News Volunteer Events Shop Dunstable Badminton Club are leading the way in making sure everyone can enjoy the nation’s favourite racket sport The club teamed up with Badminton England to create bespoke sessions to encourage more women to join the club starting a ladies’ session last November to provide two hours of fully coached sessions each week The sessions have proved a roaring success with women feeling more comfortable and able to express themselves with numbers steadily increasing under the guidance of coaches Alan Stewart “I have been looking for a ladies club for a very long time and was so pleased when I heard about this session early last year and was really eager to join,” said club member Madeeha Samsudeen “I find the sessions really fun and useful as it offered coaching sessions to improve our playing skills The sessions help me learn techniques and improve my game “Alan’s teaching skills are great as he gets us to move and focus on positioning techniques control and movements and having skilled players like Roukaya and Sophie has been great for our training “I would love for these sessions to continue so we get to meet and play with other women and would love to play some club matches in future.” Club member Elaine Razon added: “Joining Dunstable Ladies Badminton Club provides the opportunity to meet other leaders to play with Roukaya and Sophie are supportive and focussed giving close attention when we need extra help Alan also advises us when our technique needs improvement and praises us when we’re doing well.“ Dunstable Badminton Club have also taken steps to ensure its coaches can reach their full potential Georgiou and Aziz the beneficiaries of coaching courses Aziz said: “Completing the Coaching Foundation Award has been an invaluable experience giving me the knowledge and confidence to deliver well-structured ensuring that participants of all levels can improve their skills in a supportive environment “The impact extends beyond just my own growth – it has created opportunities for more people to get involved “Seeing players develop and gain confidence each session is incredibly rewarding The qualification has been a crucial step in my coaching journey I can continue to contribute even more to the community helping to grow participation and create positive experiences for all involved.” priority access tickets and exclusive communications and offers Web Design & Development by 123 Internet Group offers a unique opportunity to explore the stories and events that have shaped The Salvation Army’s work in Dunstable From its humble beginnings to its present-day impact the display reflects on the church’s journey while inspiring a vision for the future who have been leading the Dunstable church since July 2023 shared their enthusiasm for the milestone.   “The Salvation Army has served the Dunstable community in countless ways over the years This exhibition not only honours the people and events that have shaped us but also motivates us as we look ahead to how we can best serve Dunstable in the years to come and their faith has become our oath – to listen and serve the community according to its needs.”  The exhibition is one of many events planned throughout the year to mark this significant anniversary Visitors can attend The Salvation Army on Bull Pond Lane The Salvation Army in Dunstable has adapted to meet the evolving needs of the community Drop-in sessions are available on Mondays and Tuesdays from 1.30pm to 3.00pm individuals can access food bank vouchers or receive small food bags  Every Wednesday evening the community kitchen offers a warm meal and a compassionate listening ear to vulnerable individuals in the community.  “We’re excited to celebrate this milestone with the community This exhibition is a testament to the power of faith We invite everyone to join us in reflecting on our shared history and looking forward to a future of continued service and connection.”    For more information about The Salvation Army in Dunstable visit: Dunstable | The Salvation Army  Copyright © The Salvation Army 2025 The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity in England (214779) Scotland (SC009359) and the Republic of Ireland (CHY6399) The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters The church on Bull Pond Lane has organised a series of events to celebrate this anniversary throughout the year starting with a concert held at the church featuring the celebrated Salvation Army Church Songster Brigade from Staines on Saturday 25 January at 6.30pm There was a church service on Sunday 26 January led by Salvation Army Territorial Leaders Jenine and Paul Main.   Other events to follow in the year include:  Councillor Louise O’Riordan the Mayor of Dunstable attended the concert night marking the beginning of year long celebrations and expressed the community’s gratitude for the work done by The Salvation Army.  Councillor O’Riordan said: “The Salvation Army plays a huge a part in our community. Not just as a church The band participates in several town events - the most recent being the Christmas Torchlight event that people are still talking about - it was so good The building itself has been a home to me as soon as I arrived in Dunstable in 2016 I attended AA in the building which always feels like home wherever it is But the Salvation Army have always been my first place to signpost street drinkers and people who are homeless to when they need help This place really changes lives and helps so many.” In a heartfelt reflection on the church’s anniversary while leading the main Sunday service in Dunstable and legacy urged everyone at Dunstable to draw strength from the past to inspire a future rooted in hope and community.  