11 November 2025 – Agenda

SUMMONS TO ATTEND A MEETING

TO: All Members of the Community Services committee

Cllrs D Bretherton, P Cowell (Chairman), A Dite, H Dollman, M Dyer, L Emery (Deputy Chairman), C Jones and A Wainwright

Ex Officio (Voting) Members – A Gilbert (Town Mayor) and D Dawson (Deputy Mayor)

To all other Members for information

You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of the Community Services Committee on Tuesday 11 November 2025 at 6.30pm in the Upper Chamber (Thame Town Hall) for the transaction of business as set out on the attached agenda.

Mandy Sturdy

Town Clerk of the Council

Date: Wednesday 5 November 2025

AGENDA

1) Apologies for Absence

To receive, note and agree apologies for absence.

2) Declarations of Interest and Dispensations

To notify of any items that appear in the agenda in which there may be an interest that has not been recorded in the Member’s Register of Interest; and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.

3) Public Participation and Public Questions

To consider applications from members of the public to address the Committee (5 minutes maximum), in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. Applications to speak must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 5pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.

To consider questions from members of the public (who live, work or run a business in the Parish). Written questions must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 4pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.

4) Minutes

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 22 July 2025.

Minutes – 22 July 2025

5) Budget Summary

To monitor actual income and expenditure against estimates.

5. Community Services Budgetary Figures to 30 September 2025 (PDF)

6) Policies

To consider suggested updates to the Flag Flying Policy.

6. Report – Flag Flying Policy (PDF)

6. Flag Flying Annual Calendar (PDF)

6. Flag Flying Policy Proposals – with changes shown (PDF)

7) Upcoming Events

a. Emergency Services Day

Note Possibly in 2026/27 budget. Subject to having police/Red Kite Family Centre on board.

b. Healthy Thame Fayre

Potential to link with law firms / end of life planning.

c. Senior Citizens Tea Party 2025

To note that the annual Senior Citizens’ Christmas Tea Party will take place on Wednesday 10 December 2025 from 2pm – 4pm. It is being organised by the Town Council with support from Thame & District Rotary Club and Thame Inner Wheel.

d. Christmas in Thame 2025

7d. Report – Christmas in Thame 2025(PDF)

e. Thame Charities Fair/Santa’s Grotto 2025

To note the event will take place on Saturday 29 November 2025 between 10am – 2pm (day after Christmas lights switch on).

To request support from Councillors.

f. Thame Art Crawl

To receive event feedback and suggestions for 2026.

7f. Report – Thame Art Crawl 2025 (PDF)

g. Thame Fair

To receive event feedback, plus any issues and suggestions for 2026; air quality report due.

7g. Report – Thame Fairs 2025 (pdf)

h. RAF Halton Volunteer Band

To note the date of 2 December 2025; RAF Halton Volunteer Band are working with the Thame Royal British Legion and Thame Town Council to perform a Christmas Concert at St Mary’s, Thame.

i. LWS Future Fest

To note the date of Lord Williams’s Future Fest careers fair will take place on Wednesday 25 February 2026.

Councillors are asked if anyone can assist manning the Thame Town Hall Stall for timeslot between 5pm to 7.30pm

8) Event Dates 2025

To note the event dates for 2025 which will be used in the Town Guide and/or Thame Calendar:

Service of Remembrance, Sunday 9 November 2025
Armistice Day, Tuesday 11 November 2025
Christmas Lights Switch-On, Friday 28 November 2025
Thame Charities Fair & Santa’s Grotto, Saturday 29 November 2025
Santa Run, Sunday 30 November 2025
Christmas Charity Road Run, 21 December 2025
Carols Around the Tree, Wednesday 24 December 2025

Event Dates 2026

To note the following event dates are confirmed:

Vegan Market, Saturday 17 January 2026
Volunteer Fair, Saturday 24 January 2026
Mayor’s Charity Quiz Night, Thursday 5 March 2026
World Village Market, Thursday 5 – Saturday 8 March 2026
Thame Country Fair, Sunday 5 and Monday 6 April 2026
Mayor’s Charity Ball, Saturday 25 April 2026
Music in the Park, Sunday 3 May 2026
Taste of Thame, Saturday 23 May 2026
Vegan Market, Saturday 6 June 2026
Thame Sportive, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2026
Duck Race, Sunday 14 June 2026
Thame Pride, Saturday 20 June 2026
CPM Thame 10k, Sunday 28 June 2026
Market Community Fun Day, Tuesday 18 August 2026
Towersey Fringe, Sunday 30 August 2026
Street Fun Fair, Thursday 17 – Saturday 19 September 2026
Thame Food Festival, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026
Charter Fair, Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October 2026
Thame Art Crawl. Saturday 10 to Saturday 17 October 2026
World Village Market, Thursday 22 to Saturday 24 October 2026
Service of Remembrance, Sunday 8 November 2026
Vegan Market, Saturday 21 November 2026
Green Fayre, Saturday 21 November 2026
Christmas Lights Switch-On, Friday 27 November 2026
Thame Charities Fair, Saturday 28 November 2026
Carols Around the Tree, Thursday 24 December 2026

To note the following event dates are to be confirmed:

Town Awards (usually a Thursday, mid-July)
French Market (usually early October) (if approved under Item 9)
Thame Fireworks Display (usually a Saturday end of October / early November)
Santa Sleigh Run, various dates
Charity Tractor Run (usually a Sunday mid-December)

9) Communications & Community Engagement

To receive a report on Town Council communications and community engagement including Town Guide 2026 edition and feedback on Councillors at the Market.

9. Report – Communications and Community Engagement(PDF)

9a. Website – GA Report 25.7.25-22.10.25(PDF)

9b. Councillors on the Market – Comments up to October 2025(PDF)

10) Projects

To receive the report of the utilisation of the Town Hall (including Free Use and equivalent cost granted by the Town Clerk through Free Use / De Minimis delegated authority).

10. Free Use of Facilities 2025 – 26(PDF)

11) Community Partnerships

a. Thame Alliance Group

To note minutes from Tuesday 7 October 2025.

11a. Draft Minutes Thame Alliance Group – 07.10.25(PDF)

b. Thame Youth Council

To receive a verbal update.

12) Community Safety

a. CCTV

To note CCTV half yearly reports are available by clicking here.

To note CCTV agreement, signed and sealed?

To note the Shopwatch is progressing with an anticipated launch date at the beginning of 2026.

b. PSPO / Policing / Speedwatch

To note 15 volunteers signed and training scheduled to take place through November/December.

c. Defibrillators

To report an update on Defibrillator hand over from Staying Alive.

12c. Report – Defibrillators(PDF)

13) Markets

a. Themed & Street Food Markets

To note dates the Community Services Manager has organised the Themed & Street Food Markets in 2025-2026.