On Winchester Now this week:
- Hampshire County Council’s plans to cut a school bus service for children from King’s Worthy to Henry Beaufort School in Harestock from next April have sparked anger and anxiety among parents. A protest took place outside Henry Beaufort School on Tuesday evening. Winchester Radio’s Isobel Jones went along to hear the concerns raised and find out more about the issue.
- News-in-brief:
- The Winchester Guildhall clock has been coloured orange this week, as part of the UN Orange Campaign of action to end violence against women and girls. It’s a 16 day initiative which runs until 10th December. The display is part of a collaboration between Winchester City Council and Soroptimist International of Winchester.
- The annual “Light Up a Life” service returns to Christ Church this coming Monday, 1st December, starting at 6pm. Organised by Winchester Hospice, it gives people an opportunity to remember loved ones who are no longer with us, this Christmas. The event, now in its third year, involves carols, readings, and space to reflect and remember.
- The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Police service is among the first in the country to trial a pioneering new way in which people can contact them. An AI Virtual Assistant, known as “Bobbi”, has been created to answer frequently-asked, non-emergency questions.
- The South Downs National Park has reached its target of planting 100,000 trees by the middle of this decade, and now wants to plant a million more before 2035. The “Trees for the Downs” campaign was launched at the end of 2019, and raised over £400k from donors and members of the public. The huge tree planting drive, involving more than 150 sites across Hampshire and Sussex, includes a resurgence of the elm tree, many of which had been lost due to disease.
- The weather may have been gloomy but the lights shone out at this year’s lantern parade at Winchester Cathedral. The theme was Jane Austen and there were some magnificent creations from owls to stars, trains and books. Mary Blaxland went along for Winchester Radio.
- Shout-outs
- To the “Hatt’s off to George” charity which held their first charity ball last week and raised a staggering £2,560 for the Mountbatten Hospice and The Brain Tumour Charity. The charity, founded in memory of George Hatt, has now raised £30,000 in total.
- To Colden Common Parish Council, which has been chosen as the joint winner for the Campaign for Rural England’s “Hampshire Best Access to the Countryside Award” for 2025. The award recognises the installation of a permissive path from Colden Common Park which links it to Right of Way 28.
- To Winchester BID Rangers, Charlie and Brett, who this month are celebrating 7 years helping local businesses. Rangers provide a great service for people who live, visit, work and do business in Winchester.
- To the Winchester Litterpickers, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary. The group organises multiple picks each week and they collect around 1,000 sacks of litter every year. They also support Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance by recycling the aluminium waste they pick up.
- To Alresford Community Choir, whose recent Remembrance Concert raised over £800 for service charities. Over £100 was raised for the Royal British Legion through the sale of poppies to choir members to wear at the concert and a collection raised over £700 which was split equally between RBL and SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity.
