Michael Ribbeck

A Countryside Ball will be held at Grittleton House in Wiltshire on November 14 to raise funds for Stop Lime Down, a grassroots group opposing Island Green Power’s proposed 500MW Lime Down Solar Park. The event will include dinner, entertainment, auctions, casino tables and a simulated clay shoot, with tickets priced at £125. The proposed solar park would cover areas near Malmesbury, Sherston, Hullavington and Stanton St Quintin and could generate enough renewable electricity to power about 115,000 homes.

Malmesbury wakeboarder Callum Smith, 28, has been selected to represent Great Britain at the 2026 IWWF World Wakeboard Championships at Lago del Salto in Italy from August 3 to 8. The Wakeboard UK athlete, supported by Charlie's Charity, has previously competed for Britain at European and international events and will compete in boat wakeboarding, where riders are judged on tricks, execution and style. Smith says he is proud to represent his country and aims to build on his recent progress.

Repair work has begun on Malmesbury’s 15th-century, Grade I-listed Market Cross. The two-week, £20,000 renovation includes renewing lead flashings, repointing, repairing buttresses, removing moss and inspecting finials. Stonemasonry contractor Minerva is carrying out the work, which will not require road closures, while local businesses have been notified.

Malmesbury Live Arts has announced a year-long programme of music, comedy and theatre at Malmesbury Abbey, The Kings Arms and the town hall. Highlights include performances by Gabriel Moreno, Rocking Horse Money, The Lost Trades, Martha Tilston with the Mermaid Choir, Steve Knightley and Solana, alongside the Gloryhole Comedy Club, The Long Players and family theatre production Yara In The Wild Woods. The Community Interest Company is supported by the Arts Council, the National Lottery and public donations.

Dr Alexander Goodwin has been sworn in as Wiltshire’s new High Sheriff, succeeding Martin Nye in the voluntary one-year role representing the Sovereign on matters of law and order. The retired anaesthesia and intensive care consultant worked for 31 years at the RUH NHS Foundation Trust in Bath, served eight years in the Royal Navy, and continues to coordinate work for the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death. His annual theme is “Outdoor activity to promote health and wellbeing,” with planned visits to relevant organisations and charities.

Research from Thames Water indicates that 30% of surveyed Wiltshire residents do not know they may qualify for utility-bill assistance, while two-thirds are more concerned about household finances than before the 2022 cost-of-living crisis. Thames Water says it has provided more than £200 million in assistance to nearly 600,000 households and offers schemes including discounts, capped bills, debt repayment support and matched payments. Customers struggling to pay are encouraged to contact the company’s Extra Care team, while 90% of respondents believe utility providers should offer financial support.

Rolling Stones guitarist and artist Ronnie Wood has loaned his one-tonne rotating bronze sculpture, Struggles and Triumphs, to Longleat in Wiltshire. The horse-inspired work is displayed in the estate's Secret Garden, where Ceawlin and Emma Thynn praised its design, colours and setting. Wood also discussed his support for Tusk, emphasizing the importance of protecting wildlife such as rhinos, lions and tigers for future generations.

A government-funded Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is helping eligible Wiltshire households and businesses install full-fibre broadband through financial vouchers. Delivered by Building Digital UK, the scheme is intended to improve speed, reliability, remote working, cloud services and business connectivity. Communities are encouraged to apply collectively, ideally with at least three properties, before the scheme closes in August 2026, although an extension is not guaranteed.

The Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity has launched the Chalk Walk, a month-long fundraising challenge taking place throughout April 2026. Participants can complete either a 32-mile or 17-mile route linking Wiltshire’s chalk horse landmarks, with both routes starting and ending in Marlborough and designed to be completed in sections. Registration is free, with a suggested £100 fundraising target, and proceeds will support the charity’s helicopter emergency medical service, which responds to an average of four incidents a day across Wiltshire and Bath.

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has launched free community CPR and defibrillator training sessions across South West England. Delivered by volunteer trainers, the practical sessions aim to give residents the skills and confidence to provide lifesaving assistance before ambulance crews arrive. The initiative highlights that only around one in ten people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK, while early CPR and defibrillation within three to five minutes can increase survival rates to as high as 70 percent.

Producers across Wiltshire and the wider UK can enter the 2026 Great British Food Awards, which will be judged by experienced food figures including Raymond Blanc, Adam Handling, Jack Stein and Merlin Griffiths. Entries must be UK-made products and are open across more than 60 categories, with submissions closing on May 22, 2026. Medal winners will be announced on October 30, followed by regional and Grand Champion awards at a ceremony in November.

Wiltshire College and University Centre reached its target of 150 apprenticeship pledges ahead of schedule through its 150 in 100 campaign and increased the goal to 200. The campaign encourages employers to create apprenticeships and provides tailored support across sectors including construction, engineering, business, and health and social care. Avonside Engineering said it had offered two students engineering opportunities to help address workforce shortages.

