Help put a local school top of the leader board
The Street Tag app helps encourage communities to be active, by rewarding movement with points. We'd love your help in sharing the benefits in your communications or conversations with residents.

It's easy for anyone to get involved. They just need to download the app through the links below or on our website, select the Oxfordshire school they'd like to support, get moving, and watch the points start to build.
So far Oxfordshire’s teams have competed for
over £5,750 of prizes and clocked up over 425,650 miles.
Points can be collected in so many ways:

• Through exercise
• The school run
• A quick nip to the shops

It's easy to use and with Street Tag every metre counts, so we're encouraging anyone who wants to move more to join a school team in their community. 
The points help school teams climb up the rankings. Those that top their district leader boards win money for their school. If schools local to you don’t have a leader board, they can sign up to Street Tag here.

Download for iOS >
Download for Android >
Find out more about Street Tag >

As part of an ongoing local crime survey, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley is today (15/12) asking residents to share views on where they would like the policing budget to be focused in 2023/24.
Yesterday, the Home Office announced the funding settlement for police forces across the country for the next financial year. In Thames Valley, this means an additional £5.1m in Government grant, an increase of 1.8%.
Alongside this funding from the Home Office, the Government has also allowed Police & Crime Commissioners to increase council tax by up to £15 (for a Band D property) in order to make additional investments in policing.
In Thames Valley, that would mean that for less than 29p a week for the average household, more than £14m could be invested in frontline policing.
Matthew Barber said: “As your Police & Crime Commissioner, I am aware of the ongoing cost pressures that many households are facing and I want to ensure that any rise in the policing element of council tax will deliver value for money.
“Despite funding received through central government, policing isn’t unaffected by increasing cost pressures and faces a difficult time to fund vital services. This year’s policing budget is set against a demanding economic environment with rising inflation, utilities, pay and fuel costs.
“By providing your feedback, you can help shape important decisions about police funding and how Thames Valley Police can continue to work to keep us all safe.”
Following an increase of 83p per month in council tax last year, which was below inflation, this has helped enable the following:
·       Development of a specialist Rape & Sexual Offences team
·       A dedicated team to fast track cases, reducing delays for victims and releasing officers back to the frontline
·       Improvements in forensics to speed up investigations and bring more criminals to justice
·       The continued recruitment of more officers, beyond the Home Office funded recruitment programme
·       Continuation of the Rural Crime Task Force and the introduction of a Drugs Task Force
·       Improving essential technological infrastructure and systems to better support service delivery
Matthew added: “I want to see increased investment in community policing and improving communication between the public and the police. Final decisions on council tax and the policing budget will be made at the end of January. By contributing towards my ongoing survey, you can help shape how Thames Valley Police continues to improve and tackle crime across our communities.”
The survey can be completed at https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90503915/OPCC-public-consultation or by visiting the PCC website. If you would like to share your views on the policing budget for 2023/24, please complete the survey by 12pm on Friday 13th January 2023.

The Passing of Bob Jones, Former Parish Councillor

It was with enormous regret that the Parish Council has learned of the passing of Bob Jones yesterday (12 October) after a long illness that he bore with great fortitude. For many years, Bob was a stalwart of our community, including as a passionate parish councillor and as the coordinator of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, to name but 2 of his many activities. Bob's selfless and invaluable service to our community will be sorely missed and the Parish Council would like to pass their heartfelt condolences to Bob's family and friends. We will remember him.

In 2022, Oxford Archaeology South will be digging the site of a proposed children’s home on the outskirts of the West Oxfordshire village of Aston.

Documents indicate that Aston was founded by the 10th century AD, but little else is known about the subsequent origins and development of the village. Our excavation will shed light on medieval Aston before the time of the Black Death, from the mid-11th century to the mid-13th century AD.

We will share regular updates on our progress and what we've found on this blog in the coming weeks.

There is ​the chance to visit our excavation the week commencing 10th October 2022. We will be on site between 8am and 4pm each weekday. It's a small site so we expect a tour to take no more than 45 minutes including time for questions and a chance to see the finds.

There is a blog about this excavation where you can read about the background to the project and where we'll be posting regular updates over the next two weeks: https://blog.oxfordarchaeology.com/aston-oxon/

There is a book of condolence in St James Church, Aston which will be open daily from 9am to 5pm to allow those who wish to sign it to do so. It will remain there until 5pm on the day after the funeral when it will be closed.

There is an online book of condolence at www.royal.uk.

Anyone who wishes to sign the book but is unable to get to the church can contact the clerk (clerk@astonoxon-pc.gov.uk) who will arrange for a page to be made available at the person's home address. This will then be added into the book at the church.

The public have been invited to take part in a National Moment of Reflection to mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and reflect on her life and legacy.
The National Moment of Reflection will take place at 8pm on Sunday 18 September, the night before the State Funeral, and be marked by a one-minute silence.
The silence can be marked privately at home, with friends and family, out on doorsteps or the street with neighbours, or at locally arranged community events and vigils.
Community groups, clubs and other organisations across the country are encouraged to take part and people overseas are also encouraged to observe the one-minute silence at 8pm local time.
Details of larger-scale public events to be held across the country will be published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/her-majesty-queen-elizabeth-ii.