Commissioner Jenine said: “Let us remember the faith of those who came before us Their legacy of faithfulness has shaped our present and our future and is a guiding light for our own journeys Let us commit to strengthening our faith to ensure that our ongoing journey is marked by faith that drives us towards a brighter future filled with purpose and that together we strive to create a future that embodies hope we will experience the joy and peace that comes from trusting in our faithful God.” Roger and Jacqueline Coates who have been leading the Dunstable church since July 2023 said The Salvation Army is committed to serving people of all ages and backgrounds and the church will continue building and nurturing relationships in the community.  They said: "it is a privilege to lead this church at such a special time in its history We're excited to celebrate this significant anniversary throughout the year The Salvation Army has served our community in countless ways over the years We'll reflect on the people and events that have shaped us we'll look ahead to how we can best serve Dunstable in the 21st century." The church has consistently served the needs of the people of Dunstable offering a range of inter-generational support services that have evolved alongside the needs of the community.  In addition to church services every Sunday The Salvation Army runs a group for over-75s who are living alone or are in circumstances where opportunities for meaningful social interaction are limited They meet on Thursdays between 10.30am - 3pm On Wednesdays between 7pm and 8.15pm the church’s community kitchen opens its doors to help people who are homeless: serves hot meals provides showers and laundry machines for people to freshen-up The community kitchen goes beyond a plate as it serves as a listening post for those feeling alone and excluded The church’s weekly programme consists of: Community Care Drop In; Toddler Time; Knit and natter Group; Sally Anns Café; Oasis Fellowship Group; Bible Study Groups; Prayer Walking; Sunday School 4th Sunday each month 10:45; Messy Church 2nd Sunday Each month 4pm; and Sunday worship 11am.  For more information about The Salvation Army in Dunstable visit: Dunstable | The Salvation Army.  Real Bedford sealed their home campaign with another victory – their 32nd of the season – with a late 3-1 victory over AFC Dunstable at the Ledger Stadium on Easter Monday Eniola Agemoh-Davies scored the winner in the 87th minute after Sean Duodu had cancelled out Ben Stevens’ opener with Joey Evans sealing another three points with his 37th league goal of the season Real Bedford finally got their hands on the Southern League Central Division One trophy after the game; sealed with a 1-0 victory on this ground nine days ago against Kings Langley Read: Evans penalty seals Real Bedford’s third straight league title They passed another milestone today in reaching 100 points but were made to work for it by an AFC Dunstable side who are safely in mid-table well away from both the play-off places and the relegation zone As per Saturday’s encounter at Leighton the game took some time to fire into life; the best chance of a scrappy first half in wet conditions fell to the prolific Evans who dragged an effort wide before striking over the bar a few moments later Sam Carman did well to smother Archie Jones’ effort on the stroke of half-time with Kyle Brooks on target for the visitors only to be kept out by Tyler McGregor between the home sticks Carmen was on hand again with a one-handed stop to deny Ben Stevens but the Real Bedford playmaker made no mistake with his next effort receiving the ball on the corner of the penalty area and floating a beautiful shot into the far corner to give Real the lead It looked as if the goal would open the Bedford floodgates but Carmen continued to deny the Real front line with saves from Setchell and again from Stevens before Duodu struck an equaliser for Dunstable Chances continued to be exchanged in search of a winner with both keepers called into action again before Eniola Agemoh-Davies pounced with just three minutes remaining He dribbled past three defenders in creating an opening and poked it home to drag his side into the lead which was then consolidated by Real’s number nine Evans who tapped home a Ben Stevens cross to secure another league win Real Bedford have occasionally had to fashion out wins late on in the league this season but their sheer weight of goals has been too much to handle for most sides as they are now 13 points clear of Berkhamsted in second place Real Bedford’s final league game is away from home against Thame United on Saturday 26 April who have already confirmed a play-off spot and are more than likely to travel to Berkhamsted in the semi-finals Bedfordshire police officers were called to the woman’s home on Thursday afternoon after reports of an injury An 83-year-old man has been charged with the murder of an 84-year-old woman after reports that a woman had been injured Margaret Worby was pronounced dead at the scene was charged with murder and appeared at Luton magistrates court on Saturday He has been remanded into custody and will next appear at Luton crown court on Tuesday We are grateful to Arnold and his family who worked with us in July 2023 to share his story here We remember Arnold as we continue our work to raise awareness of this devastating disease and to fund research to help find a cure At just 13 years old Arnold Chappin, known as ‘Arnie’ to his family, was given the devastating news he had a brainstem glioma only started experiencing symptoms including disorientation and slurred speech in June 2023 Within a few weeks the tumour was discovered his parents