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Oxfordshire’s best apprentices celebrated at awards event

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The 10th Annual Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards took place on May 21 at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities in Oxford, organised by Enterprise Oxfordshire.

The ceremony brought together nearly 200 guests and recognised apprentices, employers, and educators who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in work-based learning.

Supported by a business-led committee, the awards aim to promote the value of apprenticeships and inspire employers across the county.

Helen Brind, director of business and skills at Enterprise Oxfordshire, said: “Over the last 10 years, we have recognised hundreds of the county’s apprentices and apprenticeship champions, and we are delighted to welcome even more individuals and businesses to that list following this year’s awards.

“At Enterprise Oxfordshire, we remain as committed to recognising apprenticeship talent as we were when the awards were first launched 10 years ago.

“We will continue to support our business community to unlock vital opportunities to utilise these, such as through initiatives relating to the new Growth and Skills Levy.”

Awards were given across 10 categories, including Intermediate, Advanced, and Higher Apprentice of the Year, as well as Rising Star and Shining Star awards.

This year’s headline sponsor was Popham Hairdressing, which also chose the overall Apprentice of the Year.

The winner of that category was Lucy Harold, a trainee biomedical scientist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

She also took home the Higher Apprentice of the Year award.

Other category winners included:

Chelsey Church, apprentice furniture manufacturer at Bill Cleyndert & Company (Intermediate Apprentice of the Year) Callum Gordon, group car schemes advisor at Alphabet (GB), BMW Group (Advanced Apprentice of the Year) Dominique Southwick, finance and HR manager at Darcica Logistics (Shining Star) Shilpa Bhatt, apprenticeships and widening participation lead at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & BOB ICS (Skills Champion) Employer awards went to Live Wire Event Solutions (employer under 250 employees) and the Atlassian Williams F1 Team (employer over 250 employees).

The event also recognised the changing landscape of skills funding, noting the recent replacement of the Apprenticeship Levy with the Growth and Skills Levy.

Enterprise Oxfordshire has supported employers across the county to access and use apprenticeship funding, helping to start 551 apprenticeships and learner starts since the introduction of the levy.

The organisation became the trading name of OxLEP in April 2025, following a transition that saw economic development functions move under the governance of Oxfordshire County Council.

The council now acts as the sole shareholder of Enterprise Oxfordshire.





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Oxford City Farm visitors delighted with new twin baby goats

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The kids arrived on Monday, May 18, and are already proving popular with everyone who visits the farm.

One of the farm’s original goats, donated by Norton & Yarrow Cheese, gave birth to the healthy twins at around 10:00am and 10:20am.

Bradley Soule, community grower at Oxford City Farm, said: “It was great timing.

“The kids were born on Monday morning, and later that day we welcomed a new group for our monthly goat milking training.

“It meant trainees got to meet the farm’s newest arrivals straight away, which is a really special introduction to life on the farm.”

Oxford City Farm is a community-led urban farm in East Oxford that offers people of all ages the chance to connect with food, farming and nature.

The farm runs regular goat-milking training sessions and welcomes visitors to learn more about animal care, small-scale farming, and food production.

Nicole Titera, farm lead at Oxford City Farm, said: “As a registered charity, Oxford City Farm relies on donations, fundraising, and income from produce and activities to continue delivering its community programmes.

“Every visit, purchase and donation helps us keep the farm open and accessible to the community.”

The farm is open to visitors and volunteers from 10am to 1pm every Friday and Saturday.





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Charlbury Bowls Club hosting community event for army

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The club will open its gates at 11am on Saturday, June 20, for the day.

Veterans, serving personnel, military families, and the public are being invited to attend the event, which aims to both celebrate and unite the armed forces community.

A range of activities, food, and refreshments will be available at the club on the day.

These will include bacon rolls and bowls sessions from 11am, lunch at 12.30pm, and a community bowls match at 2pm.

The Little Troopers charity, which provides support to military children separated from their families due to service life and deployment, has been selected as the beneficiary of the event.

Raffle prizes and donations are being requested to help contribute towards raising funds for the charity.

The event is being organised by Charlbury Bowls Club and military TBI campaigner, Kate England.





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Historic golf club and hotel dating 1763 up for £8m sale

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Donnington Grove Hotel and Country Club, in the village of Donnington north of Newbury, is being sold after being operated by the current owners since 2005.

The estate, which spans about 283 acres, includes a recently refurbished restaurant and bar, multiple meeting and event spaces, and an acclaimed 18-hole championship golf course.

The hotel and golf course are set within private grounds overlooking the River Lambourn, and the 18th-century Grade II-listed manor house is arranged across three floors.

The hotel has 40 en-suite bedrooms, including rooms within the main house and a selection of outbuildings.

The estate was previously up for sale in 2022 for offers in excess of £10 million but did not sell.

The current owners, who have run the hotel since 2005, said: “After a long period of ownership, and in light of the passing of two of the original company directors, we have decided the time is right to hand Donnington Grove to new owners.

“This marks an important transition, allowing the estate to enter its next chapter and realise its full potential.

“Most importantly, we would like to thank the staff, with whom we have shared this memorable journey, for their hard work and dedication over the years.”

The sale is being managed by Ed Bellfield, regional director of hotels at Christie & Co.

He said: “Donnington Grove is an exceptional property offering scale, heritage and operational depth rarely found in the market.

“The asset is expected to attract strong interest from a broad range of buyers seeking high quality hotel and golf related leisure opportunities in a highly accessible location close to the M4 corridor and within 90 minutes of London’s West End.”

The hotel, dating back to 1763, has links to historical figures like Winston Churchill.

The mansion, built in the ‘Strawberry Hill Gothic’ style by amateur architect John Chute for wealthy historian James Pettit Andrews, has a rich history.

The next owner in 1783 was William Brummell, former private secretary to Prime Minister Lord North, who expanded and landscaped the estate.

However, it was his son, George, known as ‘Beau’ Brummell, who became a Regency-style icon, having a revolutionary impact on men’s fashion—even introducing the suit and necktie to menswear.

In 1795, Donnington Grove was transferred to John Bebb, an East India Company official.

After the death of his widow in 1850, the estate changed hands to Head Pottinger Best.

READ MORE: Search for missing boy, 16, last at Didcot railway station

The house remained in the family until 1936 when it was sold to Mrs Amy Swithinbank.

Like many other country estates, the house was requisitioned in 1940 for Allied Supplies Ltd.

After the war, the estate was sold to the Hon Reginald Fellows and remained in the family until its purchase by Shi-tennoji International in December 1991.

Dave Thomas, one of Britain’s foremost golf architects, was tasked with creating a golf course that was in keeping with the listed landscape gardens and lake to the south of the house.

The construction of the course started in November 1991, and on June 12, 1993, the Donnington Grove Country Club opened.

In April 2000, Donnington Grove changed names to Parasampia Golf & Country Club, a name already used by the company in Japan, but it has since reverted to the Donnington Grove name.





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