Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday evening at the Old School/Vine Church for the Annual Parish Assembly. It was a fantastic turn out and testament to a strong community which wants to stay up-to-date on local matters.
The meeting, chaired by Odiham Parish Council Chair Cllr Angela McFarlane, presented Council highlights with reports from each committee chairs.
Our thanks go to guest presenters Samantha Mabbott, Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Advice Hart and Rev’d Chris Dudgeon of All Saints Church Saints Church. We also thank InOdiham, Villages Oppose Warehouses, Odiham Society and our local PCSO for sharing information about their respective organisations.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2024 community awards which are awarded to recognise outstanding contributions to the Odiham, North Warnborough and RAF Odiham communities. This year’s winners include:
Kathryn Ball- for supporting every community event and project going – from selling tickets for events to providing refreshments for volunteers. Kathryn also works tirelessly to raise funds for cancer research and support charities Kathryn has also served as a Parish Councillor for more than one term whilst running two businesses at the heart of the High St. She has also served as a Trustee of Odiham Consolidated Charities.
Helen Fleming- Helen is a key member of the Odiham Society with extensive knowledge of the Parish which she puts to good use. She was active in the development of the Neighbourhood Plan and has continued to contribute to the monitoring of its application and the recent review. There would not be a book exchange without Helen’s contribution and its formation and ensuring role as a director of the CIC. She also served as a Parish Councillor for some 12 years.
Tom Janaway- for carrying out works when members of the community post their concerns. He has recently cut back branches and cleared roads of trees that have fallen in the storms. He has never turned down a request of help and is not part of any group.
Jonny Bass- Youth award- Jonny has worked tirelessly for his local community. He gets involved in every activity that enables him to give back to the community. Some of the things he got involved in included the Jubilee Tea Dance, where we invite elder members of the community into school to celebrate events that are happening nationally. He gave up his time to make tea and sandwiches as well as play guitar and sing as part of the afternoon activities. He also raises money for local charities this year raising £300 by organising an Easter egg hunt for pupils at Robert Mays School.
The meeting concluded with a summary of the Council’s new Business Plan which will guide council activities for the next 3 years until the next elections in May 2023.
The meeting presentations can be viewed at https://odihamparishcouncil.gov.uk/…/annual-parish…
The Business Plan can be viewed at https://odihamparishcouncil.gov.uk/business-plan
The 2023-24 Annual Report can be viewed at https://odihamparishcouncil.gov.uk/council/annual-reports