Welcome to the Helmdon Parish Council website providing detailed information about YOUR local services. It also aims to keep you up-to-date with Helmdon Community events.
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Coronavirus (Covid-19) - IN NEED OF HELP?
Some residents in Helmdon may feel alone during this time whether due to self-isolation or because they fall into a higher risk category. Helmdon Parish Council would like to help during this time.
We have volunteer help available. You may need assistance such as help with groceries, collecting medicines or other errands such as walking your dog, a chat on the phone or just help with your bins. If you need help, or you know of anyone else who needs help, please contact the Parish Clerk
- For more details of help available from Helmdon Parish Council please click here.
- For NHS information including symptoms, self-isolation and how to get a free test please click here. You can also get a free test by calling 119.
- For up-to-date Coronavirus information from the Government please click here.
- For Latest Helmdon News please see below.
- For a selection of local online news media please click here.
- For latest from Neighbourhood Watch (plus police contact details) please click here.
Latest News
Next meeting of the Parish Council - Wednesday 28th July 2021
The next full meeting of the Parish Council will be this Wednesday, 7:30pm at the Reading Room. We have a full agenda during which the Council will be co-opting the Councillor vacancy, reviewing the applications for the 2021 Small Village Grants and considering a request to plant a tree on the green on Station Road. More »
Posted: Sat, 24 Jul 2021 08:13 by Helen du Bois
snvb returning to work in the Towcester and Brackley offices
We are delighted to announce that snvb are returning to work in our offices in Towcester and Brackley from Monday July 19th.
It has been a difficult 15 months for everyone and we are now eager to get back and meet our colleagues in person and to return to normal. More »
Although our offices will be open for us to meet members of the public, there will be some restrictions. If you visit either of our offices, expect some COVID precautions such as ringing the door bell for access, wearing a mask and using hand sanitiser.
We have been busy throughout the pandemic, working from home and communicating via telephone, email and Zoom. Technology has enabled us to continue to provide our services throughout this difficult time. Indeed, despite the difficulties of the pandemic, we have successfully installed a new telephone system that has many advantages including notifying us immediately when a message is left on our office phone. This has been invaluable during our time working from home.
Volunteering
We have received a 72% increase in volunteering enquiries during the pandemic compared with the previous year. We have provided local voluntary groups with volunteers to both continue their existing work and to move into new areas such as food distribution etc. Despite the pandemic we have also been the catalyst to develop the new Community Action Northants website that brings all Northamptonshire volunteer centres together in one place to promote volunteering and provide a central place for potential volunteers to register their interest.
Brackley Area Volunteer Car Service
At the start of the pandemic BAVCS was required to stop providing its usual service of transporting (mainly elderly) people to medical appointments. Instead we kept busy keeping in regular contact with our vulnerable and isolated passengers and drivers. We also put a lot of effort into delivering prescriptions to anyone in the area who needed help. This transformed later into food deliveries and transport to vaccination centres. We now have a core of fully vaccinated volunteer drivers and the service has restarted as before.
Minibus and Rural Information Centre
Both of our vehicles were re-purposed for helping with food deliveries and were kept busy for many months providing this important service. The minibus now has all its seats back and has already returned to providing transport for voluntary groups to help them get out and about. Similarly the Rural Information Centre is now back providing support to the Northamptonshire Energy Saving Service. It is also ready again for hire and we are already seeing enquiries.
Garden Buddies
The Garden Buddies project managed to provide a limited service to our members during 2020. Our volunteers and members are now all vaccinated and we have returned to helping people keep their gardens looking as good as they did in the past.
Meeting Rooms
Once our offices are open our meeting rooms will be available to hire again. There will be some necessary restrictions, but we hope to offer this service as freely as we can.
Voluntary Group support
Because we have carried on working from home, our group support has continued. From July 19th groups will again be able to talk face to face with our staff who can help them with things like funding advice and general information and guidance.
snvb staff have risen to the challenge of keeping our projects and advice services running during very difficult times. We are now relishing the prospect of getting back to as near normal as possible. See you soon!
Visit our website here
Posted: Mon, 19 Jul 2021 11:23 by Helen du Bois
School field to be closed from 2nd August for up to 3 weeks
The school playing field will be closed from 2nd August 2021 for approximately 2-3 weeks whilst a multi use games area (MUGA) is constructed.
Posted: Mon, 19 Jul 2021 11:13 by Helen du Bois
Afternoon Tea at The Fat Landlord - raising money for the Alzheimer's Society
Join us for Afternoon Tea at The Fat Landlord on
Sunday 25th July. Teas served between 2 and 4pm
Scone, cake and unlimited tea & coffee £5
Children / families welcome
Posted: Sun, 18 Jul 2021 22:44 by Ross
Public notice of vacancy for a Councillor
NOTICE UNDER LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT (1972 (Section 87(2))
VACANCY FOR A COUNCILLOR
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
that a casual vacancy has occurred in the office of Councillor for the Parish of Helmdon following the resignation of Robert Duncombe. More »
Rule 5(2) of The Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) (England and Wales) Rules 2006 now applies.
The rule allows TEN ELECTORS for the ward in which the casual vacancy has arisen to request the Returning Officer to hold an election to the vacancy.* That request must be made within FOURTEEN DAYS, calculated in accordance with the rules, **of the date of this notice. The fourteen-day period ends on 27th July 2021
What if a request to hold an election is not received during the permitted time?
