Northamptonshire Community Foundation will celebrate charities, volunteers and community groups across the county at their Annual Awards event on Wednesday 29th November.This year’s Annual Awards will be held at the Royal Theatre in Northampton, where award nominees and supporters of Northamptonshire Community Foundation will come together to recognise and honour those who work tirelessly to give back to their local community.More than 40 local groups are finalists for awards, which span five main categories: Building Better Communities, Celebrating Culture and Heritage, Excellence in Education, Happy and Healthy Communities and Tackling Inequalities. Nominated individuals will also be celebrated through the Avon...

28 November, 2023

Northamptonshire Community Foundation has launched their Warm this Winter appeal, to tackle fuel poverty amongst the county’s older and vulnerable residents.This appeal has been running every winter since 2010 and has so far raised more than £255,000 to protect the most in-need members of our local communities.The foundation is encouraging anyone who can to donate to the Warm this Winter appeal, which will fund grant awards to local community groups and charities who support those experiencing financial hardship. Donations can made via the Warm this Winter JustGiving page: Warm This Winter - JustGivingDean Jones, Head of Giving and Development at...

23 November, 2023

The return of  the Winter Light Trail, a new Santa’s grotto, festive workshops and afternoon tea with elves – just a few of the 2023 Christmas highlights confirmed by Delapré Abbey.This historic home in Northampton is currently getting a festive makeover, with the Winter Light Trail team now on site and preparing for launch date on Friday, 24th November. On this date the trail will open to its first visitors and the festive food outlets will open, along with a kids funfair and Après Ski bar. From Friday, 1st December Santa will be meeting youngsters and distributing gifts from his...

22 November, 2023

The countdown is on to North Northamptonshire Council’s virtual climate change conference which takes place tomorrow.NNClimate23 will be broadcast live on YouTube on Wednesday, November 22 starting at 9.30am.The day will focus on three sessions:Farming and Sustainability Towards a New Green Economy Youth and CommunityA full list of the speakers is now available online. People are invited to submit questions in advance to form the basis of Q&A discussions which will follow each of the sessions.Questions can be submitted, along with the name of the relevant speaker, to nnclimate23@northnorthants.gov.ukThe day will feature speakers on a range of topics including...

21 November, 2023

Keep your staff safe this winter As the days grow shorter and the nights darker, the safety of our staff becomes paramount. With the approaching winter, crime rates tend to surge, posing significant risks to both businesses and employees. In this editorial, we will delve into the pivotal role that advanced security solutions play in ensuring the protection of our workforce and assets during these challenging months.According to a recent article by The Times, “Police fear hard winter of surging crime and civil unrest” due to the cost-of-living crisis. In many regions, incidents of burglaries may surge by as much as...

21 November, 2023

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has launched a new £950k grants scheme to create new and support existing community transport initiatives in West Northants, as well as support the expansion of current grant funded transport projects and services.This grant funding will be available over the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26 for eligible community transport projects from 1 April 2024, following £547,181 funding from Central Government via the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) and £60,337 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), in addition to £342,000 of Council funding.The grant funding will be allocated to community transport projects and services that meet...

20 November, 2023

North Northamptonshire Council is offering nine grants to local councils and voluntary organisations currently supporting with the cost-of-living.The grants, which are an allocation of the Government’s Household Support Fund, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, can be applied for by organisations, or groups of organisations.Applications will need to demonstrate that the funding will be used to support low-income and vulnerable households across both town and rural communities in North Northamptonshire.Town and Parish Councils, charities, community and voluntary groups, clubs and non-profit organisations are invited to apply. They are also encouraged to come together to bid.Councillor Helen Harrison, Executive Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, said: “If you are an organisation working to...

17 November, 2023

Vulcan Works, a serviced workspace hub for startup businesses in Northampton, has won an award for innovation at the Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards (NBEAs).West Northamptonshire Council and the Vulcan Works centre management team were jointly presented with the Innovation Award for the innovative but sympathetic renovation of derelict council buildings to create an incubation space for startup businesses in the creative and digital industries – sectors that were identified in data as important, growing sectors in Northamptonshire.The £14 million construction project was also a finalist in the Land and Development Award category, which recognises a construction project that has had...

16 November, 2023

North Northamptonshire Council have launched a new grant scheme to help local businesses invest in measures to increase energy efficiency, move to a lower carbon economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Small or medium sized businesses can now apply for grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 towards 50% of project costs, with the remaining amount to be match funded by the business.The funding can be used for:lighting and lighting controls heating and heating controls insulation energy efficient machinery and equipment (e.g. air compressors) solar panels heat pumps biomass boilers energy storage building energy management systemsCllr David Brackenbury, the council’s Executive Member...

16 November, 2023

Northamptonshire Membership organisation NNBN and Northampton based Welly Pictures have joined forces to encourage local businesses to get involved with this year’s Christmas Jumper Day.The day, which takes place this year on Thursday 7th December, encourages people in the UK and around the World to wear their Christmassy jumper for the day in the build up to the festive season and to help support national charity Save The Children. NNBN and Welly Pictures have joined together to encourage local business owners and their staff to have their photograph taken at the Northamptonshire Membership Organisation’s Christmas Meet Up which takes place...

16 November, 2023

Christmas is coming and festive spirit is in the air as North Northamptonshire Council has today launched a magical interactive experience designed to spread cheer and encourage people to support their local businesses this festive season.Made possible through funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), ‘Hi Santa Stops’ is part of the Council’s Hi Street campaign and is set to be a fun and charming trail adventure for children, families, and adults alike.It aims to bring smiles to faces, and a sense of community across 14 local towns, and asks people to step out of their home to...

16 November, 2023