Eynsham Parish Council is pleased to announce the list of local organisations and charities that have been successful in our recent round of grant applications.
While varied in their scope and focus, all of these organisations are doing important work in our community and we’re pleased to be able to help a little with some financial support, as part of our annual Grant Aid policy.
Serving the community
This is not the first time we’ve given a grant to First and Last Mile CIC which runs local bus services for students and commuters that are used for over 100 journeys each day. It’s a valuable service which relies on grants, with all buses driven by volunteers. Anyone interested in getting involved should visit the website: First & Last Mile | Local & Flexible Community Transport
David Miles of First and Last Mile, said “we were delighted and grateful that the Parish Council were so minded to provide a financial contribution to support our services. It is expensive and time-consuming to maintain a bus service. The money will be used to help us maintain our operations.”
Another charity that relies on volunteers and enthusiasm is the Oxfordshire Play Association (OPA). Residents may know this charity from the magnificent (and free) Play & Activity Day they run in Eynsham and across the county each year.
Martin Gillet, Manager of OPA, said the charity was “very grateful to receive financial support” which will “help us provide fun and educational activities for children and young people to enjoy.” The Play & Activity Day will be back in Eynsham on Friday 25 July – we hope to see many of you there! Read more about OPA on their website. Oxon Play – Oxfordshire Play Association promotes and develops play opportunities for children and young people aged 0-19 years across Oxfordshire.
Community engagement
Eynsham is a vibrant, busy community with a lot of events and interest. While the Parish Council tries to celebrate and share some of what is happening in the village, the true ‘oracle’ to consult is Eynsham Online. Eynsham Online - Oxfordshire
Chairman Marshall Leopold explained that the website seeks to “help maintain and build on the community spirit already existing in the village, by providing a simple information and communication hub for everyone to use.”
The website is run by a dedicated team and relies on funding such as grants to maintain the steady flow of information and updates that residents rely on. Editor Joan Stonham has been running the website since its inception and told us: “We are grateful to the Parish Council for making grant funds available – thank you. This will enable us to do more information gathering and distribution.”
One of the many events that Joan and her team promote each year is Eynsham Village Show, set to take place in September at the Village Hall. We were pleased to be able to provide a grant to cover the cost of the hall hire for this year.
Claire Singleton, a representative of the Village Show, said the team were “very grateful as the entry fees only contribute a small part of the costs of running the show.” Claire urges those who have never entered before to consider getting involved; “It’s a bit of fun, nothing too serious,” she says reassuringly. Alternatively, why not pop down on the day to “view the entries, have coffee and a cake.” We might just take you up on that… Keep an eye on the website for more details of the show in the summer.
The Village Hall is also the venue for Eynsham Film Club, which screens films and local newsreels on a regular basis, providing a great local option for cinephiles. Our grant will help the Film Club meet some of their costs and continue serving up movie magic for the community. (Find out what’s on and when via Eynsham Online.)
Many of our local events are now getting wider amplification courtesy of our community radio station WRFM (Witney Radio FM, formerly Witney Radio). Barry Clack and his team of volunteer producers and DJs run this great local station, mixing music with spoken word segments that showcase local events, people, places and issues. Our Parish Council Chair, Clerk and Deputy Clerk have all been on the radio so we were pleased to be able to say ‘thanks’ with a grant to help fund their equipment.
Preserving Eynsham for the future
Eynsham has a unique and interesting history that is being carefully preserved and celebrated by our local Eynsham Museum and Heritage Centre. The museum opened in the Bartholomew Room in March 2023 and is a popular place for local families and visitors to spend a weekend afternoon. (Find out more on the website: eynshammuseum – Eynsham Museum and Heritage Centre)
Steve Parrinder and his team of volunteers have developed the space over two years and we’re pleased to be able to provide funding towards a new lighting rack for the museum. As Steve explained, “this is part of our plan to establish a permanent exhibition in the upper room which will look at Eynsham's development over time from prehistory to the present.”
Other fundraising events are planned, including a performance of Under Wytham Woods which has been written by local writers and inspired by Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood (Sunday 26 May – more details in the poster below).
Another group of determined volunteers are behind our local Nature Recovery Network who are also helping to preserve and celebrate another asset of Eynsham: our green spaces and natural environment. We were glad to be able to provide some financial support to help the group buy a bat monitor.
If your organisation would welcome a grant to help support your activities locally, keep an eye on our website for when the next round of grant applications opens.