Local News By Email
This page is relevant to all villages.
Added 24 July
Added 23 July
Buckinghamshire Council rolls out summer support for families
This summer, Buckinghamshire Council is once again offering a range of support for eligible families to help children stay active, engaged and well-fed during the school holidays.
The popular Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is returning with a wide variety of free, fun-filled holiday clubs and activities for children and young people from Reception to Year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals. Funded by the Department for Education, the HAF programme also includes a healthy meal with every session, helping to ensure children are fuelled for a day of fun and learning.
From sports and outdoor adventures to creative arts and cookery, there’s something for everyone, with sessions running across dozens of venues throughout Buckinghamshire. Families can book up to 16 sessions over the summer period using a HAF voucher, which will be sent via email or text message from HolidayActivities.com.
In addition to the HAF programme, the council is also providing £50 digital food vouchers to eligible families to help with grocery costs over the summer holidays. Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions through the Household Support Fund, these vouchers are sent via schools or early years settings and can be used at most major supermarkets.
For more information on the HAF programme and how to book, visit the Buckinghamshire HAF webpage. To learn more about the food voucher scheme, visit the Free Food Vouchers page.
Enjoy a budget friendly summer in Buckinghamshire
The school summer holidays are nearly here. If you’re looking for ideas for low and no-cost things to do, don’t worry, we’ve done the hard work for you. You don’t need to venture far either, there’s something to suit all tastes and ages right here in Buckinghamshire.
ParkPlay is a new initiative, supported by Sport England, that has launched in three locations in Buckinghamshire, Booker Recreation Ground in High Wycombe, Alfred Rose Memorial Park in Aylesbury and Windsor Road Park in Chesham. The scheme offers two hours of free organised community-led play, every Saturday or Sunday morning with active and inclusive games where all generations can play together, offering a safe and welcoming environment for people to connect and have fun. Find out more: https://park-play.com/
Country parks, Black Park, Langley Park and Denham Park - are great places to explore. With miles of footpaths, play areas and café facilities you can make a day of it. A range of family friendly events are taking place throughout the summer including outdoor theatre productions, dinosaur trails and forest school sessions. Find details and book onto events online: Buckinghamshire Country Parks Events - 18 Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite
oth Black Park and Langley Park were recently awarded a Green Flag, along with six other parks and open spaces in Buckinghamshire. The international accreditation scheme recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces. Many of our local parks have upgraded play facilities and Bedgrove Park in Aylesbury recently benefitted from the opening of a new community-funded BMX Pump Track.
There are lots of exciting summer activities happening throughout the school holidays in your local libraries. From creative workshops to family-friendly performances, there’s something for everyone - check out your local library to see what’s on.
Events include Mrs Armitage on Wheels, a joyful theatrical adventure brought to life by Scoot Theatre and Farnham Maltings. Based on the much-loved story by Quentin Blake, this interactive show features live music, puppetry, and physical comedy - perfect for children aged 3+ and their grown-ups. Performances will take place at libraries and parks across Buckinghamshire, including High Wycombe, Chesham, Aylesbury, and Chandos Park in Buckingham. Don’t miss out - book your free tickets now online.
The Summer Reading Challenge is all about reading for fun, aiming to improve children’s reading skills and confidence. This year’s theme of Story Garden is all about Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors and inspires children to tap into a world of imagination through reading, exploring the magical connection between storytelling and nature. The Challenge is open to children aged 4-11 and runs through to 13 September. Visit the Summer Reading Challenge website to sign up online, or alternatively, pop into your local library.
Our local museums both have lots of family friendly activities on throughout the summer holidays. Enjoy some Cosmic Adventures at the Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury with a range of space-themed craft making and activities for all ages. At the Wycombe Museum in High Wycombe you can get messy with clay, delve into science or take part in a bug trail. Get all the details on the websites. Discover Bucks Museum – www.discoverbucksmuseum.org and Wycombe Museum – www.wycombemuseum.org.uk
Buckinghamshire leisure centres are also a great place to spend a few hours enjoying a fun swim, soft play or other sports including climbing and badminton. Each centre has its own timetable so take a look and book ahead as some sessions fill up quickly: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/leisure-centres
Don’t forget, the Buckinghamshire Culture Open Weekend takes place from 28 to 31 August. Over four days, groups, organisations and creatives will hold events across the county, with immersive and interactive activities around the theme of Stories and Nature. From workshops to crafts and immersive music to cooking – there’s something for everyone. Find out all the detail on the website: https://buckinghamshireculture.org/events/category/open-weekend-2025/
There are also free Weekends of Wonder events taking place across the county throughout the summer as part of this year’s WhizzFizz festival. Visit the website to find out more: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/campaign/whizzfizz-2025/
Peter Brazier, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture & Leisure said: “With so much to choose from right here on our doorstep in Buckinghamshire, families really will be spoilt for choice this summer.”
Peter added: “We know entertaining the kids over the long summer break can be an expense and so it’s great to know that there are so many low or no cost things to do so that whatever your budget, no-one misses out on having a fun and carefree summer holiday.”
