Welcome to the April 2025 edition of the Town Council’s newsletter.
The Big Spring Clean-up Day – A Huge Success!
A heartfelt thank you to the 39 incredible volunteers who joined us on 22nd March for the Big Spring Clean-Up. Together, we collected an impressive 23 bags of rubbish, demonstrating outstanding teamwork and community spirit. Your efforts inspire us to keep making a positive impact—let’s build on this momentum!
Rusty Riders are back!
We had a fantastic first session of the year on Saturday 8th March. Join us outside Chipping Norton Leisure Centre at 10am every second Saturday of the month—everyone’s welcome, whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or dusting off your bike for the first time in ages. Let’s ride together! Read more here:
A Clear Improvement at the Town Hall
The Upper Hall at Town Hall has had a much-needed upgrade with the installation of two brand-new windows at the Fox End stage area.
The original timber frames had deteriorated over time, with some panes slipping – and a couple already having slipped entirely – prompting the essential work. The two new windows have been crafted to match the style and appearance of the window installed in 2022, maintaining the historic integrity of the building.
Due to the listed status of the Town Hall, the new windows are single glazed, but they still offer improvements in terms of energy efficiency and insulation. We’re also hopeful that they’ll contribute to better acoustics in the Upper Hall, which will be welcomed by the many bands and performers who use the space.
They look fantastic both inside and out – and are a welcome step forward in our ongoing commitment to caring for this important community building.
Work in Progress: Heating System Upgrade Underway at the Town Hall
As part of a major week of improvements at Chipping Norton Town Hall, work is currently underway on permanent fixes to the building’s heating system – and we’re already noticing a difference!
Local contractor Jamie Bell is on-site this week installing a new boiler, replacing a long-defunct circulation pump, and upgrading the heating controls to a modern, remote-access system. Once completed, this will allow different zones of the building to be heated separately, improving energy efficiency and usability.
This new system will also benefit our regular hall users – as we hope to provide direct access to adjust heating settings for bookings without needing to open up the boiler room. That’s a big step forward in making the building more flexible and user-friendly.
As the heating system is now controllable via an app, the staff are able to manage heating and energy resources remotely., we are delighted to be able to fulfil the wishes of many groups and people who have inquired about modernising the system.
Combined with the newly installed windows in the Upper Hall’s Fox End stage area, this work ensures that any heat being generated isn’t immediately lost – and even halfway through the fix, the space is already noticeably warmer!
We’ll share a full update once the work is complete – but we’re excited to see things coming together.
Taking the Strain: New Stair-Climbing Equipment for Staff
We’re delighted to share that the Town Hall team has just taken delivery of a brand-new piece of lifting equipment – and it’s already transforming the way we work!
The Sprinter 190, a motorised stair-climbing sack truck from Stanley Handling, has been brought in to make moving heavy items around the building safer and easier for staff. With the Town Hall’s split levels and winding staircases, moving furniture, bar fridges, and stacks of chairs has always been a bit of a challenge – especially during busy event changeovers.
Thanks to this new bit of kit, those days are behind us. The Sprinter 190 takes the load (literally!) and climbs the stairs for us – all we need to do is guide it. No more pushing or pulling up staircases, no more bar fridges needing to be emptied, and no more risky routes around the outside of the building where cars are often parked tight to the walls.
Staff received full training yesterday and everyone felt super confident using it – a huge thanks to our brilliant trainer.
It’s already making a massive difference, and we’re thrilled to have this new tool keeping our team safe and saving us time.
Stepping Up for Charity – Fire-walk at Glyme Hall Raises Over £11,000!
Last Friday evening, 28th March 2025, Glyme Hall came alive with one of the most exciting events we’ve hosted since taking over – a charity fire-walk organised by the Rotary Club of Witney. And what an evening it was!
With a packed crowd cheering, a line-up of brave locals walked barefoot over burning embers to raise money for causes close to their hearts. Among the participants were supporters of local groups including Top School PTA, the Scouts, and several other brilliant charities – all together raising over £11,000 to help their organisations thrive.
There was a fantastic festival atmosphere on the night, with a face painter, magician, music, a food van, and The Brewer’s Tap mobile bar keeping everyone warm and fed. Friends, families, and onlookers created a sea of encouragement – especially for the blind man walking the coals with his guide dog by his side (don’t worry – the dog didn’t do the walk!).
It was a fantastic example of what Glyme Hall can offer – a vibrant space at the heart of the community. Huge thanks to the Rotary Club for pulling off such a memorable event, especially after having to change venue due to Oxfordshire County Council quoting a staggering £3,000 for road closure costs on Topside.
The energy, courage, and generosity on show were incredible – a proper community moment we were proud to be part of.
You can see What’s On at the Online Calendars for Glyme Hall and Town Hall below – catch up on whats happening and the groups you could be joining in and having fun with . Check them out below:
Check out the activities from kid’s dance sessions and exercise for our more mature friends to support groups and more, all happening in Glyme Hall.
Choirs, singing groups, fairs, events, religious groups and so much more – it’s all happening in Town hall – as well as your Banking Hub for Town with Barclays and T.S.B. – take a look to see what you could be joining in with or getting support from.
For more details on any of the above, contact the event organisers directly, and if you need to connect with them, please do email events@chippingnorton-tc.gov.uk.
Annual Meeting of the Town (28 April 2025)
Please do come along the the Annual Town Meeting – it is a chance for you to raise and discuss matters affecting the town, and express your views about the year ahead.
Flag-flying at the Millennium Garden
Last month we flew the Suffragette Flag for International Woman’s Day on Saturday 8th March
The Commonwealth Flag to mark Commonwealth Day on Monday 10th March:
The Human Rights Flag, on behalf of Chipping Norton Amnesty International, on 24th March to mark the International Day for the Right to Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations & for the Dignity of Victims:
Next month we will be flying. The Earth flag on 22nd April and The St Georges flag on 23rd April:
You can contact staff and Councillors here:
Dates for your diary
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