In the Community
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t is being anticipated as a “love song for Northampton”. Northampton Music Festival is set to put Shoe Town on the music map as it returns to the town centre. Founded by local musician and businessman John Richardson, the festival is now in its 15th year and attracts around 10,000 music lovers to the town. This year’s festival, on June 19, is celebrating the town’s architectural heritage through music of all genres across five stages, culminating in a homecoming headline set on the main stage in Market Square from Northampton-based band Sarpa Salpa. In all more than 500 artists will take to the five stages, including a world music stage hosted in the courtyard of The Guildhall. Northampton Museum & Art Gallery will play host to the classical and choral stage. Students from the University of Northampton and Northampton College will perform in the courtyard of Element in George Row, while the courtyard of the Guildhall Hotel will host the jazz stage. The market square hosts the main stage for the last time before its refurbishment. “The festival is essentially a love song to Northampton and comes from the heart of a group of dedicated volunteers involved in the local music scene,” says festival music director Graham Roberts. “We cannot wait to put Shoe Town on the music map with this year’s line-up and we are thrilled that Sarpa Salpa will be headlining the
Grants boost plans for Jubilee
G Sarpa Salpa: The Northampton band are the headline act at this year’s Northampton Music Festival
Music festival aims to get Shoe Town’s feet tapping main stage and bringing the festival to a close.” Sarpa Salpa released their new single Dreaming last month. Their two previous releases saw support from BBC Radio One and BBC Introducing. “I am delighted that the festival
continues to grow year on year with increased footfall,” says Graham “It has established itself as an integral part of the town centre’s future vision for arts and culture.” The main sponsors of this year’s festival are Northampton Town
Council, Avery Healthcare, University of Northampton, Northampton Town Centre BID and The Wilson Foundation. Northampton Music Festival will run from noon until 9pm on Sunday 19 June. Entry is free.
Staff put focus on mental health
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uilding products manufacturer Forterra is highlighting the importance of mental health in the workplace through a new corporate partnership with the mental health charity Mind. The charity was selected by Forterra staff as the company’s official corporate charity. Mind will be supported through fundraising activities and events throughout the year, including a family fun day this summer. The partnership will also support employees by raising awareness and promoting understanding of mental health in the workplace. Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales. It provides advice and support and campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Mind has a network of more than 140 branches across England and Wales. “While health and safety has long been our number one priority here at Forterra, we have been increasing our focus on mental health too,” says Forterra chief executive Stephen Harrison. The company has recruited and trained 60 volunteer mental health first aiders across the business, he added.
Philip Bettles (left) on behalf of Rushden Transport Museum with Davidsons Homes sales manager Alan Hames and area sales manager Alison Humber.
Full steam ahead for museum after donation
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ushden Transport Museum has been able to buy a customised donation box thanks to the help of a housebuilder. Davidsons Homes, which is building at its nearby Sanders Fields development, gifted £250 to the museum to help with the purchase. The museum and railway, off Station Approach in the restored Victorian Rushden Station is owned
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June 2022
by Rushden Historical Transport Society. “We have been hoping to purchase a customised donation box for a while, so we were really pleased when Davidsons Homes reached out to offer support,” says society president Richard Lewis. “As we do not charge admission fees, we rely heavily on the generosity of people making donations so to have this new feature is a great way of encouraging this.”
Adds Simon Tyler, sales director of Davidsons Homes South Midlands: “Rushden Historical Transport Society is a focal part of the local community that celebrates the town’s rich heritage, which is why we were keen to show our support. The new donation box looks great and we hope it helps to boost donations so that visitors can continue to enjoy the museum and its facilities.”
rants totalling just over £63,000 have been awarded to voluntary and community organisations across the county by Northamptonshire Community Foundation. The Let’s Create Jubilee Fund, set up by the Arts Council and administered by UK Community Foundations, will ensure that thousands of people from communities all across England will have the opportunity to take part in creative events this month in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee. Outside In Theatre is one of the Northamptonshire organisations to receive funding. It will work in partnership with Cafe Track, a social enterprise that supports people with autism. Other projects include Kings Cliffe & Area Community Sports Project, Masque Theatre, Northampton Hope Centre, Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire, Laugh Out Loud Theatre, Groundwork Northamptonshire, Power of the Minds Network and Corbybased Late Developers Photographic Group.
Make a splash for hospice
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ransley Hospice Trust is hosting the inaugural Cransley Hospice Trust Open Water Swim – SWIM SYWELL event on June 19 in association with Northamptonshire Sport and raising funds to support and develop specialist end of life care in North Northamptonshire. The sport has been growing in popularity and Northamptonshire has some of the best open water swimming venues in the country. Find out more at www.cransleyhospice. o rg . u k / w h y - t r y - o p e n water-swimming-innorthamptonshire
0800 088 6004 enquiries@wilsonbrowne.co.uk wilsonbrowne.co.uk For Northamptonshire’s business news visit www.Business-Times.co.uk
