9 November 2026

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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.

“No childcare at all” as One YMCA says it’s closing three Bedford nurseries this month

Parents of children at One YMCA nurseries in Bedford have said they are "devastated" at the news three nurseries in the area are to close by the end of this month, leaving many with...

The Barley Mow is back with a promise to reconnect with the LGBTQ+ community

Bedford's premier LGBTQ+ late night venue - the oldest LGBTQ+ venue in the country - has a new owner, with a promise to "return the Barley to its former glory"...

Everyday Heroes Awards 2022: Help us find the team that shines a spotlight on Bedford

Now in its third year, the Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes Award, in partnership with The Harpur Trust, recognise people who have made a difference to our Borough...

Communication, community and unity celebrated in new mural in Queen’s Park

Residents and artists in Queen's Park have designed and painted a new wall mural to celebrate the themes of communication, community and unity. The mural is a...

Retired Caribbean Nurses Association hosts event for International Women’s Day

Bedford’s Retired Caribbean Nurses Association (RCNA) will be celebrating its fourth bi- annual Gathering at Kempston’s Addison Centre on Wednesday 8 March...

Call for volunteers to help people at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre

In the run-up to the ‘Big Help Out’ on 8 May and Volunteers Week in early June, Beyond Detention is putting a call out for volunteers to join their team. Beyond Detention provide...

Bedford businesses rally to raise £100,000 for mum of two’s specialist cancer treatment

A 29-year-old mother of two who has been battling breast cancer since 2019 is collaborating with Bedford businesses to raise £100,000 for specialist life-prolonging...

Everyday Heroes Awards 2022: Nominate your ‘Unsung Hero’ today

Now in its third year, the Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes Award, in partnership with The Harpur Trust, recognise people who have made a difference to our Borough...

Everyday Heroes Awards 2022: Which Bedford fundraising team deserves an award?

Last week we looked at the Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes award for individual fundraisers, now as we continue to through each category for this year's awards, in partnership...

Everyday Heroes Awards 2022: Nominate a fantastic Bedford fundraiser

As we go through each category for this year's Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes Awards, in partnership with The Harpur Trust, it's been really good to look at who has won the award...