This week has been a busy one for Oswestry’s Town Mayor starting with a visit to the Council’s Youth Forum, which is run with the help of Shropshire Youth Association. The forum is set up for young people aged 11 – 17 years and is an opportunity to talk informally about Oswestry and its provisions for young people.
Oswestry Town Mayor Olly Rose commented. “I really enjoyed meeting this friendly group. Young people from Oswestry School, the Marches, Lakelands and St Martins School took part and discussed a number of topics including safety in play areas, sporting activities, a youth garden, volunteering, and local transport. Buses are important for young people to get about and meet friends, especially if they live in more rural settings. If buses are late or cancelled, young people can be stranded and so they need to rely on parents, so hindering independence. The group also discussed ways to express their views on developing projects such as the cycle/walking infrastructure consultation.”
“We are keen to have more young people involved and new members will be made very welcome. The next meetings are on the 4th of August at The Centre and the 1st of September. Follow Oswestry Town Council’s social media for the latest info or email corriedavies@oswestry-tc.gov.uk.”
It has been ‘National Volunteer Week’ which celebrates the efforts and contributions of volunteers for their selfless service. Oswestry Town Mayor, Councillor Olly Rose extended her thanks to all volunteers in Oswestry and attended the town’s special Charity Market to meet some of the local organisations. Cllr Rose commented. “There were a wide variety of charities at the market. If you were a volunteer looking for a role, there was something for everyone.”
Hectors Greyhound Rescue and Oswestry Guide Dogs both attended along with some beautiful dogs. Hectors need people to foster or permanently re-home dogs from the racing industry and would love to hear from people interested in helping one of these calm and playful dogs. https://www.hectorsgreyhoundrescue.org/
Oswestry Guide Dogs is also looking for people willing to train a dog (food and vets bills paid) and for people to help with fundraising. A guide dog can have such a positive impact on the lives of a visually impaired person. If you can help, please contact https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/
The Severn Hospice had some great bargains and are looking for new volunteers. For volunteer’s week they displayed quotes in their shop window from volunteers covering the wide range of benefits they have enjoyed. https://www.severnhospice.org.uk/
Shropshire Wildlife Trust has a wide range of volunteer conservation activities and volunteers can learn new skills and visit some of their beautiful sites. For more info contact https://www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/
Cae Glas Cricket Club based at Gatacre playing fields wants to grow their youth team. They have great facilities, and the new pavilion is available to rent to help fund the club – perfect for children’s parties. Children’s ‘Dynamo’ cricket sessions start on the 16th of June – contact https://caeglascc.play-cricket.com/home for more info.
The Equality Oswestry Group is a group of volunteers who aim to raise awareness of inequality issues affecting our community. They are engaging in care homes with dementia patients and aim to hold public meetings to increase understanding and work on other projects. They would love others to join and are looking for skills in marketing and ICT. For more info contact equalityoswestry@gmail.com
Music MOB’s objective is to make music lessons accessible to all children. In recent years, music provision has reduced in state schools and the charity believes music has much to offer children.
They would love to recruit volunteers to spread their message and to fundraise. They have been lucky with donated instruments and now need funds to increase lesson provision. https://www.musicmob.co.uk/
The Keep Shropshire Warm team from the Marches Energy Agency were promoting Oswestry Town Council’s free loft insulation scheme at the Charity Market, which is available to owner-occupied or privately rented homes in council tax band A and B. While loft insulation might not be at the forefront of people’s minds in the summer, it is an ideal time to get prepared for the winter and help residents save money and reduce CO2 emissions. Cllr Rose added “We want to help as many Oswestry residents as possible to access this free scheme. To see if you are eligible, complete a simple online form https://tinyurl.com/oswestryloftinsulation, call 0800 1123743 or email KSW@mea.org.uk.”
The Mayor thanked everyone who attended the Charity Market. “It was great to meet all our wonderful charities and volunteers and learn about their fantastic work across our town and beyond.”
Earlier this week, Oswestry Mayor received a tour of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital. Cllr Rose visited the new veteran’s unit and high-tech simulation room with interactive walls, which show imagery such as an operating theatre or a road traffic accident to help train medical students. There were also life-like dummies, who can talk in response to scenarios. The hospital is hoping that other medical and business establishments will use the facility for training purposes.
The Mayor also visited the Chelsea Flower Show Gold winning Horatio’s Garden at the adult spinal injuries’ unit. The gardens are well kept by Head Gardener Alex and a team of volunteers. There is a stylish garden room where snacks can be made, a play area for patients with visiting children and several restful areas where patients can relax amongst lush greenery and water features.
Over at the children’s Alice Ward, the hospital plans to build a similar garden space, which is accessible to wheelchairs and even beds, which will have a woodland walk and garden room suitable for all weathers. RJAH are fundraising for this garden to become a reality. To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/gardenforalice. Cllr Rose comments “The hospital is light, friendly and appears to not only be a lovely working environment, but a great place for patients, with state-of-the-art facilities for both treatment and recovery.”
The Mayor’s final visit this week was to the Qube, an established charity providing art, well-being, and transport services for the community in North Shropshire and the border counties. The Qube also attended the Charity Market and has been busy promoting the National Volunteer Week campaign with regular blogs and a ‘Coffee and Catch Up’ afternoon to celebrate their volunteers.
The Mayor commented “Everyone was so enthusiastic about their role, whether driving the minibus or helping at social groups. Many had been volunteering for years and clearly enjoyed their roles, which is a testament to the support provided by the Qube staff. The team has extensive knowledge of volunteer roles around Oswestry, so please contact https://qube-oca.org.uk/ or pop in to see them on Oswald Rd to find out more.”