Ruth and Brett were told there was little treatment available The family started fundraising to enable his parents to temporarily give up work and spend precious time with Arnie They raised almost £100,000 in less than a week My nephew Arnie is such a loving and affectionate boy who is hilarious and full of life is my sister and as a family we’re all really close Despite them living in Dunstable and the rest of the family being around Manchester and looking back on everything now we’ve all questioned whether that masked any earlier signs of his brain tumour we started to notice his speech was a bit slurred and seemed to deteriorate a bit or mumbles so we didn’t think it was particularly worrying over the first two weeks of the month he stated limping a bit He’s very clumsy though and is always falling over and now he often throws himself on the floor to be silly and make us laugh We wondered if this limp might have been from a previous injury where he’d fallen over We tried to talk to him about it but because of his ADHD it can be hard at times to get him to really communicate what was going on He was spending more time with me and my husband and we noticed the falling over was becoming more and more of an issue He’d just started new ADHD medication and was being sick and feeling anxious in the morning so we put all this strange behaviour down to that he got up and couldn’t put his socks and shoes on he was getting overwhelmed and then started crying That’s when we knew something was really not right Ruth took him to the doctor’s first thing on the following Monday He asked Arnie to do a few coordination tests The doctor referred him to Luton & Dunstable University Hospital where a CT scan revealed a mass on his brain The doctors couldn’t tell us much at that point; they didn’t know what they were dealing with so they referred Arnie to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge to find out more As Ruth and Arnie’s dad Brett were getting into the ambulance to go a nurse slipped a letter to Ruth about cancerous tumours It was the first we’d heard of this potentially being cancer; the hospital didn’t speak to us about that at all and it was a really scary way to suddenly receive that information When Arnie got to Addenbrooke’s he had further tests and an MRI, and on Wednesday June 14, Ruth and Brett were told he had a brainstem glioma but were told it was inoperable because of its positioning and unusual because it usually occurs in younger children Then they said it carried a prognosis of about six to nine months and to be honest we’ve all taken it incredibly badly It feels like an impossible thing to accept in somebody so young Initially we weren’t open with Arnie; we didn’t know what to do He had a lot of questions and he knew we weren’t being open Kids are intuitive and he knew there was a lot we weren’t saying It was the worst experience of my sister’s life He was so upset and is really angry about it all but he still says things like how he feels blessed to have all his family around him but he is such a loving kid that he’s actually worried about us; the whole family has taken this really hard but he’s the one telling us not to worry about him For a 13-year-old to be that brave is incredible It doesn’t sound very healthy but I find if I think about it too much it just feels unbearable It’s terrifying to think of what’s to come and we’re just trying to take it day to day but she does manage to keep it together in front of Arnie and be strong for him It’s so hard for his brothers and sisters too; Ivan We want them to be open and talk about how they are feeling Henry being just two years older is Arnie’s best friend They do everything together and have a lot of the same friends so it’s particularly difficult for him to come to terms with Arnie was due to have a biopsy on Tuesday 20 June but one of the surgeons spoke to Ruth and seemed try to put her off it He basically said it might be pointless and there were risks like a 5% chance it could cause damage and give him stroke-like symptoms But another specialist really pushed for a biopsy and said it was important to analyse exactly what kind of cancer they were dealing with so in the end that went ahead on Friday 23 June we were already noticing a deterioration in Arnie’s speech and walking He now can’t go to the bathroom by himself and he’s sleeping a lot during the day When the results came back we were told there is nothing they could offer except radiation; the prognosis is really stark and there was talk about possibly paying privately for a clinical trial drug called ONC201 but we’ve been told Arnie is not a suitable candidate and neither treatment was likely to make much difference to prolonging his life It’s put real panic in us all that we need to do things with Arnie quickly - while we still can Ruth and Brett need to be with Arnold right now but being self-employed will struggle to stay financially stable as they also have a family of seven to support with their four children and a grandchild all living together We set up a GoFundMe page in case anybody felt they wanted to donate and support them and were left completely overwhelmed that within in a week we raised almost £100,000 That money is going towards renting the family a house up in Manchester Brett and the kids up here and close by so we can step in We would also love to organise fun things for Arnie I know he wants to have a go at the longest zip line in Europe and little breaks to the Lake District and places But we have to be led by the doctors and think carefully about the experiences we choose so it’s not adding extra stress or strain to what is already an unbearable situation It's unbelievable how little money