Job Fair for young people

Come along to the Youth Job Fair and

  • Meet employers with vacancies for entry level roles and offering apprenticeship opportunities
  • Apply for vacancies on offer
  • Get help with writing CVs and completing application forms
  • Get advice about job searches and interview techniques

10am-5pm
Fri 19 Aug 2011
Oxford Town Hall
St Aldate’s
For more info click here
Or
email youthjobfair@oxford.gov.uk
Tel 01865 252848

First ever Headington Ward Focus Meeting

A big thank you from both of us to everyone who made last evening’s first Headington Ward Focus Meeting such a success: the Baptist Church for letting us hire their excellent hall and being so helpful (thanks, John, Barbara and Paul!), the city council officers and representatives of institutions who attended, and, of course, the over 80 people who made the occasion so lively and engaging.

As we explained at the beginning, we hope these meetings will, for our patch of Headington Ward, fill the gap left by the demise of Area Committees — and, in time, so something more than them. We start with one arm tied behind our backs: we don’t have formal support from the Council or powers to demand people attend but what yesterday proved is that there is goodwill and thirst for these sorts of meetings.

Of course, the real test doesn’t come with the meeting itself but with the follow-up: Ruth, Altaf and myself all went away with action points and we’ll report back on them here on this website and also at our next meeting.

We do intend the Ward Focus Meetings to be a regular event in the calendar, taking place regularly in between the more diffuse Area Forums. So, do put in your diary the next meeting: 16th August at Headington School, surgery time starting at 6pm and more structured items at 6:30pm. As last night, we’ll strive to be done by 8pm. It’s only your presence and your engagement that will make these events work!

“We want our money back!” say residents

The Oxford Mail is supporting the City Lib Dems’ campaign to demand a refund from the County Council for residents who have bought parking permits between April 2010 and March 2011.

Although this is meant to be a not for profit scheme, the Tory County Council has pocketed £110,442.76 of Oxford City taxpayers’ money

The Oxford Mail is publishing a letter today that you can cut out, complete and send to the County Council asking for your money back. It applies for a £10 rebate. Please support this Lib Dem/Oxford Mail campaign and buy today’s Oxford Mail!

Lib Dems put forward a motion in Council on Monday night that was passed unanimously. It said the surplus came

despite repeated assurances from representatives of the county council that residents were only being asked to ensure that residents’ parking zone administration costs were recovered.

Council condemns this duplicity and asks the Chief Executive to write to the County Council to demand that a rebate is paid to residents who have been forced to pay excessively high charges for the privilege of parking near their own homes”.

Victory for Headington’s Save Our Cheque campaign!

The UK Payments Council today [Tuesday] announced that they are to reverse their decision to scrap cheques by 2018 and continue their use for as long as customers need them.

Ruth and David set up a Save Our Cheque petition earlier this year with the support of Headington residents

For small businesses, charities and sole traders cheques are a crucial form of payment and many were concerned that their removal would drive up their costs. For customers, especially the elderly, cheques are reliable, safe and not too technological.

Last year alone there were over one billion cheque transactions which shows just how widely used this form of payment still is.

Today’s announcement means that those who rely on cheque payments can now be sure of their future.

Saving the cheque is a Lib Dem victory for common sense!

County press release on Southern Cross

As many of you are aware, the Albany residential care home in London Road was owned by Southern Cross. Here is the latest press release dated 11 July  from the county council

Oxfordshire County Council has called for calm following the announcement by Southern Cross regarding the future of the care home provider.

Trading in the shares of Southern Cross, which operates six homes in Oxfordshire, was suspended today after its landlords said they wanted to leave the group.

However the company said that the continuation of care for all of its residents in its 752 homes nationwide was its top priority, a view echoed by the county council.

Southern Cross has 223 beds in its Oxfordshire homes, 115 of which are currently occupied by clients funded by Oxfordshire County Council.

The company plans to transfer the operation of its care homes to other providers, which could include current landlords taking over the operation of some homes. However it is not fully clear at this early stage when this may happen.

The council therefore expects that Southern Cross will stop running homes in the future – but this would not mean that homes would close. The company is working with other parties to ensure the continued operation of their homes by other providers.

Officers at Oxfordshire County Council have been in close contact with Southern Cross for a number of months and have been developing a contingency plan to identify sufficient capacity in other care homes, should those places be required.

Discussions have been and are being held by the council with a number of other organisations about the situation, including The Care Quality Commission, The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust and Age UK Oxfordshire.

Council officers have been in contact with the management of Southern Cross’ Oxfordshire care homes today about the company’s announcement.

Council staff  are on hand to answer questions about the current situation regarding Southern Cross. They can be reached on 0845 050 7666.

Bend our ear at our first Ward Focus meeting!

We promise to listen!

Ruth and David will be holding our first Headington Ward Focus meeting on Tuesday 19 July at the Headington Baptist Church Hall at 6.00-8.00 pm

What’s it all about?

We want to find out your views on what you think are the best and worst aspects of living in our ward, and what suggestions and ideas you have for the future.

Here is the agenda for the meeting (please note, items are timed, no waiting about!)

6.00-6.30 Surgery time. Informal conversation with councillors

6.30-7.10 Raise your issues in open debate. We’ll discuss current planning applications and hear reports from community groups about their projects

7.10-7.30 Headington car park, and the consultation on building development in our area

7.30-7.50 Old Headington Conservation Area – what next? – in which we shall start making an action plan using the latest Conservation Area appraisal as a starting point

7.50-8.00 We’ll note down your ideas for future meetings and discuss what date and time these should be held

8.00 We’re off to the pub – come and join us if you want to bend our ear even further!

The next Focus meeting will provisi0nally take place on Tuesday 16 August and is likely to be in the New Headington Area

See you soon!

PS we have invited some special guests too, along with the county councillors, to help us take the most effective courses of action to address your issues!