Added 16 July
COAM Summer Holidays Begin
With the summer holidays beginning, we will be open daily 10am - 5pm from 18 July until 8 Septermber when we will return to our normal term time hours.
With a summer full of fun activities there is something for everyone.
With something to do everyday, why not take out a COAM Annual Membership? Adult membership costs £38 and family membership starts from £66.
The annual canvass is about to begin in Buckinghamshire – are your electoral details up to date?
The annual canvass ensures that we keep the Register of Electors updated. It also helps us to identify any residents who are not currently registered to vote, so they can be invited to register.
Please look out for messages from us during July and August, so we can make sure that we have all the current and correct details on the register.
You will receive either an email or a letter in the post from Buckinghamshire Council and all you need to do is to read the email or letter carefully and follow the instructions on how to respond, if necessary. It’s very quick and easy! We recommend responding online where possible, but you can also respond by phone or by post.
If you’re not currently registered, your name won’t appear on the messages we send. If you need to register to vote, the easiest way to apply is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, but you will still need to respond to our message.
It’s important you’re registered to ensure that you have your say in the next election, simply follow the instructions sent to you.
Further information on the annual canvass can be found on the Election pages of the council’s website
Any residents who have any questions can contact the council’s Electoral Registration team at elections@buckinghamshire.gov.uk or by calling 01296 798 141.
Added 9 July
New initiative puts motorists in the driving seat for parking payment choices
Anyone parking in Buckinghamshire, in either a council run car park or on street chargeable parking bay will shortly be able to benefit from a new initiative which gives customers greater flexibility in paying for parking.
Following a successful trial last summer which took place in car parks in High Wycombe, Princes Risborough, Bourne End and Marlow, Buckinghamshire Council has from 1 July begun rolling out the National Parking Platform (NPP) to all its car parks and on street chargeable locations across the county.
The NPP works by giving customers the flexibility to choose which supplier they purchase their parking time through. Up until now, only one digital supplier, RingGo, has been available, but with NPP, the choice of parking provider will extend to include other suppliers including JustPark, PaybyPhone, and Appyparking.
Each supplier has its own app and fees. Some also have a telephone number so parkers can choose the option that best suits them. With different suppliers offering different convenience fees across one area, the initiative forces them to be competitive in their pricing which benefits customers.
The move to NPP supports the Council’s ambitions, set out in its Parking Strategy.
Payment machines already in place in car parks will remain for use as normal, providing a non-digital method of payment for those who prefer to pay for their parking in this way.
Roll out of the NPP will take place throughout July with completion by the end of the month.
For more information about the National Parking Platform visit here.
More information on Buckinghamshire Council car parks can be found online
Opportunity Bucks - Championing positive change for disadvantaged communities
Now in its third year and following a successful second year delivery, Buckinghamshire Council’s Opportunity Bucks programme is going from strength to strength, making a real difference to residents living in some of the county’s most deprived communities.
Opportunity Bucks is the council’s local partnership approach to levelling up. While outcomes are good across the majority of the county, there are some areas where residents are experiencing significant hardship and facing long-standing challenges that impact their everyday lives. To address these inequalities and improve outcomes for the residents in these areas, Opportunity Bucks is delivering a range of initiatives which are having a real impact.
Presenting an update report at the Cabinet meeting today (Tuesday 8 July), Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities, gave details of the some of the highlights of the past year, including:
Underpinning the success of Opportunity Bucks has been the in-depth research into the affected communities to help inform what support is needed and the best way to deliver it. Using a combination of council investment and external funding and forging strong working relationships with partners has also helped the initiative to go from strength to strength.
Priorities for the year ahead include:
Added 2 July
More funding for Council’s free Energy Doctor service
Even more residents are set to benefit from Buckinghamshire Council’s free Energy Doctor service, thanks to extra funding for this year.
Energy Doctors visit eligible residents at their homes to advise on ways households can reduce energy consumption, costs and put in place low-cost easy retrofit resource efficiency measures for the property.
Our Energy Doctors have already helped 63 households since 1 April 2025, with projected annual savings of approximately 20 tonnes of CO2 equivalents and £145 per household.
Funding of just under £550,000 from the UK government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) has now been added to support the scheme to the end of March 2026. This is on top of the previous £2m already invested in the scheme since April 2023.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Waste, Cllr Carl Jackson, said: “Our Energy Doctors have been working hard over the past couple of years to make a real difference to people’s homes and finances by improving their household energy efficiency. We know how much this service means to people and so we’re delighted that we have received the funding to extend it until the end of March 2026. If anyone has not yet been visited by an Energy Doctor and is eligible, please contact the team via the new dedicated phone number, or via email – energydoctor@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.”
To qualify for a free visit, your home must meet both of the following criteria:
You must also meet at least one of the following criteria:
Email: energydoctor@buckinghamshire.gov.uk or call 01296 382041
Energy Doctors can:
LCERRE measures, which are completely free when provided by an Energy Doctor, include:
For more information here or call 01296382041 or email energydoctor@buckinghamshire.gov.uk