It’s officially spring, and with the buds blossoming and the days getting longer, there’s a renewed sense of energy in the air. And here at Badger Farm Community Centre, we’re excited to share that energy with you in our brand new Spring 2024 Community News! Read on for a taste of what’s in the magazine or click to button to download the full magazine.

Our Spring 2024 Headline

The Repair Café not only celebrates its first anniversary on 13 April but it has also received a Mayor’s Community Award for services to the people of Winchester. Well done to the whole team! We’re so proud of you. You are a shining example of how community spirit and a focus on sustainability can make a real difference.

News from the Community Centre

BFOBRCA, together with the surrounding Parish Councils (Badger Farm, Oliver’s Battery, Twyford, Compton & Shawford, and Otterbourne) as well as WinACC, Winchester City Trust and other bodies, residents and individuals, are all working together to ensure that whatever development (if any) is appropriate to the site and its relationship to Winchester and the surrounding areas. Read all about their progress so far.

You may remember our article in the Spring 2023 Community News about the new requirement for voters to show photo identification to vote in local elections. Since then, the rules have changed again and voters will have to show photo ID in UK general elections too. We explain how to get election ready – whoever you vote for, your vote matters!

Parish and Government News

Parish Councils

Badger Farm Parish Council is formulating a questionnaire for residents to give their ideas for future projects and how your precept should be spent. They have planted a new Copper Beech tree and are planning five new benches to enhance our area. They have now identified three sites that could possibly be taken into public ownership to prevent any future in-fill development.

Oliver’s Battery Parish Council share updates on conservation land acquired, Oliver’s Battery Parish Council Working Groups, the Recreation Ground and Bushfield Camp planning application. There is a vacancy for a Councillor, which is a part-time volunteer role. The Annual Parish Meeting will be held at St Mark’s Hall on Tuesday 21 May.

The 3rd Oliver’s Battery Easter Egg Hunt will be held this Easter Sunday, 31 March, between 12.30pm and 5pm.

Winchester City Council

Winchester has been recognised as a leading local authority on climate action. The council has set challenging targets to become a carbon-neutral council by 2024 and for Winchester district to become carbon neutral by 2030. Over the past decade, the council has successfully reduced its carbon emissions by 41%, from 5,476 tonnes CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent: a standard unit for measuring carbon footprints) in 2010 to 3,226 tonnes CO2e in 2021. The efforts of the city have also been noted by Climate Emergency UK, which assessed all UK councils on their actions on climate change, ranking WCC fifth out of 164 councils.

Hampshire County Council

In the Hampshire County Council article, find out about the Hampshire Meals on Wheels service. The County Council will be asking your views on nature recovery to ensure our natural environment is protected for future generations.

You may have seen publicity about Councils ‘going bust’ in the last few months. Hampshire County Council is NOT in that position yet, but unusually projects finance several years ahead to balance the budget and deliver the services it must provide. These include social care for older people, those with disabilities, vulnerable children and school transport services. The council is consulting on a range of options – read more here.

News from Westminster

Our MP, Steve Brine, explains the new teaching apprenticeship that will launch this autumn, revolutionising the way schools recruit teachers while supporting more people to earn while they study for a degree. He updates us on the long-awaited Dental Recovery Plan. The Health & Social Care Select Committee, of which Steve is Chair, recently published a long-awaited report on assisted suicide / assisted dying.

Local Schools

Badger Farm Pre-school Playgroup

After a successful OFSTED inspection, spring term at Badger Farm Pre-school Playgroup brings with it the thought of lighter evenings, better weather, and the feeling that the long, dark winter has passed. Activities and topics will reflect this. Mr Badger is now awakening and will again be involved in the activities.

Stanmore Primary School

For many adults, reading is a simple pleasure that offers a world of information, escape and enjoyment. For young children, who are just starting out on this journey, reading can feel like an uphill struggle. This is the reason why, at Stanmore Primary School, they do not leave reading for pleasure to chance.

The school is delighted to be part of the spectacular art trail taking place in Southampton and Cowes – Light the South. Forty 2.4-metre-tall lighthouses will pop up over the summer months, alongside forty smaller installations made by community groups and schools, including Stanmore Primary. Together they’ll provide a burst of joy and creativity.

Oliver’s Battery Primary and Nursery School

The school shares with us many of the past and future events organised for the children. After Easter, the school’s new Headteacher will be starting. She is currently Headteacher at Ropley Primary School and everyone looks forward to welcoming her into the school community.

St. Peter’s Primary School and Little Fishes Pre-school

One of the things the pupils at St Peter’s Primary School really immerse themselves into is taking on various leadership roles within the school community. Not only does the school want to nurture our children into becoming strong and kind leaders of the future, but also the children fulfilling such roles makes a real difference to life at St Peter’s.

The Little Fishes children were set the challenge of creating the centrepiece for a display at Sainsbury’s superstore at Badger Farm. The title of the display was to be ‘Hopes and Dreams for 2024’. They thought there was no better way of depicting this title than in the form of a ‘Rainbow’. The children set to work using their fingertips to create a beautiful rainbow in all its colours.

Local Organisations and Clubs

Nature, Environmental and Sustainability Groups

Winchester Local Volunteers of the Hampshire and IOW Wildlife Trust

We’re delighted to welcome back HIWWT, who present a talks programme at Badger Farm Community Centre and a variety of countryside guided walks.

