Mothering Sunday is a day that used to be more about religion. People would visit the church where they were baptised. Now it’s more about celebrating mums in general. At Trinity Church today, the junior church helped make and give out flowers to the women in the congregation, and to men to take home to wives or mothers.
They had extra flowers to share with people who can’t come to church.
There was a One Planet Abingdon stall on the Market Place today. The focus from January – March 2024 is Waste Reduction. On the website https://oneplanetabingdon.org/green-forum/ there is a survey on Waste Reduction which takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. They also have four waste reduction challenges people can take on.
Their base in the County Hall basement is open from Thursday to Saturday and most Sundays. There are homemade cakes, teas and coffees, soup, friendly volunteers happy to chat, displays on sustainability, an eco-library, and board games and puzzles.
As part of her efforts to help local people dealing with domestic abuse, Councillor Gwyneth Lewis OBE, the Mayor of Abingdon, organised a free film night, showing the 1944 film “Gaslight”. The film depicts an example of coercive control in marriage. The term ‘gaslighting’ became known as a form of psychological abuse.
This film was shown on International Women’s Day. According to The National Centre for Domestic Violence, 1 in 4 women are affected by domestic abuse in their lifetime.
Before the movie, there were presentations by people from local organisations that can help with domestic abuse, including police, lawyers, and charities, and talks by people who had experienced domestic abuse. Afterwards, people asked questions and suggested ways to improve the support and safe spaces available. The Mayor will continue with a working party taking these idea forward to make Abingdon a safer place. She previously worked for the World Health Organisation on Women’s Services and was National Clinical Director for Maternal Health at the Department of Health.
One organisation involved is the Mayor’s Charity, Reducing the Risk. They offer support to victims and survivors, and also train professionals and volunteers who help people in abusive situations, and have a network of friends.
In the Bury Street Precinct on Thursday, were a group seeking support for a proposed solar farm near Cumnor. The Cumnor Parish Council has voiced its opposition, citing concerns about the industrialization of the Greenbelt, the impact on the area’s natural beauty and character, disruption to public rights of way, agriculture, and ecological balance.
The representatives of the company wanting to build the solar farm say it will counter climate change by helping the shift away from carbon energy and so help the VWHDC is their action on the climate emergency. They said the land could still be used for sheep grazing. The consultation period is closed, and I was not sure of the benefit of getting people to sign a list of ‘benefits’ at this stage. The planning application on the VWHDC Planning portal has reference ‘P23/V2624/FUL’.
Meanwhile, Riverford Organic Farmers had their regular stall where people can sign up for organic vegetable and food boxes.
Organic farming relies on natural methods for pest control and fertilisation and is attractive to consumers who are able and willing to pay a premium for naturally produced food.