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.

Bedford Radio invites listeners into the studio for special open day

Bedford Radio will host an open day on Saturday, 07 February 2026, as part of Community Radio Week, inviting residents into its studios to see local radio in action and meet the volunteer team....

Sharnbrook mum to run London Marathon in aid of charity which helped daughter through leukaemia

A Sharnbrook mum is running the 2026 TCS London Marathon to thank the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust for helping her daughter. Jude Goodacre, 54, will be running and fundraising...

Wilstead teen becomes cuddly toy-owning world record holder

A teenager from Wilstead has become a Guinness World Record holder thanks to her cuddly toy collection. Hope Roberts, 19, officially has the largest collection of Jellycat toys in the...

Match funding boost on offer for Bedford Charities as Small Charity Week 2026 opens

Small Charity Week 2026 applications are now open, with organisers urging more East of England charities to apply after 10% of selected organisations in 2025 came from the region...

Bedford’s Alex Goulding begins new year with Guinness World Record rush

The new year equals new achievements for one of Bedford's perennial Guinness World Record holders, with one record already claimed back from Eastern Europe and a second on the cards...

House of Industry awards £20,000 to two Bedford charities

Trustees overseeing a historic Bedford charity fund have approved nearly £20,000 in grants for two organisations, but a third application was deferred over concerns it did not clearly meet the trust’s...

Record £31,000 raised by “best ever” Bedford Christmas Tree Festival

Bedford’s Christmas Tree Festival at St Paul’s Church marks its 25th year with a record £31,044 raised for St Paul’s and Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends, supporting local worship...

Obituary: Martyn Pearson (1954-2025)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Martyn Pearson after a long, bravely fought battle against cancer. Martyn was born in Elstow and showed promise from an early age...

Bedford’s New Year’s Honours include tennis umpire and rowing coach

From the courtroom to the touchline, Bedford’s contribution to the New Year’s Honours List for 2026 spans public service, safety, sport and community life, with five local recipients recognised...

“I’m just going to keep going and nothing is going to stop me,” Urban Judge talks about Everyday Heroes award win

Following winning the Young Achiever Award (Ages 14-21) in the Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes awards, Urban Judge continues to stay dedicated to YouthTV and his...

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