The South Warwickshire Mental Health Partnership, made up of professionals from the third and public sectors, aims to improve awareness of mental health support services in South Warwickshire. Each year the Partnership holds an annual event to bring organisations together to collaborate better around mental health.  This year the event was on the theme of ‘What’s working well with mental health’ with presentations from Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Springfield Mind, Together for mental wellbeing, and Alcester Town Council.  The event showcased the importance of the voluntary and community sector in providing early intervention services, peer support and creative partnerships with statutory agencies in order to prevent mental health crisis.  The important role of creativity, ecotherapy, laughter and healthy living was also emphasised.

Each year, at the annual event the partnership launches an updated version of a Mental Health Directory of support services which cover the county.

The Directory contains information supplied by organisations, groups and agencies that provide services which support people affected by mental health issues. It has proved to be an invaluable resource for organisations that signpost to mental health services.  You can access the Directory through the Warwickshire Voluntary and Community Action website at

http://www.wcava.org.uk/directory-of-mental-health-provision.

In order to create a comprehensive directory, we have endeavoured to invite contributions from all relevant groups.  If you are part of an organisation which you think should be included in the Directory, please contact Gill Jones on 01926 477

Plans are well underway for events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe on the weekend of 8-10 May 2020 along with towns and villages across the country. Councillor Darrell Muffitt is co-ordinating activities and more details will follow as the weekend gets closer.

Avon Dassett Local History group have started the research for their contribution and will be producing a commemorative ‘newspaper’ for every household in the village as well as an exhibition over the weekend of 8-10 May.

Following on from their successful WWI project that tracked a year in the life of the village from 1914-15, the newspaper will re-produce news from the village (and surrounding area) for WWII. It will draw on newspapers and archives such as the 1939 register, old photographs and parish council records. It will also include information on the two Avon Dassett men who died during the war (Pyers Worrall and James Kempley).

In addition, there will be a ‘roll of honour’ which will include information on what current villagers’ relatives did during the war with their names, service or occupation and relationship to current villager. This will help celebrate all current villagers’ connections with WWII as well as the past history of the village.

All are welcome to get involved in either the historical research or collecting information from current villagers. Please contact Sarah Richardson (drsarahrichardson@gmail.com) for further details.

At around 17.00 hrs on 5th August 2019 unknown offender(s) forced entry to a farm house in Kineton. It is not known at this time if anything has been taken. If you saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area around this time or have any information that could help the police with their enquiries please call 101 and refer to inc 350 of 5/8/19 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The Yew Tree, Avon Dassett, Saturday, 7 September 2019 from 0900 to 1130

Do you like to eat quality local, fresh and seasonal produce? Are you concerned about the environment and cutting down on the miles travelled to buy food? Do you want to avoid excess packaging? Are you a flower, fruit and vegetable gardener who has excess produce and would like to support a community initiative? Are you creative and would like an outlet to sell your handcrafted goods?

If so, then please support the very first Avon Dassett Pop-up Market on Saturday 7^th September, 0900-1130 at the Yew Tree in Avon Dassett.

The market is an opportunity for us as a community to share our surplus produce (local vegetables, fruit, honey, eggs etc), either to sell or for a donation to charity. There will also be local craft stalls and refreshments will be served. For further information or to book a table, please contact Sarah Richardson (drsarahrichardson@gmail.com).

There will be a second Christmas themed craft and produce market on 7 December.

Cash was stolen from the supermarket and post office in Harbury in a raid at about 2.30am on the morning of Monday August 5.

Officers arrived at the premises in Mill Street to find windows damaged and a quantity of cash had been taken.

Enquiries are currently ongoing but officers would like to speak to anyone who saw the incident or witnessed people acting suspiciously in the area at the time.

Anyone with information should call Warwickshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting incident number 2.

Calling Coventry, Solihull & Warwickshire!

We’re asking community, voluntary and grassroots organisations in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire to complete our online survey.

The survey will form part of our Communities Uncovered research project which is being delivered by Coventry University.

Communities Uncovered is vital to our vision and priorities.

This short questionnaire will enable us to assess the needs of the region, ensuring we continue to be at the forefront of local giving.

These answers WILL shape funding opportunities in YOUR community! 

Thank you for your continued support! 

All are invited to an event held by the Royal British Legion at their pop in centre in Birmingham (87 New Street, B2 4BA) on Thursday 22^nd August from 1500-1700.  The event is to launch their Remembrance theme for 2019 which is “Remember Together”.

They would be very pleased for local groups to attend to find out more and to talk them about how organisations can get involved.

Please RSVP to westmidlands@britishlegion.org.uk by Monday 19^th August 2019″.

Southam Safer Neighbourhood Team report via Twitter:

Locally we have seen an increase in rural crime including last weekend theft of 25 Lambs & 18 Ewes from between #farnborough and #fennycompton. Please remain vigilant in rural communities and report anything suspicious on #call101 #ruralmatters

Avon Dassett Soap Box Derby took place on 22 June 2019. There were a record number of entries in both junior and senior classes. The senior races saw the return of the head-to-head racing with a number of close finishes. The race raised £777.32 for Zoe’s Baby Place Hospice in Coventry, £500 for Fenny Compton Explorers, and £200 for Fenny Compton Church Roof Fund. All costs were covered by entry fees, sponsorship and grants with all donations from the public going directly to the charities and local groups.

Junior Winners

1. Megan Taplin, BDS Bullet (Avon Dassett)
2. Jamie Welford, Red Lion Racing (Northend)
3. Frank Whatcott, Jim Clark Special (Bishops Itchington)

Senior Lead Driver Winners

1. Richard Burton, Acceleramus (London)
2. Ben Gascoigne, Project Nein (Coventry)
3. Phil Baxter, BDS Bullet (Avon Dassett)

Senior Second Driver Winners

1. Gareth Woolford, Project Nein (Coventry)
2. Ben Weir, BDS Bullet (Avon Dassett)
3. Andy Whyman, Red Lion Racing (Northend)

Summary of Accounts

Income

• Driver Entry Fees: £815
• Sponsorship/Donations: £2,312.50
• Bucket Collection: £482.32
• Raffle at Yew Tree Pub: £300
• Yew Tree Donation: £150
• Stratford District Council Grant (towards toilets): £300

Total: £4359.82

Costs

• CJ Events (marshalling and road closure): £1168.50
• Dassett Charities (Car Park): £500
• Programme/Marketing: £239
• Paramedics: £100
• Merchandise/Medals: £95
• Toilets: £780

Total: £2882.50

Funds Raised for Charity and Local Groups

• Zoe’s Baby Place Hospice, Coventry: £777.32
• Fenny Compton Explorers: £500
• Fenny Compton Church Roof: £200

Total: £1,477.32

This year’s Open Gardens took place last Sunday, 7th July. The organisers were lucky with the weather and visitor numbers were up on last year-335 compared to 240 in 2018.

£3,033.53 was raised for National Gardens Scheme and £212.65 for the Parish Council towards the upkeep of the tubs in the village. This compares to £2,230 and £158 in 2018. A breakdown of this year and previous years results are below.

The organisers were pleased to receive a note from NGS this morning complimenting them on their organisation of the day, including the shuttle service which was introduced this year.

The organisers would like to say thank you to everyone who contributed by opening their garden, helping with getting things ready, or helping on the day. And certainly not forgetting everyone who donated the lovely cakes, which had a lot of compliments!

• Open Gardens 2019 Results