LEYSNEWS113_DEC2013
LEYSNEWS113_DEC2013
LEYSNEWS113_DEC2013
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8| Leys News<br />
December 2013<br />
Thanks to Ruskin College for sponsoring this page. If you are<br />
interested in studying at Ruskin College please call 01865 759600<br />
or visit www.ruskin.ac.uk<br />
FEELING GREAT WITH FIVE<br />
FESTIVE CHALLENGES!<br />
IN THE lead up to Christmas this<br />
year Oxford City Council and<br />
Fusion Lifestyle have teamed up to<br />
add some festive fun into getting<br />
active.<br />
Many of us would like to lose<br />
a few pounds and feel a little<br />
fitter in time for those Christmas<br />
parties and family get togethers,<br />
but finding the motivation in these<br />
darker, colder months can be<br />
difficult.<br />
If you are new to exercise it can<br />
also be daunting to know where to<br />
start.<br />
The five challenges to<br />
Christmas is a fun way to start or<br />
stay active over the festive period.<br />
You can also try out some new<br />
activities, burn a few calories and<br />
football also included.<br />
Each challenge completed<br />
burns off the same amount of<br />
calories as are found in some of<br />
our favourite Christmas treats.<br />
The idea is that the challenges<br />
will help people enjoy all the<br />
Christmas festivities without<br />
feeling too guilty.<br />
For example 30 minutes of<br />
gliding (or perhaps stumbling)<br />
around the ice rink earns the<br />
equivalent of a glass of mulled<br />
wine!<br />
Or you could pull on some<br />
trainers, head out for a gentle jog<br />
and earn yourself that delicious<br />
slice of Christmas pudding!<br />
Anyone who ticks off more than<br />
one challenge will receive a free<br />
there is a chance to win a month's<br />
ice skating or a leisure pass and a<br />
brand new iPod shuffle!<br />
With activities available at all of<br />
the City Council's leisure centres,<br />
swimming pools, Oxford Ice Rink<br />
and various community venues<br />
through the GO Active and Active<br />
Women projects, there really is no<br />
excuse to not give it a try.<br />
Councillor Mark Lygo, Board<br />
Member for Sports, Parks and<br />
Events, said: "Christmas and the<br />
lead up to it can be a stressful time<br />
for many people.<br />
"Taking some time out to get<br />
active, even just for half an hour,<br />
can offer many benefits. Whether<br />
it is as a family, with friends or on<br />
your own, it can help us feel more<br />
even win some prizes!<br />
2 for 1 ice rink pass or three day confident, less stressed and of<br />
from the GO Active website or of November. The challenge will<br />
The challenges range from leisure pass to be used at any of course it leads to a happier and<br />
picked up from any Oxford City finish on Friday 10 January 2014.<br />
swimming and ice skating to the City Council's leisure centres. healthier life."<br />
Council leisure centre and most<br />
dancing and jogging with sports For those who manage to tick 5 Challenges to Christmas<br />
Community Centres from the end<br />
such as badminton, tennis and off four or five of the challenges, flyers can either be downloaded<br />
No need to be alone at Christmas<br />
HELP is needed from people across the<br />
Leys to make sure that nobody is alone this<br />
Christmas.<br />
The Leys CDI is organising a Community<br />
Christmas Dinner from 1–6pm on Christmas<br />
Day at The Glow Hall.<br />
Marsha Jackson from the CDI said:<br />
“Nobody should be alone at Christmas and we<br />
are organising a community Christmas dinner<br />
to make sure that everyone has somewhere to<br />
go and some friends to spend the day with.”<br />
Marsha added that she is calling on the<br />
whole community to help out and make sure<br />
the event is a huge success. She added: “We<br />
are also in need of a cooker or portable ovens.<br />
One of the cookers has gone past its sell<br />
by date and we are down to to one catering<br />
cooker.We are also hoping to raise funds to<br />
hire a minibus so that we can pick up and drop<br />
off people where mobility is a problem.<br />
“CDI has identified that for some people this<br />
time of year can be very stressful, for many it<br />