Rule 5(5) of the above Rules will apply. The Parish Council must, as soon as practicable after the expiry of the fourteen-day period, co-opt a person to fill the vacancy.
The Returning Officer's address is:
Electoral Services, West Northamptonshire Council, Lodge Road, Daventry, NN11 4FP.
The telephone number for further guidance is 0300 126 7000 or email: electoralservices.ddc@westnorthants.gov.uk
This notice is dated __7th July 2021___
Name, Helen du Bois Clerk to Helmdon Parish Council
* There is no form of word for this request, which might simply be a letter headed with such words as 'We the undersigned being electors of the [Ward of] …. Parish, call for an election to fill the vacancy arising from the [death][resignation] of *. A template entitled "Request for an Election" is available from the Parish Clerk. It is helpful if the ten signatures are accompanied by printed names and addresses.
** In calculating the notice period, day one is the day following the date of this notice; a Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas day, Good Friday or a bank Holiday or day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning shall be disregarded, and the period closes at midnight on the fourteenth day after the date of this notice. Rule 5(2) of The Local Elections (Parishes and Communities)(England and Wales) Rules 2006 now applies. » Less
Posted: Wed, 07 Jul 2021 14:33 by Helen du Bois
Councillor vacancy on the Parish Council
Due to the resignation of Cllr Robert Duncombe there is a Councillor vacancy on the Parish Council. If you are interested in joining the Parish Council please contact the Clerk by Tuesday 27th July 2021. More »
Could you be a Parish Councillor?
Parish Councillors are champions of their community - they give residents a voice in the decisions their Parish Council makes. Seeing your community change for the better as a result of decisions you have helped make can be very rewarding.
If you care about your community and would like to help make a real difference then this opportunity is for you. You will be supported in your role and provided with training - you should be comfortable working electronically, have a positive outlook and be willing to work as part of a team.
If you want to apply to join the Parish Council there are certain qualifications that you must meet. You must be:
- 18 years old or over; and
- a UK or Commonwealth citizen
AND at least one of the following must apply:
- you are an elector for the Parish and continue to be an elector (i.e. is listed on the Clerk's most recent copy of the Electoral Roll); or
- have resided in the Parish for the past twelve months or rented/tenanted land in the Parish; or
- have your principal or only place of work in the Parish for the past twelve months; or
- have lived within three miles of the Parish for the past twelve months.
There are certain disqualifications for being a parish councillor, of which the main are:
- holding a paid office or employment under the Parish Council; or
- bankruptcy; or
- having been sentenced to a term of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) of not less than three months, without the option of a fine during the preceding five years; or
- being disqualified under any enactment relating to corrupt or illegal electoral practices.
Helmdon Parish Council meets at 7:30pm, the fourth Wednesday of every other month. Please click here for more information about the Parish Council.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Clerk for more information. » Less
Posted: Mon, 05 Jul 2021 12:11 by Helen du Bois
Budapest Café Orchestra playing at the Reading Room on Friday July 2nd at 7.30pm. "Virtual tickets" now available
Helmdon Presents... for Helmdon Festival
This event is now sold out but the live band can be streamed into your own home so you can view the performance from your armchair.
Only £10 and you will receive a code to stream the event on a private YouTube channel. More »
This band is highly talented and great fun ...so get your ticket now! email helmdonrr@gmail.com » Less
Posted: Mon, 28 Jun 2021 11:10 by Richard
200 Club Results for June
The 200 Club draw for June took place on Sunday, 27th June - Results may be found here.
Congratulations to all winners.
Posted: Mon, 28 Jun 2021 10:00 by Ross
Plant Sale for St Mary Magdalene - 3rd July 2021
The Church will be holding a plant sale on 3rd July 2021 - plants will be available from the driveway of 12A Church Street from 10am until 5pm.
Posted: Sat, 19 Jun 2021 18:58 by Helen du Bois
2021 Summer Reading Challenge and Fully Booked
Every year Northamptonshire Libraries deliver the Summer Reading Challenge, which challenges children to read 6 books during the summer holidays. It has been proven that children who don't continue reading during the summer have a lower reading age when they return to school in September than that before the summer. The challenge starts on the 10th July and runs until September, when children return to school. More »
You can find out more about the challenge on our webpage: www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/src or on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/NorthamptonshireSRC
Northamptonshire Libraries are also running an adult reading challenge this year, called Fully Booked, which will run for 6 months, from the 10th July. Full information about this, and the companion podcast, can be found at www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/fortheloveofbooks » Less
Posted: Sun, 13 Jun 2021 10:19 by Helen du Bois
More News
Click for page 2 of Helmdon News (earlier posts). At bottom of page, select next page number for earlier posts. Each page shows 10 news items.
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Click for Latest News from Neighbourhood Watch (includes links to posts on NeighbourhoodAlert.co.uk)
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CONTACT US
For Council, Community Group and Website contacts - please click here.
For Police Contact details - please click here
Links to other Councils' websites:
The District Council (up to March 2021): South Northamptonshire Council (SNC)
The County Council (up to March 2021): Northamptonshire County Council (NCC)
The website for the new unitary authority West Northamptonshire Council is www.westnorthants.gov.uk However, the SNC and NCC websites will continue to operate while the new website is being refined.
** Bracketed Menu Items (..) link to external website www.helmdonhistory.com (or as stated).
Helmdon Parish Council cannot accept any responsibility for information or web links provided by external websites.
