Commsave Credit Union has confirmed a 4% return on savings for members, marking another strong year of financial performance and community-focused growth for this Northamptonshire-based organisation.Members attending the credit union's Annual General Meeting this month voted to approve the dividend, which will see £3.1 million distributed to savers, alongside a 4% loan interest rebate totalling £364,000 for borrowers who have maintained their repayment terms throughout 2025.Matt Goulding, Chief Executive, said: "The 4% dividend demonstrates our financial strength and our commitment to the co-operative principle of sharing success with members. What sets credit unions apart is this simple idea – when...

29 January, 2026

Much-loved palliative care provider Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026 and is calling on the Northamptonshire community to help them mark the mammoth milestone.The charity is looking for 50 individuals or groups to host 50 big fundraisers throughout the year to commemorate each of the 50 incredible years of providing vital care across the county - from the inpatient unit to the wellbeing service, the Big Charity Shop to the lymphoedema service and everything in between.Those who successfully raise more than £2000 will be honoured as a Big Fundraiser, with their name in lights on social...

29 January, 2026

Residents, businesses and community groups across West Northamptonshire are being urged to take part in a major consultation that will shape how the area grows and develops for decades to come.West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has launched an eight-week consultation on its new Local Plan, giving people an opportunity to have their say on it between now and the deadline of Friday 27 March.With demand for housing, employment land and services continuing to rise, the Local Plan will play a decisive role in determining how growth is managed and where investment is focused.It will guide critical decisions about where new homes...

29 January, 2026

Focus on your children’s eyesight and book an eye exam this half term holiday to safeguard their sight for the future, a Northampton optometrist has advised parents.With most children off school for a week in February, the team at independent practice Tompkins, Knight & Son Optometrists in Kingsley Road has said it is the perfect opportunity for families to book an eye exam, even if their children are not experiencing any eye or sight issues.Experts recommend that children should have regular eye exams every one or two years, or as recommended by their optometrist, from the age of three or...

29 January, 2026

iX5 Pest Control has launched a new Online Pest Clinic, offering customers the ability to receive live pest control advice via video call with a qualified expert, to help with diagnosis and consideration of treatment options.The service allows homeowners and businesses to speak directly with an iX5 Pest Control specialist and show the issue in real time using their smartphone or mobile device. This approach helps to improve early pest identification, reduce misdiagnosis, and ensure that professional treatment is only recommended when genuinely required. It can also assist those on a budget trying to self-treat a pest problem.The Online Pest...

29 January, 2026

Every adult in the UK is eligible to take free, newly benchmarked courses to gain practical AI skills for work – as the joint government and industry programme sees a major expansion to upskill 10 million workers.In order to make Britain the fastest adopting AI country in the G7, the UK is setting ambitious targets to ensure the workforce is adequately skilled, confident and ready to grasp the full opportunities of AI. This could create more higher-skilled jobs and free workers up from routine tasks, with increasing the adoption of AI potentially unlocking up to £140 billion in annual economic output (note) as part of our plans for national renewal.A selection of industry-developed AI courses, newly available on government’s AI Skills...

28 January, 2026

The organisers of TEDxNorthampton are delighted to announce the speaker lineup for TEDxNorthampton 2026, taking place on Saturday 7th March 2026 at the Icon Innovation Centre, Daventry, Northamptonshire. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a global programme of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At each TEDx event, TED Talks videos and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion, connection, and fresh thinking within a local community. While the TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx programme, each event is independently organised, allowing organisers to showcase voices, stories, and ideas that...

28 January, 2026

An award-winning restaurant in Northampton is urging charities to say why they deserve to benefit from a £1,000 donation as it marks 25 years of business in the town centre.Saffron in Castilian Street is turning 25 later this year and wants to celebrate the anniversary by making the significant donation to a local good cause as part of its commitment to supporting community groups.Since 2001, Saffron has raised more than £100,000 for charity.Owner Naz Islam, who has handed the day-to-day running of the restaurant over to his son Nahim, said: “With everything the hospitality industry has endured in recent times,...

28 January, 2026

As temperatures plummet across the country with the wintry weather setting in, railway stations nationwide often see a disturbing rise in suicide attempts.According to Rail Suicide Prevention, a suicide occurs on the railway every 30 hours and in 2024/25 there were 293 suspected suicides on the tracks.The Office of Rail and Road’s latest figures for last year revealed this was the highest number of railway suicide or suspected suicide attempts recorded since that start of the time series in April 2002.Although railway suicides only account for around four or five percent of all suicides in Great Britain, the emotional, human...

28 January, 2026

Visitors to Northamptonshire’s Boughton House & Gardens – home to the Duke of Buccleuch – can enjoy early access to its celebrated gardens in association with the National Gardens Scheme this month.Catch a glimpse of the first flowerings of aconites and snowdrops between 1pm and 4pm on Sunday 22 February, at Boughton’s first gardens opening of 2026.A portion of the admission fees from the day will be donated to charity through the National Gardens Scheme, which raised over £3.88 million for nursing and care charities in 2026.David Cullum, Parks and Gardens Manager at Boughton House, said: “Our National Gardens Scheme...

28 January, 2026

Corby-based See Limited, a leader in sustainable solutions for the built environment, has announced the expansion of its BioCarbon brand into commercial interiors with the launch of BioCarbon Spaces.The new division strengthens See Limited’s presence in the office fit-out and refurbishment sector, extending the BioCarbon portfolio beyond surfaces into design-led, low-carbon storage and interior solutions. BioCarbon Spaces joins BioCarbon Laminates and BioCarbon Worktops as part of the Group’s growing family of UK-based carbon-neutral brands.Targeting office fit-out and refurbishment specialists alongside commercial interior designers, furniture dealers, architects and consultants, BioCarbon Spaces is a design-led, sustainable office storage brand, offering modular storage...

28 January, 2026