On Winchester Now this week:
- Anyone who was out-and-about in the city centre on New Year’s Day morning might have seen, gathered under King Alfred’s statue on the Broadway, a large, lively group of people dressed in various shades of bright red. Anna O’Brien went to investigate, and ended-up talking to ‘Mudlark’ from the Worthy Winchester Hash House Harriers Running Club.
- Martin Earwicker, Chair of Hampshire Hospitals, shares plans for the NHS Trust in 2026, and praises the support of staff, volunteers and the community.
- News-in-brief:
- There was a fatal accident on the A31, between Bishop’s Sutton Road and Whitehill Lane, near New Alresford last Saturday. A 34-year-old man from Chichester died at the scene, and five other people, including a 5-year-old boy, were taken to hospital. Police are appealing for any witnesses.
- There are still a few days left for people to take part in the consultation on the future of local government in Hampshire. The UK Government wants to replace the current two-tier system, where responsibilities are split between county councils and city councils, with new unitary councils. A number of options have been put forward, and the deadline for feedback is 11th January.
- Winchester City Council is reminding people to use the correct bin for their rubbish and recycling waste. Items in the green bin need to be clean, dry and loose, with no plastic food trays, cartons or foil wrappers. Real Christmas trees can be left out with garden waste collections, between Monday 12th and Friday 23rd January.
- A planning application has been submitted for new padel courts near Winchester. The sport – which is a cross between tennis and squash – has grown in popularity, with the number of courts nationwide more than doubling in the last few years. The four courts would be in a barn-like building, close to the golf driving range and the A34 at Headbourne Worthy.
- Congratulations to the Winchester people who’ve been recognised in the Kings New Years honours, including: the principal of Peter Symonds College, Sara Russell, who has been awarded an OBE, in recognition of her services to further education; and Kim Quaintrell, who is Head of Reducing Reoffending at Winchester Prison, who has been awarded an MBE.
- Hundreds of people in Winchester headed to the city-centre for the traditional New Year’s Day Running Day for the Friends of King Alfred Buses. Buses from the fleet of local heritage charity the Friends of King Alfred Buses – and a variety of visiting buses from other parts of the country too – could be seen in and around the city on New Year’s Day, providing free bus rides to and from The Broadway. Winchester Radio’s Anna O’Brien spoke to some of the public attending the event, including the Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Sudhakar Achwal, and Chairman of FoKAB, James Freeman.
- Shout-outs:
- To Winchester Rotaract Club! Over 3 days during November and December, the young volunteers from Winchester Rotaract, together with members of 2 other Rotaract Clubs, teamed up with the ‘Kids in Mind’ initiative to source 3,200 Christmas gift boxes to support families whose children had experienced or witnessed domestic abuse.
- To all those who supported charity Brighterway’s Christmas Bag Appeal. The charity supports the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which provides a wide range of community, mental health and learning disability services. Nearly 1,000 patients spending Christmas Day in the care of the Trust received a present.
- To all the volunteers helping throughout the year at the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This Trust, which runs the hospitals at Andover, Basingstoke, and here in Winchester, shared that it has 553 NHS volunteers who have given their time across the last year, collectively resulting in 28,000 hours of support helping patients and assisting staff.
- To everyone involved in supporting ParkRun! The Winchester ParkRun, at North Walls Recreation Ground, had a record turnout on Christmas Day, with 684 people crossing the festive finish line! An extra ParkRun was also organised for New Year’s Day.
- To ALL the volunteers in our community who have given their time, energy, talents and commitment to support others over the last year. Often working unsociable hours, through the holidays, doing some of the necessary, but less exciting, administration roles too, all to keep many charity services going and sustainable. Where would our community be without all these unsung heroes?
- New Year’s messages:
- Martin Earwicker, Chair, Hampshire Hospitals
- Cllr Sudhakar Achwal, Mayor of Winchester
- Sue Harriman, CEO, Hampshire Hospitals
