Winner of Northleach Community Awards 2026

We are delighted to announce that the very first Northleach Community Volunteer Award has been presented to Kelly Mustoe in recognition of the time and effort she has given to supporting our community.

Kelly was nominated for her role in Northleach Teen Space, which provides a safe and inclusive space for young people to socialise. Through her time and commitment as a committee member, Kelly has helped Teen Space achieve its aims of supporting young people in the local area and preventing social isolation.

The award was presented at Northleach with Eastington Annual Town Meeting on Weds 27 May 2027, where the council also took the opportunity to recognise the many volunteers who give their time throughout the year.

From supporting local events to gardening and other maintenance tasks, volunteers play an essential role in our community and help to ensure it is a fantastic place to live. Special thanks went to:

  • Volunteer painters who redecorated the interior of Northleach Pavilion.
  • Volunteer gardener Carole who organised the planting of thousands of daffodil bulbs in the churchyard earlier this year, and continues to tend to the flower beds in the Market Place.
  • Jan who is now in the third year of surveying our local wildflower verges.
  • Northleach Drain Guardians who rally around to help prevent flooding in the town, and
  • Northleach Wardens help to resolve all kinds of maintenance issues across the town.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to every volunteer who contributes, often quietly and behind the scenes, to support local activities and initiatives. Your efforts are appreciated and do not go unnoticed.

Congratulations once again to Kelly, and thank you to everyone who continues to volunteer and support our community.

‘Hidden HardShip’ Exhibition Explores Rural Poverty, On 13-19 June

PRESS RELEASE

Cirencester Ashcroft Church & Centre are pleased to announce that we are hosting an exhibition called ‘Hidden Hardship’ based on research by Dr Stephanie Denning of Coventry University.  The exhibition features a number of panels highlighting findings from the research and illustrated by Beth Waters.

Dr Denning’s research aim is to understand the experiences of people in hardship in the rural North Cotswolds.  Research into hardship has tended to focus more on urban areas than rural areas.  This is a problem because we cannot assume that what happens in urban areas is the case in rural areas

The exhibition will run from Saturday 13th June to Friday 19th June 2026, and will be open to the public without charge between 12 noon and 2pm each day.  It will coincide with the 2026 South Cotswolds Foodbank Food Poverty report launch on Wednesday 17th June, and a special act of worship on Sunday 14th June.   Resources are available at the exhibition or can be obtained from the Hidden Hardship website (https://hiddenhardship.coventry.ac.uk/) and include:

Hidden Hardship Short Storybook;

Hidden Hardship briefing and full report for Policymakers and Community Leaders;

Hidden Hardship Devotional Study Guide.

We hope that the Exhibition will provide a timely and informative stimulus to policy makers and agencies across the Cotswolds, as well as those who share a concern for addressing the many hidden needs across our communities.

For further information please contact Andy Rickell, Chair of Trustees of Cirencester Ashcroft Church at andyrickell@sky.com.

Cirencester Ashcroft Church is a Methodist/URC joint church, located at 21 Ashcroft Road, Cirencester, GL7 1RA, phone 01285 651145.   We have a distinct emphasis on being inclusive and supporting those facing poverty, exclusion and loneliness; and host a wide range of local community and social action groups.

Old A40 To Be Resurfaced

Great news for local drivers! We’re pleased to see that the “Old A40” has been included in Gloucestershire County Council’s resurfacing programme for the new financial year. (Official name is B332 Hangmans Stone to Countryside Museum Hampnett).

This stretch is one of 55 roads across the county scheduled for resurfacing.

Works are expected to take place between April and June. We’ll share more information once the timing is confirmed.

Read the full announcement by Gloucestershire County Council: 55 roads to be resurfaced as part of council’s ‘Fix our Roads’ campaign.

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Remember that highway issues such as potholes, damaged signs, and streetlight faults can be reported via FixMyStreet. Using this service helps get reports to the right authority quickly and means you can track the progress of your report.

To make reports as helpful as possible, include a couple of photos if you can. (Only take photos if it is safe to do so.) Include one image showing the general location. Include others showing detail of the issue being reported.

Reports can be made using the FixMyStreet app or by visiting https://fixmystreet.gloucestershire.gov.uk/.

Pulhams 855 Bus Service Goes Hourly From 1st September 2025

Good news for people wanting to visit Bourton on the Water or Cirencester without a car.

Pulham’s 855 bus service will be increased to operate up to hourly between Bourton-on-the-Water and Cirencester. This will offer a direct link between Bourton, Northleach, Bibury and Cirencester all day.

To view the new timetable, please visit Pulhams’s website.

Pulhams’ 802 service between Bourton and the Rissington’s has also been expanded.

These improvements are funded by Gloucestershire County Council as part of their Bus Service Improvement Plan.

New! IT Café Offers Support With Computers & Devices

Introducing a brand new IT Café in The Westwoods Centre, Northleach! 📱💻

Come along on the second Wednesday of every month from 10.30am-12.30pm:

  • Weds 10 Sept
  • Weds 8 Oct
  • Weds 12 Nov

for 1-1 support with our friendly Digital Champions at Cotswold Friends.

Whether you need help with your mobile phone, laptop, tablet you are very welcome. We have helped others with downloading apps, booking tickets, sending emails and more.

The sessions are free of charge and refreshments are provided.

To book: email support@cotswoldfriends.org or call 01608 652019.

Update On Works To Northleach Public Conveniences

📣 Update from Cotswold District Council on the public toilets in #Northleach Market Place (still free to use for the time being):

Work to install three new doors at Northleach public toilets will begin on Tuesday 26 August. This planned upgrade will enable the doors to open and close automatically on a timer, making the toilets more reliable for users.

During the installation there will be some disruption to service. A full closure of the facilities will not be necessary, though one area at a time may be temporarily unavailable while the doors are fitted. We appreciate and thank you for your patience while the work is carried out.

Please note that the toilets will remain free to use for now, as no charging mechanisms are being installed at this stage. A previous decision to introduce charges is currently under review. We are in discussions with Northleach with Eastington Town Council to decide whether charging is the best way to cover running costs in the future. No changes will be made until the review is complete, and residents will be kept fully informed.

If you have any queries about the operation of the public toilets, please contact complaints@danfo.co.uk or call 0808 281 8100.