The RSPB is urging visitors to Wiltshire’s countryside to protect ground-nesting birds during the spring and summer breeding season. Walkers should stay on marked paths, keep dogs under close control, and remain at least 100 metres from visible birds, nests, and chicks. Disturbance can cause nest abandonment or the destruction of eggs and chicks; more than half of England’s most threatened breeding birds nest on or near the ground. The RSPB recorded 94 breeding pairs of stone-curlews in Wiltshire last year, producing 49 young.

Goughs Solicitors will partner with Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance Charity from April 2026 as part of its annual charitable commitment. The Semington-based air ambulance provides specialist emergency medical care across Wiltshire and Bath and depends entirely on public donations. Goughs has begun fundraising through staff, client and community activities, including running, cycling and triathlon events scheduled for spring and summer 2026.

Hartford Care is offering privately funded new permanent residents at its Cotswolds Rise care home in Purton one week free, subject to a minimum agreed stay and limited-time availability. Weekly fees start at £1,675. The 66-bedroom home provides residential, dementia, day, end-of-life and respite care, and includes landscaped gardens, communal facilities and sustainability features such as solar panels, heat pumps and battery storage.

All leisure centres operated by Wiltshire Council have received ukactive’s Active Standard accreditation for three years. The nationally recognised quality mark assesses health and safety, staff training, safeguarding, inclusivity and operational procedures through independent review. Councillor Mel Jacob said the award reassures residents about the quality and safety of the facilities, while noting continued investment including construction of a new leisure centre in Trowbridge.

Classic Ibiza will return to Bowood House in Wiltshire for an expanded five-and-a-half-hour celebration of Ibiza-inspired dance music on July 17 and 18. The event will debut a 45-minute live Chill-Out Set, with attendees voting for three tracks from a shortlist to be included. DJ Meera, the Urban Soul Orchestra, conductor Stephen Hussey, DJ Goldierocks and members of the London Community Gospel Choir are scheduled to perform. The event is sponsored by Adnams Ghost Ship and will support Chippenham charity Doorway.

Female enrollment in motorsport engineering programmes at Wiltshire College & University Centre has risen from six students in September 2020 to 21 currently, with 22 enrolled at the 2024/25 peak and 80 women participating over six years. College director Lily Rayner-Blundell attributed the growth to greater awareness of STEM career opportunities and emphasized the value of diverse perspectives. Students Jodie Buxton and Rachel Robertson illustrate the expanding pathways, with Buxton targeting high-performance and aerospace engineering and Robertson competing in the F1 Academy. The college is also planning an all-female student racing team.

The King’s Royal Hussars are supporting a Ministry of Defence campaign urging visitors to follow safety and access rules on Salisbury Plain Training Area. Unauthorised entry has disrupted or cancelled military exercises and created risks to the public and personnel. Visitors are advised to observe red flags and lights, check access information, remain on designated paths, avoid restricted and wooded areas, control dogs, avoid military debris and follow directions from safety staff. The renewed campaign comes as the UK increases military training activity and shifts toward greater warfighting readiness.

Westonbirt Arboretum has announced a spring 2025 programme featuring family trails, guided walks, nature-journaling sessions, champion tree walks, discovery days and activities focused on tree reproduction and pollination. A new Room on the Broom trail will also offer themed activities, while visitors can support conservation by joining the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum.

Rising flu and COVID-19 hospitalisations in South West England have prompted NHS leaders to urge eligible residents to get vaccinated before seasonal programmes end. Hospital flu admissions have increased by 36%, while COVID-19 cases have risen by nearly 7%. COVID-19 vaccinations are available until January 31, 2026, and flu vaccinations until March 31, 2026, with priority groups able to book through the NHS, pharmacies or GPs. Health officials also advise people with respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms to stay home and avoid visiting hospitals or vulnerable people.

Barn Theatre artistic director and chief executive Iwan Lewis and executive director Liam McMullan have been included in The Stage 100, which recognises influential figures in UK theatre and performing arts. The Cirencester venue is the only Cotswolds theatre on the list and one of only three in the South West. Its 2025 programme includes a London transfer of A Role to Die For, a UK tour of a reimagined Friends musical, a co-production of The Last Five Years and the venue’s first West End transfer, I’m Sorry Prime Minister, at the Apollo.

National Express is adding more than 9,200 coach seats between South West England and London through January 4, 2026, responding to increased Christmas travel demand. More than 5,000 seats will be added to the Bristol–London 040 route, with further capacity serving Gloucester, Cheltenham, Swindon and Heathrow Airport. The company is also promoting free travel for up to three children with a fare-paying adult and advises passengers to book early as services are selling quickly.