Every ten years the census takes place in England and Wales, providing insight into the people who live across the country and what their lives are like. This year, census day is on Sunday 21 March. You may already have seen advertisements on the TV,  in newspapers and social media.

What is the census?

The census is a series of questions that gives a data picture of British society and this year it will give future generations a fascinating insight into how we lived during the coronavirus pandemic.  

But, more importantly, it helps the government plan and fund services in local communities. The responses might highlight a need for a new school, increased health care facilities or other services in your area. 

1st December 2020 (updated 14th January 2021)

Since November, a small working party has been investigating the opportunity to upgrade our village to 'Full-Fibre' ultrafast broadband - versus the cable that we have today- which would increase the speed and reliability of our internet connections. There are several potential schemes that we can apply for as a village which would fund this upgrade (potentially in its entirety). Specific details of our work so far, and Q&A can be found HERE on the village website.

In order to progress the project to the next stage, we need the commitment of every household to individually apply for a government grant. You can register your commitment by completing the online FORM * (click to open in new window) if you haven't already. If you need assistance completing the FORM *, or have any questions, please reach out to: Liz Parnell, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Richard Randall, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

As at 10/01/21, a total of 85 registrations have been received from households and businesses in Overthorpe and Warkworth (subject to validation by Department of Culture Media and Sport), giving us a potential grant fund total in excess of £205,000. 

We are now waiting for Openreach to provide final costings so that we can proceed to the next stage of the project.

11th November 2020

A fast, reliable, Internet service is important to us.

Our need for a reliable Internet service has never been more apparent than during the current pandemic. Within our villages many of us are trying to work and live our lives through online services… our children are attending virtual classrooms, we stay in touch with our families, friends and colleagues, we shop online. The Internet has become central to how we live today.

With lockdown implemented, the increase in service demand across the village clearly demonstrated that our underlying Broadband infrastructure was no longer fit for purpose.  We struggle today and have no capacity for the future.  We are being told by our service providers that we have access to a ‘high speed’ service, but the reality for many this is not our experience.

Life becomes extremely frustrating without access to a fast Broadband service. We experience stuttering video, frozen pages, slow access to business systems, slow email, and our children struggle with their education.

Future Proof the value of your home: read this - Daily Mail article 11/12/20

How do we address this frustration?

The Parish Council currently has a vacancy for a Councillor due to the resignation of Martin Holt. The Parish Council needs members with a range of experience and knowledge and would welcome applications from any members of the community who fulfil the criteria below. The Parish Council meets 4 times per year (currently via zoom) at 7/7:30pm depending on the availability of the councillors.

CRITERIA FOR STANDING AS A PARISH COUNCILLOR

Candidates must fit at least one of the following criteria –

• On Electoral Register (i.e. registered to vote) for the parish
• Have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish/community area over the last 12 months
• Lived within 3 miles of the parish over the last 12 months
• Their principal place of work is in the parish and has been for at least 12 months

If you have any questions or would like to put your name forward to be considered for co-option please contact the clerk on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 01295 275372.

On behalf of the village’s wildlife, thank you to everybody who took part in this year’s “Make Overthorpe a wildlife-friendly village” competition! The deadline for entries has now passed and it is time to announce this year’s Wildlife Champions…