On Winchester Now this week:
- The Winchester Food and Basics Bank supports families during the holidays who would normally rely on free school meals. More than 300 bags of food are being delivered to families across the Winchester area this Christmas to help with the cost-of-living. Mary Blaxland spoke to the charity’s Chair of trustees, Lesley Little, to find out more.
- News-in-brief:
- Residents are celebrating, after plans to build 188 new homes on land near Lanham Lane, on the western edge of Winchester, were rejected by a planning inspector after concluding the site is unsuitable for large-scale development.
- Resident Doctors at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital have gone on strike, as part of a national action over pay. The strike started on Wednesday this week and finishes on Monday. Patients are being told to attend appointments unless told otherwise.
- A new Orthopaedic Outpatients Department has opened at the RHCH. The building has seven consultation rooms, including a designated room for dressings, and an x-ray service. It’s part of upgrades at the site, which also includes a new Orthopaedic Centre, designed for operations such as knee and hip replacements, to serve patients across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
- New facial recognition vans have been deployed by Hampshire Police for the first time this week, to identify most-wanted suspects, following a successful pilot last year. Officers have responded to concerns about misidentification, saying these are rare, and that no personal data is stored.
- Residents have just days left to submit views on Hampshire County Council plans to cut more than 400 school places in Hampshire, as a result of falling birth rates. The consultation closes on Boxing Day. The biggest reduction would be at Kings’ School in Winchester, which would see a cut from 357 to 300 pupils.
- Shoppers had a surprise when dozens of Bernese Mountain dogs, and their owners, gathered in Winchester this week. The large dogs created a stir as they paraded through the city. Owners had travelled from across the country for the gathering, which is now in its second year.
- Thousands of people have come to Winchester to visit our famous Cathedral Christmas market. The wooden chalets, historic location and festive spirit bring people from across the country and across the world – as well as local visitors. Mary Blaxland went along to find out how far people come and what they make of the attraction.
- Shout-outs:
- To the kind and caring volunteers in the local St. Vincent De Paul Society, who lovingly put together 116 Christmas parcels of food for those in need this Christmas, supported by financial donations from parishioners at the Catholic Parish of St. Peter and the Winchester Martyrs throughout the year. The parcels, once all made up, were being distributed by volunteers at the church to those in need across Winchester this Christmas.
- To Winchester Rotary who, through their #ReverseSanta project, again provided gifts for less fortunate children and families in the Winchester District. Children and parents were invited to donate gifts to Santa, with the result that almost 400 toys and other gifts were collected and delivered to Winchester Basics Bank, who will arrange distribution to those in need this Christmas.
- To Winchester Rugby Club, which donated £1,000 of raffle takings from their pre-match lunch ahead of the game against top of the table rivals, Bournemouth RFC, to the MND Association.
- To the members of the “Iron Sharpens Iron” Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Hyde, Winchester, who took on the annual charity challenge to grow facial hair during November. They raised approx £1,300 for the Movember charity, which raises awareness of men’s health issues and the importance of reaching out and asking for help when you need it.
- To the over 1,000 Santas who signed-up to take part in the recent Winchester Santa Fun Run in aid of our local children’s hospices Naomi House and Jacksplace. Well over £40,000 has been raised for the hospices and will make a real difference to local families in need of the charity’s expert nursing care and support.
- To Mariia, one of the students at Henry Beaufort School, who has won the prestigious GCHQ Christmas Card Competition! This national contest, organised by the UK’s intelligence, security, and cyber agency, invited schoolchildren to design a Christmas card complete with a hidden puzzle or code. Mariia’s design won the judges over as it showcased her creativity, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
