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24 May 2022
West Northants will light up to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a number of Beacon Lighting Ceremonies kicking off the Bank Holiday Weekend.
Beacons will be lit simultaneously across the county at 9.45pm on Thursday, 2 June in events organised by West Northants Council (WNC), Brackley Town Council and Towcester Town Council to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
Northampton Lift Tower will be lit up in red, white and blue as part of a special ceremony taking place at the Northampton Saints Rugby Ground with a performance of the song for the Commonwealth, ‘A Life Lived with Grace’, sung by a local choir.
In addition, Beacons will be lit in Brackley, Towcester and Daventry - with a Platinum Jubilee Festival taking place at Brackley Rugby Club and sustainable virtual lighting events planned at Towcester Recreation Ground and the Council Offices on Lodge Road, Daventry.
The Beacons will be among over 2,022 being lit across the UK and the Commonwealth by charities, communities and faith groups, and form part of the official programme announced by Buckingham Palace for the Jubilee Weekend.
A Principal Beacon lighting will also take place in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening which will take the form of a lighting installation with The Queen’s Green Canopy ’Tree of Trees’ sculpture and projections onto the front of Buckingham Palace.
Bruno Peek LVO OBE OPR, Pageantmaster of The Queen’s Jubilee Platinum Beacons, said: “Building on a long tradition of lighting beacons to mark significant royal celebrations, thousands of beacons will be lit across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. They will enable local communities to join together to pay tribute to Her Majesty as part of the official programme of events.”
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, James Saunders Watson, said: “We are proud to be part of this momentous celebration and invite communities across Northamptonshire to join us in commemorating Her Majesty, The Queen’s 70th year as our Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth on her Platinum Jubilee.
“It is only appropriate that we mark this unique milestone in history with beacons and music, and I am pleased that like Buckingham Palace, we have been able to incorporate innovative virtual events into our celebrations which reflect the Royal Family’s longstanding commitment to environmental causes and sustainability.”
Find out more information on Platinum Jubilee events happening in West Northants.
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23 May 2022
We’re urging people to visit Northampton’s Market Square to discover the fantastic range of produce and services it has to offer.
From fresh fruit and veg to fabulous flowers, toys and gadgets to expert services such as key cutting – Northampton Market has something for everyone.
And with its locally-sourced produce and reduced reliance on packaging, it also offers a more sustainable way to shop.
‘The Talk of the Town’
The three-week ‘Love Your Local Market’ campaign – extended this year to run up to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on Sunday June 5 – aims to showcase the benefits of markets and trading opportunities across the UK and across the globe.
And to mark the event, we’ve launched a new promotional campaign to showcase Northampton Market.
‘Northampton Market: The Talk of the Town’ celebrates the energy and vibrancy that makes this historic market such an important part of Northampton.
And people across West Northamptonshire are urged to visit the Market to see for themselves the fantastic range of stalls it offers.
You can also get behind the campaign by following us on social media
Please share, like and comment on our posts to help spread the message, and get involved by telling us what you love about Northampton Market, using the hashtag #LYLM2022
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23 May 2022
This year’s Northampton Music Festival (NMF) will open with a special performance of two well-known songs with a twist – they will be performed in sign language.
Children from across the county have been invited to take part in the signing of Firework by Katy Perry and Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World, which has been organised by Greenfields Specialist School for Communication.
The performance will take place on Sunday 19 June at 11:30am on the Main Stage in the Market Square, and the school is encouraging everyone to view two specially made videos to learn the signed versions of the songs.
Lisa Atack, Headteacher at Greenfields, said: “We have contacted all schools across the county inviting them to come along and watch our SIGNING Stars performance and join in with the signing to kick off the festival in style. Staff, pupils, young people and their families are all welcome to join in.”
The signed versions for each song can be learned by watching two videos specially made for the event featuring Cathy Rideout, Greenfields Teaching Assistant and leader of the SIGNING Stars choir.
Polly Wilson, Trustee of The Wilson Foundation, one of the key funders of NMF said: “We can’t wait to see the SIGNING Stars performance live on stage. As a charity established to give a helping hand to young people in Northamptonshire, it’s wonderful to see aspiring performers being given this once in a lifetime opportunity to shine.”
A limited number of young people will also be invited to join Lisa on stage and take part in the performance. To express interest in performing, email Lisa at: [email protected]
Northampton Music Festival will run from 11:30am until 9pm on Sunday 19 June. Entry is free.
