LOVE LOCAL
RHS SHOW GARDEN TO FIND PERMANENT HOME IN CAMBRIDGE
Circular success Aiming to make conversations around sustainability, biodiversity and circular living more engaging and accessible, Grand Arcade’s Let’s Go Circular campaign has celebrated its fifth year with record crowds. Bringing everything from upcycling workshops to a giant animatronic bee, the event welcomed 747,994 visitors over its run (16 May to 7 June), as well as seeing a total of 76 hours of workshops booked and 460m² of flower seeds sown! Food for all Cambridge City Foodbank has launched its Summer Appeal, inviting people and businesses to support families struggling to afford essentials through food donations and financial contributions. You can find donation bins in most local supermarkets or visit cambridgecity.foodbank.org.uk . Meanwhile, Abbey People, which runs Barnwell Basket, has launched a £40,000 fundraising appeal, seeking to build a base of regular monthly donors and support its longer-term ambition of creating an affordable community shop. abbeypeople.org.uk Dancing on air Community-driven dance school 4D Dance CIC welcomed a record-breaking crowd to its family festival, 4DFest 2026, at Cambridge’s Willow Grange Farm on 24 May. “What truly made the day unforgettable was the overwhelming amount of love and support filling the space. To see 650 young people shining on a professional stage in front of 2,000 roaring spectators is exactly why we do what we do,” said Sara Ford, principal and creative director of 4D Dance CIC. Lido love The Friends of Jesus Green Lido Charity has been officially launched to help protect and champion the long-term future of Jesus Green Lido, formalising the work of the volunteer group with the same name (established in the 80s). In its first major fundraising campaign, the charity is hoping to raise £150k to install a large, bespoke sauna to support swimmer wellbeing and enhance the pool’s all-year-round amenities. Supporters can donate via the charity’s website: jesusgreenlido.org/donate Double victory Rangeford Villages’ Cambridge later living community, Strawberry Fields, has received two prestigious honours at the Care Home Awards in Birmingham, securing the best new retirement living development award and the best retirement living development with care provision award. “Winning both categories is a testament to the dedication of our entire team and our vision of creating vibrant retirement communities where people can truly enjoy later life with confidence, comfort and support,” said Wesley Ridgway, village manager at Strawberry Fields. NEWS IN BRIEF
and underwater hydrophones to transform the rain into an immersive, musical experience. Following the show, key elements of the garden will be relocated to a new vinyl bar in Eddington, where they will form a permanent green courtyard. Born in Cambridgeshire, Anthony Purdy has strong roots in the area. “The idea that the garden will carry on giving – that people in Cambridge will sit within it and hear the sound of water – is what makes this project feel complete,” he said.
A show garden that turns rainfall into music is heading to RHS Sandringham Flower Show this July – and when the show closes, it will come home to Eddington. The Rhythm of Rainwater, designed by Anthony Purdy of AP Design Studio, is a Grow Forward Garden at the RHS Sandringham Flower Show (22-26 July 2026). Highlighting the importance of rainwater harvesting, the garden places seven aluminium dipping tanks at its heart, along with a gentle rill, steel tongue drum
Husband-and-wife team Rob and Lynne Kerrison, founders of local education business Tutor Doctor Cambridge, recently attended a Royal Garden Party hosted by the King and Queen – celebrating those who have made outstanding contributions to their communities through volunteering, charitable work and public service. Their invitation came as a surprise, after Rob was secretly nominated by one of their education consultants in recognition of the impact he and his wife have made across Cambridgeshire. Rob and Lynne launched Tutor Doctor in 2010 with a vision of providing personalised, one-to-one educational support that focused not only on grades but also on confidence, wellbeing and helping children rediscover a love for learning. Today, they work with a team of more than 200 tutors delivering close to 20,000 hours of tuition each year for students across Cambridgeshire. Cambridge couple honoured for services to the community
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