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The Stour Health and Wellbeing Partnership is a community-led partnership set up to support residents in Shipston and the neighbouring villages to live longer and better.

It began in December 2019 and became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in November 2020. The Partnership has developed strong working relationships with over 50 organisations and individuals involved in the area, including: Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire Public Health, Healthwatch, Stratford on Avon District Council, Shipston Town Council, VASA, South Warwickshire Hospital Foundation Trust, Timebank, Friends of Ellen Badger Hospital, Shipston Medical Centre, Barnardo’s and a wide variety of other groups and organisations in the Stour area.

The purpose of the Partnership is: ‘To improve the health and wellbeing of all residents in the Stour area through better partnership working’

The Partnership’s vision is: ‘To bring together in partnership organisations and individuals across the Stour Valley to support every resident at all stages to have a better quality of life and live longer by improving health and wellbeing’.

The Partnership aims to develop and implement a comprehensive health and wellbeing strategy focused on the recommendations of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and other surveys. Members are in the process of prioritising the health and wellbeing needs of the Stour community and developing proposals, projects and initiatives to address those needs. COVID and its aftermath have added to the challenges facing the Partnership and the community.

The Partnership works through an Executive committee which is comprised of the chairs of five Work Streams - Mental Health, Children and Young People, Healthy Ageing, Transport and Environment and Climate Change – and representatives of other organisations. The Executive Committee is responsible to a Board of Trustees. This Board is registered with the Charity Commission.

There are already early signs of the benefits which will be achieved from partnership working examples include the revival of the Shipston Dementia Friendly Committee and the launch of the `Dr Sue Pritchard Memorial Challenge’

The town Christmas lights and Tree of Life switching on ceremony was observed by a sizeable crowd, in addition, to apparently another 3,000 people online.

With the support and generosity of local business, Shipston Rotary took Santa, in his new sleigh and grotto (thanks to Unity Cross Roads in Tredington) around the town throughout December. The sleigh was all lit up and played Christmas music. Santa’s new grotto was constructed thanks to Shipston Building and Plumbing Supplies, who supplied the materials.

While Santa was limited in what he could do he still made lots of friends from a distance. Everyone, not just Shipston parents and children were as generous as ever making donations to Rotary charities.

Rotary President David Gill, Amit Patel (Pharmacy To My Door) and Town Mayor Cllr Ian Cooper switched on the lights on the Tree of Life.

We are shocked to hear of the passing of Micky Cornock, our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this sad time.
 
Statement from Town Mayor Ian Cooper:
"I'm extremely shocked and saddened by the very sad news of the death of Micky Cornock. Micky was one of the Town's real characters and will be greatly missed by very many people. His work as caretaker at the primary school meant that he was known to everyone whose children attended there, but he was also so heavily involved with so many organisations especially the sports clubs. He was one of the most generous and well meaning people you could hope to meet and would always be found volunteering to help where he could. I considered him a friend, but I know of many who were also very close to him and my condolences and best wishes are with them now. I know we will all be greatly saddened by this news but long may he live in the memories of the town."

Shipston was recommended to us by my late mum in law who used to frequent the WI’s embroidery group that met at the Catholic Church rooms. She described Shipston as a compact little town that had all that we as a family would need. She was particularly fond of the playing fields of the primary school, that she looked out onto from the windows of the church rooms.

We took her up on her word and have not been disappointed. We have been resident in ‘Sheep Wash Town’ for the last 18 years bringing up two well-balanced children. Both are now at university at Undergraduate and Masters levels.

My husband Rob is an environmental manager and I work for the NHS at Warwick Hospital in the Aseptics pharmacy department where we make medicines for Cancer treatment. My career has been mainly in the Education , Health and the Care sectors.

Regarding interests, I enjoy sports, reading and cooking. Rob and I also spend time walking, enjoying the brilliant countryside that we are blessed with around us. Due to my son’s influence, we are also novice level but avid surfers.

Shipston has been and continues to be a wonderful home town for me and for us as a family. It has a special place in my heart (one tends to put down roots in the place where you grow your family). Having been a recipient in this town I believe that I am at a stage in my life where I want to take my serving of the people and the town to the next level, hence applying to become a councillor. I trust that I will do the role justice and I am very much looking forward to getting stuck in.

Watch the Video here: https://vimeo.com/645816045/df5035a727

 

A Warwickshire town’s Remembrance Sunday service was able to reach far more people than ever before thanks to a big screen showing it live in the town centre.

Shipston-on-Stour Town Council hired a big screen to broadcast the service from inside the town’s church, St Edmund’s, which can only fit a few hundred people inside.

The screen was installed above Lloyd’s Bank in High Street, close to where the parade started its procession.

Those wishing to pay their respects but who could not enter the church due to its limited capacity were then able to stay in High Street and watch the service safely.

And plenty of people did so, with many returning to High Street after the wreath-laying at the memorial to watch the indoor service.

The use of the big screen coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Royal British Legion and the first ever Poppy Day.

The funding for the big screen was provided through the Welcome Back Fund, from the European Regional Development Fund money through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The programme is managed by Shakespeare's England on behalf of Stratford District Council.

Grants are given to projects that help to attract local residents and visitors alike into high streets or town centres post-Covid.

Cllr Ian Cooper, Shipston’s mayor, thought the big screen was a great addition to the service and meant turnout was a lot higher than in previous years.

He said: “We were so happy with what the screen brought to our Remembrance Sunday service this year.

“Turnout in Shipston is usually very good for Remembrance Sunday, but in the past we often had people hanging around outside St Edmund’s as they weren’t able to get inside. They had no way of knowing what was happening or when the service would finish.

“The big screen changed all that. It allowed residents to gather safely in High Street, watch the service and pay their respects in a much more inclusive way than what was possible before.

“We would definitely consider using the screen again in subsequent years – it worked really well.”

Mike Wells, chairman of the Shipston branch of the Royal British Legion, added: “Anyone wishing to quietly reflect during Remembrance Sunday should be able to do so, and the big screen allowed more people than ever in Shipston to watch the service.

“St Edmund’s is a lovely church, but its size means we cannot fit everyone in. But this year, having the big screen allowed more people than ever before to view the service. I think it was a great addition to the day.”

And Glyn Slade, Welcome Back Event Manager from Shakespeare’s England, said: “Projects funded through the Welcome Back Fund are supposed to attract people back onto the High Street, which is exactly what Shipston’s big screen did.

“It was fantastic to see so many people come out to watch the service on the screen and pay their respects to the fallen.”