Pinewood Studios granted permission for expansion and new nature reserve

Buckinghamshire Council has approved plans for a 1.4m sq. ft. expansion at Pinewood Studios. The investment will deliver 21 new purpose-built sound stages, a backlot filming space, education and training hub, and a publicly accessible nature reserve.

This expansion will deliver substantial economic and social benefits for the county and region – creating over 8,000 new jobs and injecting £640 million a year into the UK economy. Once the development is complete, Pinewood Studios will be the biggest studio complex in the world, with a total of 51 purpose-built stages. 

The consent allows Pinewood to deliver a 63-acre nature reserve at Alderbourne Farm, north of the existing studio site. The publicly accessible reserve will protect existing habitats and enhance local biodiversity, as well as provide new footpaths, thereby creating a community asset. 

The approved expansion will directly address the continued growth in demand for production accommodation in the UK. 

Pinewood Group Corporate Affairs Director Andrew M Smith OBE DL said: “We’re delighted Buckinghamshire Council has approved our plans for the expansion of Pinewood Studios and new nature reserve at Alderbourne Farm. This development will provide invaluable resources to the British film and TV sector, consolidate Pinewood’s status as the UK’s leading production site, deliver significant benefits to our local community and encourage new talent to join the industry.”

As the leading provider of studio and related services to the global film and television industry, Pinewood has helped create some of the most treasured productions, among them 172 Oscar winners and 234 BAFTA winners.

Charity awards £1m in crisis grants to local people

Heart of Bucks Community Foundation, a local not-for-profit organisation, has announced that it has awarded over £1 million in crisis grants to individuals and families in Buckinghamshire.

The funding has provided much-needed financial assistance to those who have lost their jobs, are unable to pay bills and facing eviction or just struggling to make ends meet due to rising costs. It has also been used to support refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine who have settled in our county. The £1 million milestone spans a two-year period and is made up of over 1,300 individual grants.

Henry Allmand, CEO at Heart of Bucks said: “The last few years have had a devastating impact on our community and we want to do everything we can to help those who are struggling. We are extremely grateful to have support from generous local people, as well as other charitable foundations and Buckinghamshire Council, to provide a vital lifeline to those who need it most.”

A young care leaver in full-time education was awarded a crisis grant when his Universal Credit stopped after he began working during the summer. The person, who wishes to remain anonymous, then struggled to afford his basic living costs when he returned to college, due to the six-week wait for his Universal Credit to be re-established. A crisis grant of £900 was awarded to cover two months of living costs.

After receiving the funding the young person said: “It helped me a lot – I didn’t know how I was going to manage my bills and rent and you came into my life and sorted this out for me. My anxiety went down and I am able to concentrate on my college work, thank you.”

For more information on the work of Heart of Bucks, please visit their website.

Get on your bikes this June at the 2023 Bucks Radio Tour de Vale 

On Sunday 11th June, Buckinghamshire’s biggest charity bike ride will return with the 2023 Bucks Radio Tour de Vale. Organised by WheelPower, this annual cycling event has become a real highlight for the local community, with hundreds of riders coming together to raise vital funds for the Stoke Mandeville-based charity.  

There are three fantastic routes to choose from, all starting and finishing on the famous track at the Birthplace of the Paralympic Movement. The routes take the riders out into the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside and are supported throughout by regular water stops, volunteer marshals and support vehicles for your safety.

Choose from 25km, 75km and 110km routes and join riders of all ages and abilities in completing this fantastic charity bike ride. The 25km route is ideal for families, with all under 16s and hand cyclists going free. The two longer distances will have brand new routes in 2023 and now head north from Aylesbury to the beautiful countryside around Buckingham, Stowe and the Claydons. All cyclists will be rewarded with a well-earned medal after crossing the finish line, where they will find massage tables, entertainment from Bucks Radio, a barbecue and a bar so that they can recover and relax with friends and family after the event.

Eve Helyer, WheelPower Events & Community Fundraiser tells us more. “This year we celebrate the 20th year of the Tour de Vale and want to make 2023 the biggest and best yet! Since 2003, over £875,000 has been raised by our amazing cyclists and their support has meant that WheelPower has been able to deliver lots more life changing opportunities, both here in Buckinghamshire and across the United Kingdom.

“The Tour de Vale is more than just a bike ride, and by taking part you will not only have a brilliant day cycling but you will also be turning your collective pedal power into pounds for our charity. The money raised this year will help us to support disabled people to lead healthier and more active lives through sport and exercise, and in 2023 we are calling on all our riders to raise £20 in our 20th year.

“We look forward to welcoming you to Stoke Mandeville Stadium in June and would like to thank our amazing community for your continuous support of the Tour de Vale over the last 20 years.”

To find out more about this year’s event and to sign up for the 2023 Bucks Radio Tour de Vale, visit www.tourdevale.com.

Volunteering at the 2023 Tour de Vale - If cycling isn’t for you, you may like to volunteer instead? To deliver a safe event, WheelPower relies on the support of 150 local volunteers to marshal the routes, help at the sign-in tent or support riders at the important water stops. Volunteers would need to donate a couple of hours on Sunday 11th June, with full instructions, a high vis jacket and packed lunch supplied. Please contact [email protected] or call 01296 395995 to find out more.

Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity growth plans

Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity have launched a recruitment drive to support their ambitious plans for growth over the next few years.

“We know that the demand for hospice care is going to continue to grow as the population of Buckinghamshire increases and ages – and we are determined to be there for every patient that needs our care. To do this we need to increase our income, and our shops will play a key part in this,” says Lily Caswell, Head of Retail at the charity.

The charity has opened two new shops in the past six months, in Marlow and Beaconsfield, with a third due to open in Hazlemere very soon. A number of their shops now open seven days a week and their online operation, focusing on selling on eBay and Facebook, has also expanded. Last year, they had a record-breaking year, making more money, serving more customers and handling more donations than any previous year.

“Charity retail is an amazing place to work,” says Lily. “Our shops are the face of the charity, seeing supporters and raising vital funds to support local patients and their families, every single day on high streets, retail parks, and a farm, all across Buckinghamshire and its borders. We offer the opportunity to be part of a genuinely ethical and sustainable sector of the retail industry.”