New Milton Advertiser 22nd Jan 2021

6 · Friday 22nd January 2021

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Village’s first woman vicar in 850 years

Trains delayed in bridge crash TRAIN services were delayed after a lorry ploughed into the notorious railway bridge at Ampress on the edge of Lymington. The HGV’s trailer was flat - tened by the collision shortly before 3pm on Tuesday. No injuries were reported but it blocked the A337 South- ampton Road, where trucks regularly strike the crossing. A spokesperson for Net- work Rail told the A&T the bridge had not sustained serious damage. A NEW Milton teenager was arrested in connection with a knifepoint robbery. The 17-year-old was the third held by officers after a boy, also aged 17, was threatened with a knife and had his bike stolen when he was approached by three people on a footpath near the Littledown Estate in Bournemouth last Friday afternoon. Officers also arrested a 15-year-old and an 18-year- old, both from Bournemouth, on suspicion of robbery. They were released on bail. A VIRTUAL balloon race starting from the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Valentine’s Day will be part of Wessex Cancer Trust’s 40th birthday celebrations. Each entry costs £3 and people can go online to choose a colour, add a mes- sage and change specifica - tions such as helium content, rubber thickness and shape. Participants will be able to track their balloon’s virtual progress online, calculated by an algorithm. Prizes include £500 cash, an Apple iPad and ten £10 book tokens. To enter, visit ecoracing.co/user/page/1209 Teen arrested over robbery Eiffel Tower balloon race Tumble dryer blaze rescue FIREFIGHTERS rescued a disabled resident from a Hythe home as they tackled a blaze involving a tumble dryer in a garage. Responding to a call-out around 7pm last Thursday, crews from the town and Hardley contained the emer- gency within an hour at the address in Heathfield with the aid of breathing appa- ratus before venting smoke from the outbuilding. Car leaves road due to fallen tree A FALLEN tree caused a car to career off the A35 near Lyndhurst on Tuesday night. The incident happened just after 10pm as the black Volkswagen travelled along the main road, close to Chapel Lane. No injuries were reported. A Hampshire police spokesperson said county council workers were called out to clear the tree from the road.

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MILFORD is to get its own ver- sion of the Vicar of Dibley as it prepares to welcome the first fe - male priest to take charge of the parish in its 850-year history. The Rev. Natasha Anderson, known as Tasha, has a back- ground in children and fami- lies’ ministry, and described her new role based from All Saints’ Church as “exciting”. She said: “I am looking for- ward to it very much. It is a beautiful part of the world to be living and working in. It’s even more of an honour to be the first woman to have the job.” She will be moving from the Arle Valley Benfice near Ales - ford to take over the Milford and Everton parish, hopefully sometime in April. Previously she worked for Christ Church, Winchester, overseeing the children and families’ ministry working with a team of up to 125 volunteers. She became a vicar after working for Winchester’s Peter Symonds College as a lecturer in the adult education and fam- ily learning department. But the transition to the church did not come easily, Ta- sha revealed: “I describe it as like being drawn by a magnet. It is a vocation, a calling. I was very happy doing the job I was in, but little spokes kept com- ing together like the wheel of a bicycle. “Different experiences, differ- ent places, all coming together. It was a combination of life ex- BY ANTONELLA LAZZERI The Rev. Tasha fills role which has been vacant since 2019 CHRISTCHURCH Rotarians have thrown themselves into providing pandemic support for local school pupils and fam- ilies in need. Club members donated £1,000 to the Grange School to buy laptops for pupils to learn from home, as well as handing over £2,335 to Christchurch Food Bank to stock up its stores as it faces higher demand. Rotary president Chris Mc- Claverty said: “Our club cannot enjoy its regular dinner meet - ings at present, but we have not let that get in the way of serving our community. “We have used Zoom to com- municate with members and, in particular, to hold committee meetings to agree actions to meet local needs.” On a trip to the food bank, Mr McClaverty witnessed for himself how busy it has been during lockdown. He revealed how he saw mothers with children turning up to collect bags of groceries, adding: “It was heart wrench- ing to see the problems that people face.” He said: “As a club we re- solved to make an immediate donation of £1,000 to the food bank from our existing charity fund reserves. “However, we also invited individual Rotarians to make

