March 8th is International Women's Day across the world. Did you know that here in Bedford Borough, the Women of Bedford group is working towards the aim of installing the first statue of a woman in Bedford?
The latest weekly coronavirus snapshot for Bedford Borough has been published.
I have written before about the financial challenge facing Bedford Borough Council, but as consultation begins on the first set of proposals to modernise Council services and make them more cost-effective, it is worth considering the figures involved in order to really grasp the full scale of that challenge. Bedford Borough Council has to save £36 million over four years in order to balance the books. That's an awful lot of money by any reckoning, but the fact that it represents over a quarter of the Council's current total net budget of £129 million brings the size of the task ahead into even greater focus (the bar chart on the right provides a graphical illustration). There is no escaping this; the Council is legally required to deliver a balanced budget, and cannot make a policy decision not to make all the savings, for example. What we can do, however, is to work with all parties on the Council, with staff and crucially with residents to make sure the savings are made carefully and in the fairest way poss
A post on Twitter on Sunday by a member of a vocal group which took part in the Bedford Busking Fest declared that "Bedford had a great vibe today." I couldn't agree more, and I would add that that vibe extended across the whole weekend, not just on Sunday, and also to a range of events in addition to the Busking Festival. The performing arts festival Bedfringe continued with a number of events over its middle weekend at a variety of venues, while on Saturday it was great to welcome Proms in the Park back to Bedford Park for the first time in a number of years. The fireworks and light show to round it off could not doubt be enjoyed from across town! The busking festival continued on Sunday with a diverse range of performers, adding a lovely extra dimension to a trip into town. Also on Sunday, a very special charity football match took place at the New Eyrie, home of Bedford Town F.C.
Mayor Dave Hodgson's latest monthly column for the Times and Citizen looked at the dramatic fall in unemployment revealed by the latest figures for Bedford Borough, including a 46% drop in jobseeker's allowance claimants since February last year. Here's the piece in full:
Mayor Dave Hodgson has described today's rail fare rises as 'another kick in the teeth' for Bedford rail users. Rail fares have risen by a further 2.7% - a rise that Mayor Dave has called 'totally unjustifiable'.
