In the Summer 2015 edition there was an amazing response to the Playground Survey with far more returns than expected. Your council’s next step is to discover what grants are available. They will keep us all informed as matters progress.

Winchester Country Market are having a Summer Saturday Market at St Mark’s Church Hall in May.

Oliver’s Battery School share their School Charter.

Sing Winchester, a friendly, informal, productive singing group, are giving a concert in St Lawrence Church, The Square, Winchester in aid of the Oliver’s Battery Pre-School charity who need funds to build new premises for the children.

More than 150 people were at the highly successful Launch Meeting of the Oliver’s Battery Plan. Expectations are now high and a momentum is building. The next major Event will be the Community Survey, distributed in July. This will provide demonstrable statistical evidence on the issues that concern the community, what we value and want to preserve, and what we want to develop in our Plan. News of the plan can be found on the Oliver’s Battery Parish Council website and on their Facebook page.

Neighbourhood Watch share helpful details of specific areas where Trading Standards offer direct support to the public.

PC Simon Wright says that his policing bones would suggest that we are in for a period of financial scams! From April 2015 the rules surrounding pension funds changed and there are now more choices than ever before about how you can access your pension pot. Fraudsters are likely to take advantage of these new rules by trying to persuade people to cash in their pension – either the whole lot or a large sum – and hand the money over to them ‘to invest’. Of course, it’s not just your pension money that the crooks are after. Rogue traders specifically target those who they consider to be vulnerable within our communities.

Oliver’s Battery WI were delighted to see so many people turn up for the Annual Plant and Cake Sale. The year ahead looks very bright with many events to celebrate the Centenary of the WI, culminating in a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, an Annual Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall in the company of Her Majesty the Queen and the Princess Royal, both WI members, and then in Hampshire a family Celebration at Hilliers Arboretum.

Following the successful North Winchester bus survey, Winchester SALT is running another bus survey in partnership with the Badger Farm and Oliver’s Battery Residents Community Association (BFOBRCA). We’re concerned to ensure that bus and other sustainable transport options remain viable across Winchester, that residents can get around locally with ease and do not become isolated, and that Winchester’s public amenities are accessible via all modes of transport. If you live in Oliver’s Battery, Badger Farm, Stanmore or The Valley, please take 5 minutes to complete this survey.

Oliver’s Battery Parish Council share that at the launch meeting of the Oliver’s Battery Plan, Focus Groups fed back their findings – our beautiful countryside, the sense of space, quiet and friendliness were all positives, while concerns were expressed about traffic, transport and community facilities. There was a strong concern at the prospect of further housing developments and their impact on the countryside, traffic and schools. Above all, there was a desire to develop and build on the sense of community we have here in Oliver’s Battery.

Following the General Election, Steve Brine was once again elected as Winchester’s MP. He says, “Quite what this new Parliament will bring for me is yet to be written but I will go on championing some of my long-standing causes (breast cancer, park homes, cycling and reducing re-offending) as well as playing my part in the new Government. I look forward to receiving your continued input on the issues of the day and suggestions for ventures new.”

THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE BADGER FARM & OLIVER’S BATTERY RESIDENTS’ COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION WILL TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAY 22 JULY 2015 IN THE BUSHFIELD ROOM AT BADGER FARM COMMUNITY CENTRE STARTING AT 7.30pm. All local residents are invited to attend.

Stanmore Primary School pupils had a real treat when award winning BBC radio reporter Jo Palmer came into school to share stories about her job and offer excellent tips on writing for broadcast to Year 6 pupils.

Oliver’s Battery Pre-School’s summer term is full of events including a sponsored obstacle course, a Bake-Off competition, the pre-school sports day and the eagerly awaited outing to the Adventure Wonderland.

Ann’s Computer Corner looks ahead to the upcoming Windows 10 release and asks if Microsoft have learnt their lessons from the failures in Windows 8.

In July St Mark’s Church is 59 years old and St Luke’s 54 years – both are in need of a little TLC, it is more than mid-life crisis, some major decisions need to be made and some major fund raising undertaken. It is important to keep a church presence in each of communities as a focus, a resource, a safe place, a spiritual haven, an outward expression of an inward need of hope and reassurance.

Great excitement, a reader of Nature Notes recently observed a red kite being buzzed by a crow over her garden in Compton Way. Although kites are known as scavengers they do take small mammals and birds and fledglings are at risk now. Until a few days ago the Texas Drive fields were a golden blaze of dandelion flowers but now their erect stems are adorned with the perfect globes of translucent seed heads each containing dozens of winged seeds.