to accessories for a local church, enjoyed social events with trips join us! If you would like to find restored garden furniture and out to places of interest and out more or help us in our made a set of special dominoes recently some of us have learned activities please email: for a school in Africa. new skills on an emergency first [email protected] or aid course. phone 01420 89559 or 83870. Age Concern is recruiting Age Concern Hampshire is on behalf of someone, fill in a recruiting volunteer Village form with them, arrange Agents and Information transport or take them to a local Home Visitors in rural areas group for the first time. of Hampshire. Village Agents make themselves Getting advice and support if you known in their local area by Concern Hampshire contacts don’t live near a town centre is attending events and groups so them when a home visit is needed not always easy. Many people that people get to know who they locally. need a bit of a helping hand to are and that they can be find the right services that will approached with queries. They Mileage expenses can be help them stay living safely and also get to know key people in reimbursed. The bigger the area independently in their own home local agencies including the parish covered, the busier the role is and to get connected to their or town council, GP surgery and likely to be but on average a local community. other voluntary organisations Home Visitor may be asked to working in the area. The role is provide one or two visits per If you enjoy meeting people, want very flexible and usually takes a month. to get involved in your local area few hours a week. There are and see people’s lives improve around 50 Village Agents across What kind of person are we because of your help, one of Age Hampshire. Training and support looking for? Concern Hampshire’s volunteer is provided. roles could be right for you. Village Agents and Information Information Home Visitors Home Visitors need to be good Village Agents listeners and able to communicate The Information Service at Age clearly and effectively with a Village Agents are volunteers who Concern Hampshire (Freephone range of people and organisations provide information to local 0800 328 7154) often receive such as older people, carers, people of all ages on topics such queries by phone from people relatives and professionals. as finding help in the home or who actually find it quite difficult garden, transport, groups and to manage on the phone. We Both roles will involve some clubs in the area, preventing falls, have a team of volunteer travel so use of a car is essential. finding care providers in the Information Home Visitors who It is helpful if the volunteer is home, day centre or residential can visit those people at home to confident to use email, the care, meals on wheels, personal provide information face to face internet and Microsoft Word. alarms etc. on local services and social They need to be aged over 18 groups or to help people fill in years and willing to undertake Often, just giving information is forms. training. not enough and Village Agents can also provide the extra help These volunteers decide what that a person may need to follow size area they would like to cover up on the information provided, – usually several villages – and the e.g. they may make a phone call Information Team at Age For more information contact the Village Agent Co-ordinator Telephone: 01962 892443 or email: [email protected] www.alton.gov.uk 01420 83986 altontowncouncil altontowncouncil @alton_council Alton Overall Winner Best Individual Container Best Pre-School Children’s Garden Martin and Rosemary West Vilai Baker Happy Talk Nursery Holybourne Overall Winner Best Planted Unusual Container Best School Children’s Garden Robert Lambert Martin and Rosemary West Alton Infant School Tidy Alton Trophy Best Neighbourhood Area Best Individual Scarecrow The National Citizen Service Barton End Poppy and Stanley Thompson-Webb Outstanding Contribution to In Bloom Best Community Group Martin and Rosemary West Alton Community Hospital Best Group Scarecrow Alton Infant School Unsung Hero of In Bloom Best Commercial Building Norma Duke Alton Grange B&B Tallest Sunflower Children and Overall Charlotte and Jessica Goulton The Alton Community Cup Best Residential / Retirement Building Alton Women’s Institute Cloverdale Best Allotment New Tenant Trudie Cole Best Small Front Garden Best Shop Window Ernie and Mary Oakley Mainly Framing Best Kept Allotment Kenneth Smith Best Large Front Garden Best Instagram Photo Martin and Rosemary West Mary Hurst Both the Museum and the Gallery are free to visit, and they are run by a small staff team and an incredible group of volunteers.