goes on brain tumour research had a cancerous brain tumour when he was 18 and almost died It left him with other problems and side effects though; including memory issues stroke-like symptoms and early onset dementia and the treatment options have not changed to help Arnie This is killing more people under 40 than any other cancer yet there’s been developments in other cancers but brain tumours are not being prioritised We’ve been wondering about a possible genetic link too It’s incredibly frustrating and so more research is needed Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age they kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.. yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this If you have been inspired by Arnold’s story, you may like to make a donation via  www.braintumourresearch.org/donation/donate-now or leave a gift in your will via www.braintumourresearch.org/legacy Barnet Football Club A Barnet FC XI will travel to Dunstable Town on Tuesday 25th July (19:45 KO) as part of our pre-season schedule Ticket information will be released by the home side in due course Barnet FC confirmed 2023/24 pre-season schedule we have taken the decision to open the Stadium at 10:30am.  The ticket offices Our upcoming Vanarama National League fixture against Wealdstone have been selected for an early Kick-Off Our Pre-Season friendly against Hampton & Richmond which was scheduled to take place on Tuesday 30th July has been cancelled Barnet FC’s 2024/25 National League campaign begins with a trip to The Shay against FC Halifax Town on Saturday Barnet FC can confirm two additional fixtures for our pre-season schedule   The Bees will play League Two side MK Dons Barnet FC is pleased to announce our pre-season schedule ahead of the 2024/25 season   The Bees will open pre-season with a trip to Top The newly refurbished and expanded Emergency Department (ED) at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital (L&D) is now fully operational to patients The project which began in 2021 has been delivered within a live clinical environment throughout a number of phases with the final phase now complete The official opening was attended by the Trust’s executive team Chief Recruitment Officer at Luton Town Football Club Head of Nursing for Acute and Emergency Services cutting the ribbon alongside staff from Bedfordshire Hospitals key redevelopment partners and Luton Town Football Club Staff from Bedfordshire Hospitals redevelopment team alongside staff from Wilmott Dixon and key partners six modern majors cubicles were created to support with the isolation of patients attending with potential infections as well as providing a quieter treatment area for the most vulnerable patients a dedicated paediatric area and nine new major cubicles opened The final phase of works has seen the expansion of the department where there is now a further increase in capacity including assessment and triage rooms and sensitively designed mental health care rooms modern and spacious areas will make a huge difference to patient dignity and experience when attending ED and will also allow staff to provide outstanding care in the very best environment The ED often has over 300 attendees each day and the expansion of the department supports the Trust with the increasing demand for emergency care Chief Executive at Bedfordshire Hospitals said: “We are delighted that our new and improved ED is now open which has been a well needed investment for our local community We know it will make a huge difference to the staff providing care and those patients receiving it “The difficulty of rebuilding an ED whilst keeping it running 24/7 cannot be underestimated so I would like to thank all involved for delivering this project.” Consultant for Emergency Medicine and ED Redevelopment Lead at the L&D said: “With the final work now complete we look forward to continuing to provide the very best care for our patients in a modern and purpose-built environment.” Managing Director at Willmott Dixon said: “We are incredibly proud to be handing over this facility which will serve the local community for generations to come It’s been fantastic to hear the difference it will make to the amazing staff who will benefit daily from what we’ve provided and a shared commitment to excellence by all those involved in delivering this project.” New paediatric treatment areas within the Emergency Department New treatment areas within the Emergency Department Email: pals@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk Email: PALS@ldh.nhs.uk © 2025 | Site by Phew! There is currently no pedestrian access via the main service road (off Lewsey Road) between 4pm and 1am until Saturday 3 May 2025 For those requiring pedestrian access to the maternity unit please use the main entrance on Lewsey Road and follow the route through the hospital buildings and corridors access can be gained from St Mary’s car park there will be no vehicle access (off Calnwood Road) to the main entrance of the maternity unit between 4pm and 1am Monday to Friday Drop off and pick up will be in the St Mary’s car park only For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 00:01 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 Variable cloud with some bright or clear spells Variable amounts of cloud feeding in from the North Sea through the night with winds mostly easing Coastal showers remain possible with brisk winds here Possible rural grass frost in western parts where winds become light by dawn A cold and fine start for most with variable There should be some bright or sunny spells mainly fine weather with sunny or clear spells and mostly light winds Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average