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20 May 2022
West Northamptonshire Council’s new Chairman is skating into his role with 'wheel' enthusiasm in a bid to boost civic pride and better connect communities across the area.
Cllr André Gonzalez De Sávage received the ceremonial chains of office from outgoing Chairman Cllr Ann Addison at the Council’s Annual Meeting in Northampton’s historic Guildhall last night (Thursday, 19 May). Cllr John Shephard, ward member for Moulton was appointed as his vice-chairman.
It’s a little-known fact that André has been a keen skateboarder and BMXer for as long as he’s been a local councillor during the past 20 years – and he plans to be equally active and energetic in the year ahead as Chairman of West Northamptonshire Council, supporting local communities and businesses whilst also fundraising for his two chosen charities, The Air Ambulance and Northamptonshire Search and Rescue.
André, a WNC councillor for Northampton’s East Hunsbury and Shelfleys Ward, said: "It’s an incredible honour and privilege to be Chairman and I’m really looking forward to doing everything I can in the coming year to further raise the profile of West Northamptonshire and the many great things our area has to offer.
"It’s really important that our council fully supports and connects with our residents, businesses and community groups and I will be working hard to continue to build these links as well as helping to showcase their amazing achievements.
He added: “I have chosen to help raise invaluable funds for the Air Ambulance and Northants Search and Rescue as I really admire the amazing work and heroic efforts of these two charities, sometimes in harrowing circumstances, to support our emergency services and make a difference to people’s daily lives."
Originally from Barcelona and having previously lived in Switzerland, London and Bedfordshire, dad-of-three André moved to Northampton in 1987, immediately involving himself in local residents associations and serving as a parish councillor for the East and West Hunsbury areas, then later becoming a Northamptonshire County Councillor for 17 years where he also held a number of Cabinet roles around Customer and Communities and Public Protection.
From bike chains to ceremonial chains, André is also Chairman of Northamptonshire BMX and skate park Adrenaline Alley as well as being heavily involved in promoting culture and heritage through Surprise Northamptonshire and Royal and Derngate Theatres and the Made in Northamptonshire initiative which celebrates the county’s food and drink creators, manufacturers and providers.
He added: “We are at the heart of the country, with leading global industries including High Performance Technologies, Motorsports, Education and Public Protection and a superb and vibrant visitor economy – and we have the right aspirations of one of the UK’s most successful counties.
"Let’s promote and encourage pride and prosperity, locally, nationally and globally in all we do and support the growth, of a safe and prosperous West Northamptonshire in this notable year of the Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee."
The role of Chairman is a non-political, civic role, which involves representing the Council and West Northamptonshire at events and functions, as well as chairing Council meetings to ensure they are properly run in accordance with the Constitution.
As part of the role, the Chairman is keen to meet and engage with local businesses, schools, community and voluntary groups and other organisations to help raise their profile – if you are organising an event, activity or function and would like the Chairman to attend, please contact the Chairman's Secretary at [email protected].
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20 May 2022
West Northamptonshire Council is seeking more sponsors to support families and individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine.
One of the primary requirements is for accommodation to host those whose initial sponsorship didn’t work out for a variety of reasons.
The Government’s original plea for sponsors was made several months ago and many people’s circumstances might now have changed.
Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement, and Regulatory Services, said: “There might well be people who were not in a position to offer accommodation at the time of the original appeal who might now be able to help.
“There might also be people who signed up at that time and were not matched with refugees, and we’d like to hear from any who would still like to do their bit.
“West Northamptonshire is an incredibly welcoming place, with many wonderful people who are willing to support those in need.
“We’re extremely grateful for all of the help so far from the more than 250 sponsors who have come forward, yet we could do with some additional help.
“This is certainly not something to go into lightly; welcoming people you don’t know into your home can be challenging, though it can also be exceedingly rewarding.”
The £350 per month thank-you payment is still on offer for sponsors who are successfully matched to Ukrainian guests.
We need some basic information to begin the process including:
- Name
- Address
- Who they would be able to accommodate (a family with children/couple/single female/single male)
- What accommodation they have available (including size and number of bedrooms)
- Contact details
- An indication of whether you have already registered your interest in becoming a sponsor on the government website.
Anyone who has space in their home, or an empty property that might be suitable can contact us at [email protected] and we will provide full details of the scheme.