Community & Charity

All the latest community and charity news from across Bedford Borough. Everything you need to keep you up to date with what’s happening in Bedford Borough on your mobile or desktop via the Bedford Independent.

The Bedford Independent was founded to provide the people of Bedford Borough with a modern news desk that would give them easy access to genuine and unbiased Bedford news. We are independent in ownership and opinion.

Our mission is to inform and inspire the people of Bedford. To do this we will work hard to bring them the news that matters to them from our town centre to the most rural of the Borough’s villages.

Our editorial team are NCTJ trained and follows a standards code set out by the independent press regulator IMPRESS Standards.

What does the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire do? The ancient role explained

The role of High Sheriff dates back more than 1,000 years. Here’s what the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire does today, how the role began and why it still matters. Today, the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire...

Bedfordshire’s new High Sheriff wants to champion kindness, volunteers and young people

New High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Ismail Anilmis has pledged to champion kindness, volunteering and opportunities for young people during his year in office. Ismail, a well-known Bedfordshire...

Monthly column: Why is it so important to celebrate Heritage Days?

The Polish community has shaped Bedford for generations. Long before Poland joined the European Union, Polish families were helping build the town’s industries, communities and cultural identity...

St Paul’s Church in Bedford secures £200k grant to repair historic clock tower and bells

A church in Bedford town centre has been awarded a grant of over £200,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a project to repair its historic clock tower and bells. St Paul's Church...

Sharnbrook runner raises £3,600 for cancer charity after daughter’s leukaemia battle

Sharnbrook mum Jude Goodacre completed the TCS London Marathon and raised more than £3,600 for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust after it supported her daughter following leukaemia...

Bedford’s Everyday Heroes celebrated during emotional awards night

Volunteers, fundraisers, young carers and community champions were honoured at the 2025 Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes Awards at the Quarry Theatre. Hundreds of guests gathered...

Applications open for Frank Branston Fund grants worth up to £15,000

Charities and community groups across Bedfordshire can now apply for Frank Branston Fund grants worth between £500 and £15,000. The fund, managed by Bedfordshire & Luton Community...

Monthly column: Why face-to-face support still matters for young people

Bedfordshire Open Door marks 30 years of in-person counselling as demand for youth mental-health support continues to rise. For this month's charity column, their chair, Sam Pearce, writes about...

King approves appointment of Professor Gurch Randhawa as Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire

The new Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire has been appointed by His Majesty The King, with Professor Gurch Randhawa DL succeeding Chris Sharwood-Smith MBE DL in the role...

‘McFancy’ fundraiser serves up £3,500 for Riverbank Ward

A 'McFancy' charity dinner at McDonald’s Elms Parc in Bedford has raised more than £3,500 for a new treatment room on Riverbank Ward at Bedford Hospital. The third ‘Dinner with a McDifference’...

Get the latest Bedford news first

Subscribe to our free daily email for our lead story each morning before we publish it anywhere else, plus the key Bedford Borough headlines from the last 24 hours – without having to log into social media.