members had donated sums totalling £1,335. So I was de- lighted to hand food bank man- ager Tracy Blick a cheque for £2,335.” Ms Blick said the donation from the club had been “over- whelming”, adding: “My heart is sad that the foodbank is need- ed yet, at the same time, so humbled and overwhelmed by people’s generosity and ‘want’ to help those in their commu- nity. “Thank you again for all your support.” Mr McClaverty said the Rota- ry club was willing to consider applications from any schools in the Christchurch area for help providing laptops. seriously. It is not something that can be entered into lightly, you have to be really passionate about it. “But finally, I just stepped out in faith and trust. I just kept stepping forward and let God take the rest.” A divorced mother of two grown-up children, Tasha knows the New Forest area well, having family who have lived here for many years. She will be living in the vicarage in Milford. Tasha said: “I have visited the area a lot and really love it. I love the beach and the Forest. The village is lovely being close to both and has a lovely sense of community. I am looking for- ward to becoming part of it and getting to know people. “I’m looking forward to see- ing what God has for us. This is such a difficult time for all of us and I think we just have to take one day at a time, something the Bible teaches us. “At the moment we cannot hold services, but I am hoping they will start soon. My mes- sage for people at the moment is that there will be things we will all need to learn coming out of this pandemic which we can do together.” Milford parish has been with- out a vicar since July 2019, when the Rev. Dominic Fur- ness retired. When permitted, it has remained open for private prayer during the pandemic. There is also a pastoral care team on standby with a tele- phone helpline manned by 60 volunteers who are supporting those who feel lonely during the lockdown. An online service is also avail- able at allsaintsmilford.co.uk/ services-during-covid-19-pan demic

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                

The Rev. Natasha Anderson of Milford (Photo: Maddie Attenborough)

at the same time, I was wres- tling with it as well. “It’s a massive gift but it comes with such responsibility. It’s daunting, especially when you realise the depth of it – the responsibility entrusted with you to care for the whole com- munity. “I had to consider it very, very

periences and life moments. “But at the same time, I real- ised that becoming a priest was something that comes with a huge amount of responsibility and a huge change in lifestyle. “At first it was a bit of a strug - gle within. I was feeling slow- ly drawn to open a door, I felt compelled to push it open. But

Club ramps up efforts for families

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Packages of suppllies are prepared at the Christchurch food bank

a personal donation if they so wished, perhaps using money that would otherwise have been

spent on club dinner meetings. “I’m proud to say that with- in five days a majority of our

Hampshire free school meals to continue over half-term CHILDREN in Hampshire entitled to free school meals will continue to receive them during the February half-term, the county council has said. Using government cash, Hampshire County Council will distribute meal vouchers via its connect3communities programme offering support during the pandemic. There are nearly 2,500 children in the New Forest who would normally receive free school meals. Cllr Patricia Stallard, cabi- net member for children’s ser- vices and young people, said: “No child should go hungry. “In November, through our connect4communities pro- gramme, we made arrange- ments to ensure sufficient funding was distributed to childminders, early years’ pro- viders, schools and colleges, for them to purchase and sup- ply food vouchers to the fami- lies of eligible children for the two-week Christmas school holidays and February half term.” Around 35,000 vouchers will be given out in Hampshire for the February break. Families who do not qualify can still re- ceive help from the council’s discretionary fund to pay for food, essentials and fuel bills.

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Injured motorcycle rider arrested

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TWO teenagers were arrested after drugs and cash were un- covered in police raids on local properties early on Wednesday morning. Officers simultaneously swooped on an address in South Street, Pennington, and a busi- ness in High Street, Lymington, as part of a crackdown on activ- ity involving illegal substances. A search of the South Street premises found a quantity of class B drugs, along with cash. An 18-year-old man from Pen- nington was detained on sus- picion of possessing a class B drug with intent to supply, pos- sessing criminal property and possessing counterfeit bank notes. Class A drugs and cash A MOTORCYCLIST was ar- rested for a string of offences after being hurt in a collision on a road in the New Forest. The incident involving a grey Honda bike took place on the B3054 Main Road at Walhamp- ton, near Lymington, close to Walhampton School, around 5pm on Tuesday. Local firefighters were called out to assist paramedics with lighting to illluminate the search for the rider who had been thrown into a field. The medics, which includ- ed the Hampshire & Isle of

“If you know of individuals suspected to be involved with drug activity or have concerns about a particular property in your neighbourhood, please let us know.” She added: “Myself and the team are keen to continue to make Lymington and New Mil- ton a safe place to live, work and visit. “With your continued support we will continue to conduct this type of policing activity to dis- rupt those who are involved with the supply of illegal sub- stances.” Anyone with information should contact officers on 101 or call Crimestoppers anony- mously on 0800 555 111. A spokesperson for Hamp- shire police told the A&T: “He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving while dis- qualified, driving with no insur - ance, driving while under the influence of drink or drugs and obstructing police enquiries.” On Wednesday afternoon the suspect was still in police cus- tody. ampton, was taken by ambu- lance to the city’s university hospital, but a South Central Ambulance Service spokesper- son said he did not appear to be seriously injured.

Wight Air Ambulance critical care car and a hazardous area response team, assessed both the rider and passenger at the scene. The rider, a man from South- Emergency services at the scene (Photo: HFRS)

Teens arrested during drug raids

were discovered when officers searched the High Street ad- dress. They arrested a 17-year-old Lymington boy on suspicion of possession with intent to sup- ply a class A drug. A Hampshire police spokes- person told the A&T on Wednesday afternoon both sus- pects remained in custody as enquiries continued. Announcing the outcome of the raids on Facebook, neigh- bourhood Sgt Kat Smith urged residents to come forward if they suspected illegal drug ac- tivity in their area. “Warrants are not possible without the communities’ help and information,” Sgt Smith wrote.