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Guaranteed Grants

Guaranteed Grants for amounts over £500 per year are available for a four-year period.  Fifteen local organisations received this funding for the four year period 2020-2024, enabling the continued provision of events and services in and around the town. 

Applications are now invited for grant funding for the period financial year 2024-25 to financial year 2027-28. If your charity or voluntary group provides services benefitting residents of the parish of Leighton-Linslade and needs help with operating costs, apply now!  Please ensure you have read the guidance notes before completing your application. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday, 19 April for consideration by committee on Monday, 13 May.

Guaranteed Grants guidance notes 2024
Guaranteed Grant application form 2024 (editable Word document)
Guaranteed Grant online application form 2024

The Council is also proud to have in place long-term funding agreements with Citizens Advice Leighton-Linslade and the Leighton Buzzard Music Centre.

CALL provides free, impartial, independent advice on a range of subjects to residents in and around Leighton-Linslade.

The Leighton-Linslade Music Centre runs on a Saturday morning from Vandyke Upper School and offers a range of sessions to existing musicians as well as complete beginners of all ages, including a session for those with additional needs. The Centre is run by Inspiring Music at Central Bedfordshire Council.

General Grants Poster

Community Grants up to £500

General Grants can be applied for by local community, voluntary and charity groups, with up to £500 per year available per group (£250 for start-ups). General grants are intended to fund specific projects to benefit the community, which can be completed within twelve months – for example, the purchase of equipment, training of volunteers, marketing activity or subsidising a trip or visit.

Organisations related to the arts should apply direct to the Leighton-Linslade Arts Forum and sports related organisations should apply direct to the Leighton-Linslade and District Sports Council.  Both umbrella organisations receive annual funding from the Town Council to then distribute grants themselves to local groups.

Applications for financial year 2024-25 are now open. Applications must be submitted by Friday 19 April 2024, for consideration by committee on 13 May. Please ensure you read the guidance notes below before applying and if your group received a grant during 2023-24, check you have provided the council with a report on expenditure before applying for a new grant.

General Grant Guidance Notes 2024
General Grant application form 2024 (editable Word document)
General Grant Online Application Form 2024

For any informal groups looking for help to adopt a more formal structure and therefore be able to apply for grant funding, please contact Community Voluntary Service Bedfordshire:  https://www.cvsbeds.org.uk/

Leighton-Linslade Arts Forum

Leighton Linslade Arts Forum offers local arts-based organisations and groups a grant of up to £500 for a specific project if it meets the required criteria (see application form for details).

Organisations that have benefitted from grants during recent years include Leighton Buzzard Drama Group, St Barnabus Church, Leighton Buzzard Music, Leighton Buzzard Art Society, Musical Theatre High, Brooklands Academy, Leighton Linslade Concert Band, Linslade Singers, Leighton Buzzard Festival Singers. Leighton Film Festival, Spectrum Community Arts and many more

Find out more by visiting the Leighton-Linslade Arts Forum website. 

Community Volunteer Awards Scheme

At the town’s Civic Service held at All Saints Church on 25 February 2024, Town Mayor Councillor Kevin Pughe and HM Lord Lieutenant Susan Lousada presented the 2024 Community Volunteer Awards to three very deserving recipients: Edith Griffith, Lucy Amsden and Elisha Heard.  A fourth award will be presented separately to Diana Crook, who was not able to attend yesterday’s service.

All four award recipients were nominated by a fellow resident for having undertaken more than five years of voluntary service to the benefit of the town.

The Council is aware that a huge number of people volunteer across Leighton Buzzard and Linslade, making a real difference to many people’s lives. If volunteering is something you might be interested in doing, why not visit websites such as the Town Council, Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity or Community Voluntary Service Bedfordshire for possible opportunities?

The Council will be welcoming nominations for the 2025 awards between June – October.

2024 Press Release

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Cadets
Civic Service
Cllr Pughe
Cva Presentation
Dignatries

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Honorary Burgess

The Town Council established a scheme in 2007 to recognise the voluntary efforts of up to three individuals per year who have served a wide sector of the community. Recipients awarded the title of “Honorary Burgess of Leighton-Linslade” receive an engraved badge and a scroll at a presentation ceremony as well as having their names added to a board in the Council Chamber at the White House.

At a meeting of Leighton-Linslade Town Council held on 27 January 2020, it was unanimously agreed to present the 2020 Honorary Burgess award to Mary Cheshire and John Halstead.  Mary was nominated for her work litter picking along the river in all weathers and John was nominated for his many years as a local school governor, his involvement in the Town Twinning Forum and his years as a member of the Rotary Club of Leighton-Linslade. The awards were presented by Town Mayor Councillor David Bowater at the well attended annual Civic Service, which took place at All Saints Church on Sunday, 23 February 2020.

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The 2020 awards mean that a total of 28 “unsung heroes” have received the Honorary Burgess award since its inception.  All recipients have undertaken at least 5 years of voluntary service to the benefit of our town – and in many cases, significantly longer.  However, a change in legislation regarding parish council powers in recent years means that 2020 will be the final year of the Honorary Burgess award in its current form. The same legislation permitted the Town Council to award its first ever Honorary Freeman award to Mr Walter (Wally) Randall in November 2019. The Honorary Freeman is now the only civic award the Town Council is empowered to give.

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Honorary Freeman

Leighton-Linslade Town Council voted unanimously at an extraordinary meeting held on Monday, 14 October 2019 to confer the title of Honorary Freeman of the parish on Mr Walter (Wally) Randall.

Mr Randall is the first ever resident of the town to be given this title, which was presented by Town Mayor Councillor David Bowater after the annual Remembrance Day Parade on Sunday, 10 November 2019.

The suggestion to confer the title on Mr Randall was made in recognition of his years of voluntary service to the community. On being told of the honour, Mr Randall said “I am delighted and honoured to be receiving this title from the Town Council”.

Read more about the Honorary Freeman presentation.