Winchester Gardening Club

Spring will soon be giving way to Summer. Our gardens will be demanding more of our time but our efforts will be rewarded with a wealth of colour in the borders, joyful hanging baskets and containers, healthy growth in the vegetable patch and fewer weeds in the lawn. There is a lot to look forward to.

The Winchester Gardening Club article features the talks they are looking forward to over the next few months.

Other Groups

Oliver’s Battery Brownies

This term, the girls have made foam pictures, made pancake friends, made our own rainbow jewellery and learnt some cool Zumba moves! The rest of the term will fly by with Easter just around the corner.

Oliver’s Battery WI

OBWI meets as a group at St Mark’s Church Hall, from 7.15pm on the third Monday of every month, excluding August. Their varied evening programme for these meetings includes speakers, craft and entertainment. In March they welcome a Celebrant and in April they celebrate their birthday with musical entertainment, guests and cake with candles! May’s Annual Meeting will include the selection of the new Committee and President. They’re also already preparing things for our May Bank Holiday Plant & Produce Sale on the morning of Monday 6 May at St Mark’s Church Hall. Look out for the posters!

NCT Winchester

Local parents in Winchester can get their hands on top-quality baby essentials and give back to their local community at an upcoming NCT Nearly New Sale on April 21. Nearly New Sales are open to everyone, and offer high-quality secondhand baby and children’s clothes, toys and equipment at a fraction of the high street cost. Furthermore, families with baby and children’s items they no longer need can recycle them through the sale and stop them ending up in landfill.

Winchester Good Neighbours

Winchester Good Neighbours is looking for volunteers to assist local people in getting to their medical appointments.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to help the community in a flexible volunteer role, get in touch with on 0800 6126 480 or email winchestergoodneighbours@outlook.com.

General Articles for Spring 2024

Citizens Advice

Ally Chatterley, Operations Manager at Citizens Advice Winchester District, gives some top tips on council tax reductions.

CAP Money Advice

Money can significantly affect the way we feel, especially when there isn’t enough of it. It can make us feel stressed, defeated, anxious and fearful. Understanding the power that money has over our mood is the first step to reclaiming control. Read the CAP article for five ways to change your mindset on money so that you can enjoy a more positive 2024

Chasing rainbows

It is fascinating to see your home displayed in glorious rainbow colours by a thermal imaging camera. ‘Why are some windows blue and what is that red area below the bay windows?’ Clare Shorter thought as she looked at the screen. It takes a little bit of careful interpretation to find out what the ‘camera’ is telling you. After all, it is not really a camera but a heat sensor showing different temperatures as different colours.

Wildlife gardening

Peter Roberts has decided it’s been important to stand back and to think about what has and what has not worked in his garden recently. One can spend quite a lot of money on something that would be great for the garden or wonderful to eat and find that it just gives up, but gardening in all its forms is a process of experimenting and learning. He would be to get ideas and experiences from others. Whether you would like to contribute an article, be interviewed, send pictures and notes for me to draft a piece or offer suggestions, we would love to hear from you (bfobrca.cnews@gmail.com).

Nail it every time: DIY hacks

As spring and summer approach many of you will be contemplating dusting off the tool box and attending to those household jobs that have mounted up over the long winter. Tall Tim has some handy hacks that may help you.

Wishing you well

Making positive changes to your diet can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Luckily, there are a wealth of free resources available to help you create delicious, nutritious, and budget-friendly meals that benefit your health.

Water supply disruptions

Winchester residents have faced several water supply disruptions in recent months, causing inconvenience and frustration. But did you know that you can get updates about future disruptions sent straight to your phone with free text alerts? Southern Water offers this service to named account holders, allowing them to receive notifications about any supply issues. Don’t be caught off guard – sign up and ensure you’re always in the know!

Tech Talk

Ann Jury, from Winchester Computer Tutor, is old enough to remember the browser wars of the 1990s when Microsoft and Netscape clashed for dominance with Internet Explorer and Navigator. Microsoft ultimately triumphed, largely by bundling IE for free with every Windows PC. Fast forward to 2024 and AI is the new battlefront. Will history repeat itself with Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot? Ann has been looking at the competition.

Nature Notes

It is February and the days are becoming longer, brighter and hopefully warmer. After the wet, sometimes stormy, winter months it is a pleasure to potter about in the garden and appreciate the early flowering crocuses, daffodils, hellebores and primroses. At the bus stop on the junction of Badger Farm Road and Oliver’s Battery, the Cherry Plum trees are putting on a delicate show of snowy white blossom. Also known as the Myrobalan Plum, it has been cultivated in England since the 16th century. The fruits which appear in July are tasty, either yellow or red. Something to munch on as you wait for the number 5 bus?

Now is a good time to put up nest boxes as birds are on the look out for new homes. To find suitable boxes, look on the RSPB web site rspb.org.uk. You can encourage them by leaving nesting materials such as sheep’s wool, horse hair or dog hair stuffed into a tree crevice or bunched together and tied to a branch. Horses start to lose their woolly winter coats at this time of year, and it can come away in drifts. One of my memories is seeing two magpies plucking the soft hair from a horse’s back. They looked very comical as they flew away with white moustaches.

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We hope you enjoyed reading the Spring 2024 edition of Community News. If you have a community contribution for the next edition or would like to advertise with us, please get in touch with Ann Jury, Community News Editor, at bfobrca.cnews@gmail.com. The editorial deadline for the next issue is Friday 5 July 2024.

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