maybe the loneliest day of the year and we feel<br />
that no one should spend it alone. Christmas<br />
is meant to be a time of happiness and sharing<br />
and CDI would like to bring a little of that festive<br />
cheer to those who don't have anyone to share<br />
Christmas with.<br />
Putting on the CDI Community Christmas<br />
Dinner is a way of letting people know there<br />
are people out there who care. We are<br />
aiming to create a space for people to make a<br />
celebration of their own. We will be reaching<br />
out to young people and the elderly, the<br />
community. Community events that see the<br />
community young and old come together is<br />
significant. It builds community spirit.”<br />
• Would you like to help? Are you able to<br />
prepare part of the meal, deliver meals,<br />
help set up/clean up, serve or greet people<br />
at the door? If you would like to volunteer<br />
or contribute in some way, please call<br />
Marsha on 01865 395927.<br />
• Dine-in, and home delivery (for the<br />
elderly) are available. To place an order for<br />
home delivery please call Marsha.<br />
Fantastic<br />
FREE January at<br />
Waterperry Gardens! <br />
FOR the first time every visit to<br />
Waterperry Gardens is free throughout<br />
January. With no garden entrance fee<br />
it really is the time to enjoy winter walks<br />
around the gardens. See the gardens<br />
turn into a spectacular vision as the<br />
frost spread across the grasses and<br />
trees and the mist winds around the<br />
garden and the Riverside Walk. With<br />
free garden tours every Wednesday<br />
at 11.30am during January and the<br />
massive winter sale in the Garden<br />
Centre, Gift Barn and Gallery there is<br />
only one place to be in January.<br />
HELPFUL HINTS<br />
Agnes Smith Advice Centre<br />
Managing your Money<br />
this Christmas<br />
It’s that time of year again when it<br />
is all too easy to overspend.<br />
• Have a realistic budget<br />
and stick to it!<br />
• Remember everyday<br />
bills still have to be paide.g.<br />
rent, gas, electricity,<br />
council tax...<br />
• Make a list and stick to<br />
it—impulse shopping is<br />
dangerous!<br />
• Shop around to find<br />
the best price. Be wary of<br />
extended warranties as<br />
most are a waste of<br />
money; the cost of repair<br />
could be less than the cost<br />
of the warranty.<br />
• If possible pay by cash<br />
or debit card, most forms<br />
of credit are expensive<br />
unless you can pay the<br />
whole debt within the<br />
interest free period.<br />
• If you feel credit is<br />
the only way to afford<br />
Christmas, shop around<br />
for the best deals and<br />
check for any hidden<br />
extras.<br />
• Don’t run up an<br />
overdraft without arranging<br />
it with your bank first; the<br />
charges and interest will<br />
cost you much more.<br />
• Don’t be tempted to<br />
borrow from unauthorised<br />
lenders or ‘loan sharks’ as<br />
they will want repayment<br />
at a very high rate.<br />
• If you are a member<br />
of a credit union you can<br />
usually borrow up to two or<br />
three times your savings<br />
and the interest is very<br />
low. Consider joining one<br />
for next year.<br />
HOW TO SAVE<br />
EVEN MORE:<br />
• Make a ‘no present pact’<br />
with friends or extended<br />
family; they may thank you<br />
for suggesting it!<br />
• Suggest a Secret Santa<br />
or agree a spending limit<br />
• Suggest home-made<br />
gifts only. If you aren’t<br />
crafty try making a jar of<br />
jam, a fancy cake, biscuits,<br />
fudge etc.<br />
• What about a personal<br />
voucher? For example<br />
offering to make a free<br />
meal, or spend an evening<br />
babysitting for free.<br />
• Be creative—get your<br />
kids making cards and<br />
wrapping paper with<br />
colourful magazines etc<br />
• Deliver cards personally<br />
or send them by 2nd<br />
class post. What about an<br />
e-card instead?<br />
Have a very Happy<br />
Christmas. If you are<br />
struggling to manage<br />
your debts in the New<br />
Year, our advisers are<br />
here to help.<br />
• Agnes Smith Advice Centre, 96 Blackbird Leys Road, Blackbird Leys, OX4 6HS.<br />
Telephone: 01865 770206 Email: asac.reception@blackbirdleysnss.co.uk