This month


Welcome to the last edition of South news for 2023. We wish you all a very merry Christmas break and a happy new year! You can also view this edition online.

Christmas information


Opening hours


The council offices at Abbey House will be closed to the public from Christmas Day until New Year. 

The last working day will be Friday 22 December. Our Customer Contact Centre and front desk reception will close at the usual closing time of 4pm on that day. The office will re-open as normal on Tuesday 2 January 2024. 

The council’s emergency out of hours helpline during the break is 01235 422410 (South)/ 01235 422420 (Vale).

You can find out more by visiting our website.

Christmas Waste and Recycling


For all you need to know about waste collections over the Christmas and New Year period – including the changes to the collection dates, which bin you should put your Christmas rubbish in, what to do with your tree once the festivities are over and much more, please see our special Christmas waste page.

Join the fight against festive food waste


Join the fight against festive food waste – put your knowledge to the test and you could win a £100 farm shop voucher! Too much of our food ends up being thrown away, especially at Christmas time when two million turkeys, five million Christmas puddings, and 74 million mince pie get disposed of in the UK each year while still edible!

To help tackle the problem we are calling on residents join the fight against food waste by taking part in our quiz to find out how much they know and what more they can do.

To find out more, visit our Christmas waste information page.

The quiz closes at midnight on Monday 8 January 2024.

Other local updates


Stay alert to high street scams


We’ve received several reports recently of individuals in our shopping areas targeting elderly and vulnerable people. Typically, they falsely claim to represent a charity and will encourage their target to sign a form on a clipboard or offer to hug them - this will provide a distraction while they attempt to steal their victim’s money or watch.

If you are approached by someone, please be alert and remember that official charity representatives should always be able to provide identification and a charity number.

Our CCTV team is working proactively with the police to combat these scams.  If you suspect that you have been targeted, please contact the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

SO Charitable Lottery

Our SO Charitable Lottery has been helping South Oxfordshire communities and residents ever since its launch in 2018. Currently, 83 organisations and charities across our district are benefitting from the lottery, which provides funding to help them continue to support our communities and make a positive difference in their local areas.

Please help spread the word to residents and encourage local voluntary groups and charities to register free of charge. Look out for updates on our social media channels, including regular prizes such as the chance to win a £3,000 Christmas cash bonus! Find out more about the community lottery on our website.

Spring has launched at Cornerstone 

The new spring season at Cornerstone Arts Centre launched last month with some great shows, classes and workshops for everyone to enjoy starting in January 2024.

With highlights including Patti Boulay: Diana and Me, The Great Big Dinosaur Show and comedian Jo Caulfield with her show Here Comes Trouble!

Plus new for 2024 you can see National Theatre Live productions on the big screen with Skylight, Dear England and Vanya available to book now.

More details can be found on the Cornerstone website.
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South Oxfordshire District Council
Abbey House
Abbey Close
Abingdon
OX14 3JE
southoxon.gov.uk