The latest Tetbury news by Kevin Painter

1. Well-attended town council meeting 

At the very well attended Tetbury Town council meeting Presented by Chair of finance and scrutiny Cllr Steve Scott (Scotty) Tetbury Mayor Cllr Liz Farnham and Tetbury Town Council CEO Tara Niblett.

Steve began the presentation with his introduction Verbally and on screen with the words,Tetbury Town Council will confirm the budget at its meeting on January 29 and submit its Precept request to Cotswold District Council by the end of January.

"Welcome to the TTC 2024-25 Budget Consultation,It takes about 4 months to prepare the council budget and it is always a challenging process.This year with high inflation causing large price increases it has been even more challenging than usual to try to create a budget that allows us to serve the town while seeking to provide value for money.

"Our presentation and documents sets out the outcome of out thinking and discussions. We have sought wherever possible not to cut services. History shows that once a service is cut it is very hard for it to be restored.

"However, we realise that it would be unreasonable to expect the people of Tetbury to fund a large increase in the budget through their council tax.

"Our proposed budget, hopefully, has found a balance between trying to, wherever possible, maintain what we do while keeping the additional tax burden to a minimum.

"The outcome is that for 2024-25, we are proposing an expenditure of £482 786 (an increase of £23 387 on 2023-24) with a proposed Band D Council Tax of £160 (an increase of £7.62 per annum)The following backing figures are from the 2024-25 Budget Consultation document and are based on the previous years 2023 -2024 data, to help show how the new figure arrived at The income for the town council the total precept is £413,575.

"This is based on a precept for (Band D) of £152.38 and Tax base number provided from Cotswold District Council is 2714.1. This year Tetbury Town council is proposing an increase of £7.62 per year to a band D precept.

"The major outgoings for the town council is staffing and is broken down as follows. Office Staff costs £121,139 Maintenance Staff Costs £112,251,Health and Wellbeing Staff Costs £15,420. Visitor Information Centre Staff Costs £18,778 other larger outgoings are IT £13,600, utilities £12,000, training costs £5000 of course this is only a few of the outgoings/ running costs."

If you would like more information or a more in-depth breakdown then please contact Tetbury Town council by dropping in the Council office or phone 01666 504670 or email ceo@tetbury.gov.uk where are you can request the presentation documents of the Tetbury Town Council Budget Consultation for 2024-2025.

Tetbury Mayor Cllr Liz Farnham said afterwards: "We were pleased with the turn out, even more so on such an unseasonably cold evening. The presentation of the budget generated lots of questions and discussion about the services Tetbury Town Council provides."

2. Club's first ever bingo evening 

Tonight, Friday 26th January, Tetbury Cricket Club are delighted To present their first ever Bingo Evening!

Hosted by their ladies team , get ready for an evening of fun and laughter and of course supporting Tetbury Cricket Club’s first ever Bingo Evening! Join them at the Dolphins Hall for a night filled with number-calling chaos and unexpected moments.

It’s not just about winning; it’s about the hilarious near misses and the camaraderie that comes with shouting “Bingo!” in unison only to be told you’ve got it wrong! Supporting the event will also help with the further expansion of our ladies and youth teams for the 2024 season.

So, bring your lucky charms, and let the daubing and laughter commence! The time 7.00PM to buy your books and then eyes down from 7.30PM. Tickets cost £10 for 10 games or £1.50 per game. Awesome cash prizes. Bring your own snacks. Fun for everyone (non-members welcome) So bring your friends and family for a fun-filled night of bingo, all in support of the ladies and youth teams

3. Annual General Meeting of theatre group

Tonight, Friday, January 26 at St Mary’s Junior School in Tetbury it will be The Annual General Meeting of the Tetbury Theatre Group with a social afterwards, this will be held at 7.00pm.

Tetbury Theatre Group began in 1993 and arranges visits from Tetbury to venues in the region, such as Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham, Salisbury, Sonning, Newbury, Cheltenham and Oxford.

The committee tries to choose performances of a high standard that will appeal generally. While most of the events are plays, they also include classical concerts, musicals, and a summer visit to a place of interest.

We are inevitably limited to what is on offer, but strive to offer you excellent entertainment.

Information is sent out to members months in advance because tickets need to be bought well ahead to ensure getting the best seats in the house. The price includes the cost of the coach from The Chipping car park, Tetbury, the driver’s gratuity and the theatre seat.

They usually book for the matinée so we are not home too late, and have time for shopping, lunch or visiting places of interest.

Because tickets have to be bought and paid for many weeks in advance, the closing date for applications is often a long time before the performance, but there may be seats on the coach.

If you do not have a ticket or just fancy spending time in the venue we are visiting, you may be able to join the coach and make your own arrangements, paying only the coach fare. To find out more or to join please visit website tetburytheatregroup.co.uk

4. Reflective breakfast for women

You are invited to a reflective breakfast for women this Saturday, January 27th 2024 from 9:30 am until 11:00 am. This will be at the tranquil location of Christchurch,The Chipping.

This will be a special time to chat and time to be encouraged as you share simple craft activity and be able to listen to someone sharing their faith and enjoy breakfast which would include hot drinks, pastries, granola, fruit and yoghurt.

To book your place please email office@ tetburychurch.co.uk or ring 01666 500088 although free a suggestion of a £5 donation on the day would be appreciated. This is a Tetbury Area Churches Together (TACT) initiative.

5. Leading Balkan band

On January 27 Tetbury Good Shed are delighted to welcome, Paprika. Paprika is the UK’s leading Balkan band whose lineup consists of two accordions, violin, guitar, bass guitar, and percussion.

This World Music Band. Composed of a group of inspirational musicians and skilful performers, the artists behind Paprika have earned their reputation as a talented band to look out for. z To book a ticket or for further information, please visit www. shed-arts.co.uk