We would like to let you know about an upcoming Coffee & Chat Morning taking place at Bierton Crematorium on Saturday 6 December, from 10am–12pm, in partnership with Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS).

This gentle and supportive session offers a safe space for anyone affected by suicide to come together, share a coffee, and connect with others who understand. Trained volunteers will be available to offer support, guidance, and a listening ear.

The free community event is open to all and aims to provide a caring and understanding environment within the tranquil surroundings of Bierton Crematorium.

We would be grateful if you could please share details of this event within your own networks, and with any families or individuals who may find it of comfort or benefit.

Event details:

 Saturday 6^th December. 10am- 12pm

 Bierton Crematorium, Cane End Lane, Bierton, Aylesbury, HP22 5BH

 01296 350 019

 Biertoncrem.csb@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

Thank you for your continued support in helping us reach those who may benefit from this meaningful event.

Kind Regards

Jodie Warren

Crematorium & Cemeteries Events Officer

Chilterns & Bierton Crematoria 

Communities Directorate

Buckinghamshire Council

Tel: 01494 724263

www.chilternscrematorium.co.uk

Tel: 01296 350019

www.biertoncrematorium.co.uk

Money Matters – say how you want your council tax spent

Buckinghamshire Council is preparing its spending plans for 2025/26 and is asking residents, businesses and other local stakeholders to give their views on which services should be prioritised.

The ‘Money Matters’ survey is the opportunity for residents to have a say on what’s important to them and they you would like to see the council’s budget distributed.

Councils across the country continue to experience significant financial pressures due to rising costs and added demand on services. In particular, Buckinghamshire Council has seen social care costs escalate even further in recent months due to more vulnerable residents needing help.

With continuing pressures on household budgets after a period of high inflation and other turbulence, it’s important that residents tell the council how they want to see their council tax spent during the next financial year.

Council tax is the main way that local council services are funded – from bin collections to road repairs to looking after adults and children who need care. The council has ongoing costs to provide these services and also draws up capital spending plans too – ‘one-off’ spends on particular projects or schemes such as extra money invested into the local road network for repairs and improvements. The money received from council tax covers 79% of the cost of providing our 700 services, with the rest of our funding coming from Business Rates (13%), the New Homes Bonus (1%) and other grants (7%).

The council’s ‘Money Matters’ survey is now live –and takes just 10 minutes to complete. These views are then fed into the final budget proposals which are scrutinised after Christmas in a series of special meetings. The final budget will then be voted on during February ready to ‘go live’ on 1 April 2025.

Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council, commented:

“Budget setting in recent times has become extremely difficult for all councils, including our own. Since becoming a single unitary council we have made significant savings and efficiencies already, totalling £75.4 million to date, with a further £41.3 million of savings earmarked for this year. This means we’ve taken more than £100 million out of our budgets over the first five years as a council to deliver efficiencies and to pay for key services for our most vulnerable residents. The cost of providing these services – namely social care, temporary housing and providing school transport for children who need it – eats up around 71% of our entire budget, leaving us with less than 30% of our expenditure available to pay for everything else that we do.

Therefore it’s never been more crucial for our residents to tell us where they want their money spent – please let your friends and family know too that they can have a say.”

The survey is accessed via the Your Voice Bucks website.

If you’re unable to complete the survey online, you can access a paper copy of the consultation in libraries and family centres. The Money Matters survey runs until 13 October 2024.

Food waste – Don’t bin it – Recycle it!

Buckinghamshire Council is asking residents to think twice before throwing food waste in the bin and to recycle it instead.

Currently around a third of the waste thrown in the regular rubbish bin in Buckinghamshire is food waste. This equates to around 28,000 tonnes of food every year, an average of 2kg per household per week. It is enough to fill Big Ben more than one and a half times each year. Not only does this cost local taxpayers more than £600,000 a year in disposal costs, disposing of food waste in this way also damages the environment as it produces double the amount of carbon emissions compared to recycling food waste. Read more here

Buckinghamshire’s Welcoming Spaces give a warm welcome to all

As the weather turns colder and the days get shorter, Buckinghamshire Council is reminding people that Welcoming Spaces across the county continue to offer a friendly and free place where people can go to stay warm and well this winter.

Last winter, the council opened up all of its libraries and community libraries as Welcoming Spaces. The initiative forms part of the council’s Helping Hand programme of support for residents impacted by cost of living pressures. The idea behind Welcoming Spaces is to provide warm, free, safe, and supportive places that any resident can visit at any time of year. They allow people to keep warm, save money on heating and access free support, advice and Wi-Fi, as well as meet new people, find local groups and activities to participate in and look after their physical and mental health. Read more here

Grow to Give scheme continues to grow and give to Bucks communities

Community spirit continues to thrive in Buckinghamshire as the popular Grow to Give scheme marks its third successful year.

In the past 12 months the community food initiative has further developed and expanded, providing over two tonnes of fresh, locally grown food to food banks and community fridges across the county.

Grow to Give works by encouraging people to grow more food in their garden or allotment and to donate the surplus to community food banks and fridges. Collection sites are set up at allotments, making it quick and easy for residents to donate. Volunteers organise the donations on site and coordinate delivery to their local food bank or community fridge. Read more here