Partner Press Releases

Bus operators hit significant Sustainability milestone

Oxfordshire’s leading bus operators have produced 1 million kilowatt hours of green electricity from solar panel arrays at their depots.   Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel are celebrating after reaching the sustainability milestone last month. The solar installations surpassed 1,000,000 kwh – or 1 gigawatt – of electricity generated since they installed in 2013….

Council wins £300K to support young people into work and training

Oxford City Council has been awarded £316,000 in funding to extend a project supporting unemployed young people until the end of June 2023. Unlocking Potential Oxfordshire is a partnership with community organisations across the county. It offers a wide range of activities to young people aged 17 to 21 who have not been in employment,…

Tree-Planting and Yoga on Offer to Staff as Part of Wellbeing Programme

Staff at Blenheim are being invited to plant a tree and join free weekly yoga classes as part of a campaign to create a healthy workplace environment. The initiative also features mindfulness walks, mental health for men classes, menopause support, free breakfasts and the chance to pet sheepdogs, lambs and horses at the estate’s own…

Kelmscott Manor reopens to the public on 1 April 2022

KELMSCOTT MANOR The idyllic country home of William Morris (1834–96), the internationally renowned craftsman, designer, author, poet, conservationist and pioneer socialist Reopens to the public on 1 April 2022 after a major £6 million National Lottery Heritage funded conservation and refurbishment project, including the addition of new educational and public recreational spaces Part of the…

What does Oxford mean to you? Council launches art competition

Oxford City Council is launching an art competition to give people a chance to see their designs on display boards used at key events in the city throughout the year, such as the May Morning celebrations. Everyone, whatever age, is welcome to enter, whether existing artist, budding amateur or complete novice. There are at least…

VisitBritain gears up to host global online trade event ExploreGB Virtual

VisitBritain is gearing up to host virtually its flagship global travel trade event ExploreGB, from 21 to 25 March. ExploreGB Virtual is bringing together more than 330 global buyers to connect online and do business with 370 tourism industry suppliers and destinations from across the UK. The five-day programme of virtual events gives destinations and…

Hello Spring, Hello Woodstock

Saturday 26th March and Thursday 31st March  6 Days of Celebrations Spring Offers, Menus, Themes, Art With thanks from West Oxfordshire District Council and The Welcome Back Fund Encouraging visitors to safely return to our high streets In the woodlands, fields and meadows of Oxfordshire, Meteorological Spring is officially underway with more daylight in the…

Tourism centre stage with English Tourism Week fast approaching

English Tourism Week is fast approaching with this year’s week dedicated to showing support for tourism businesses and destinations as they rebuild, with a focus also on skills and career opportunities across the sector. With ‘You’re Welcome’ as its strapline this year, the week is also sending a message that England’s tourism industry is ready…

Civic Leaders ‘plant a tree for jubilee’ on Bernwood Road, Barton

Oxford’s civic leaders will plant a tree for the jubilee on Friday 11 March. The tree planting, which will take place in Bernwood Road, Barton, is part of The Queen’s Green Canopy. The canopy is a nationwide initiative encouraging everyone to plant a tree, hedge or other planting with a focus on sustainability, to create…

Oxford businesses could be missing out on vital Omicron funding

Oxford City Council is urging local businesses to apply for the Government’s Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme, as they could be losing out on much-needed funding. The scheme, which provides grants of up to £6,000 to hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses, is administered by Oxford City Council. It provides one-off support to hospitality, leisure…

The Airline Service Offers Ukrainian Refugees Arriving in Britain Free Travel to Oxford from Heathrow and Gatwick Airports

Oxford Bus Company is to let Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK free travel on its Airline service. The luxury airline coach service provides connectivity between Heathrow and Gatwick Airports and Oxford and High Wycombe. Oxford Bus Company is extending free onward travel to Ukrainian nationals arriving at either Heathrow or Gatwick Airport, following the…

Oxford City Council: Mark the Jubilee with a Tree

Oxford City Council has announced plans to support Oxford celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year with a range of activities, at the centre of which will be a call for Oxford’s institutions and residents to plant trees for The Queen’s Green Canopy project. While formal aspects of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations are being coordinated between…

Bus Operators Encourage People to Get Back on Services After Government Funding Extended

Oxfordshire’s leading bus operators today welcomed the news of extended government funding that will help the industry continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Bus operators across the UK will share £107m in government funding over the next six months to ensure services can continue to run. Local authorities will also be given an additional…

Call for young traders and performers to take part in city’s first ‘Teenage Market’

Oxford City Council is supporting a national initiative encouraging young traders and performers to get involved with their local market by taking part in a free event at Gloucester Green on Saturday 26 March 2022. The Teenage Market will be part of the weekly outdoor Oxford Gloucester Green Market and gives young entrepreneurs and performers…

Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone begins in Oxford

Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) has started in Oxford today (28 February). Launching as a pilot, the streets included in the ZEZ are: New Road, between Bonn Square and its junction with Castle Street; Bonn Square; Queen Street; Cornmarket Street; New Inn Hall Street; Shoe Lane; Market Street, from Cornmarket junction east for 40…

Oxford City Council celebrates one year anniversary of Meanwhile in Oxfordshire initiative

One year after its launch, an innovative pilot scheme from Oxford City Council and Makespace Oxford to transform the use of vacant shops across Oxfordshire is being studied by other councils as a model of good practice in helping to revitalise city centres. Initially launched in February 2021, the £1.875m “Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…” programme has…

Council increases amount of grant funding available to omicron-hit local businesses

Oxford City Council has increased the amount available to Oxford businesses severely impacted by the Omicron variant of COVID-19 from £4000 to £6000 and extended the deadline for applications from Friday 25 February to Saturday 19 March. The Additional Restrictions Grants scheme, funded by central government and administered by the Council, provides one-off grants, covering…

Spring Celebrations: Mother’s Day & Easter Sunday at The Coconut Tree

Pioneering Sri Lankan street food restaurant The Coconut Tree is celebrating Mother’s Day and Easter Sunday across its restaurants. Mum’s Eat Free From midday until 9pm on Mother’s Day mums can eat for free, enjoying any three dishes from The Coconut Tree’s main menu on the house. The offer is valid on all advance bookings….

Oxford Bus Company Hosting Engagement Events for Bus & Coach Driver Recruitment Week

Oxford Bus Company is holding open events for the public to discover more about bus and coach driving opportunities.  The activities form part of a national campaign to address a shortage of around 7,000 drivers cross the bus and coach industry in the UK. The events will highlight the job opportunities available in the local…

Councils announce ambitious updated proposals to support a zero carbon transport network

Plans to create a sustainable and reliable transport system in Oxford have been announced. The proposals will see the introduction of a city wide workplace parking levy, traffic filters and a wider zero emission zone, together with improved public transport and cycle routes. Over the coming months, Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council will…

Superheroes week at Fairytale Farm

Fairytale Farm‘s 2022 season really takes off in the February half-term (19th to 27th February) with superhero-themed activities running all day. Farm owner, Nick Laister, says: “It is two years since we ran our last Superheroes Week at Fairytale Farm. That was just before the first lockdown, and the world has changed since then. But…