This week, we switched the Christmas Lights on in Bedford. Sadly this wasn't the event we have become used to over the years with the Coronavirus pandemic preventing a big switch-on.

This Christmas will be very different for any we have ever experienced before, although it is not clear what restrictions the Government will have in place yet.

Bedford Borough Council has introduced ten short-term parking bays across Bedford Town Centre, to allow shoppers to take advantage of click & collect in Bedford Borough.

During the current lockdown, some shops in the Bedford Town Centre are offering a click & collect service, making it easier for shoppers to support local businesses in the town centre. Under current government guidelines, non-essential retailers can still open for click & collect services, where shopping is pre-ordered ahead of time and collected from the store.

Earlier this month saw the 100th free bike donation to NHS key workers from Sustrans, through Bedford Borough Council.

Bikes have been donated from numerous different sources including Govia Thameslink, Bedfordshire Police and through several 'Give your bike a new life' events where the Bedford public donated their unused bikes.

Today, November 19th is International Men's Day, and Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats are backing this year's theme of 'Better Health for Men and Boys.'

Commenting, Bedford Borough Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Councillor Dean Crofts said "With this year's theme being 'Better Health for Men and Boys', International Men's Day provides an important opportunity to raise awareness of the health issues that men and boys can face. These include, for example, the high suicide rate for men and the most common cancer in men in the UK, prostate cancer.'

Bedford Borough Council has automatically issued over £964,000 in support grants to 648 local businesses that have had to close during this period of national restrictions.

These businesses will have received the funding in their bank accounts earlier this week, with 497 businesses receiving £1,334 and 151 businesses receiving £2,000.

The Kickstart Grants ballot has now opened.

From Wednesday, businesses in the South East Midlands directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic can submit an expression of interest to receive grant funding through SEMLEP's Growth Hub Kickstart Grant Scheme at https://www.semlepgrowthhub.com/covid-19-business-grants/

Citizens Advice Bedford are providing one-to-one energy advice to people this winter.

Citizens Advice Bedford can deliver this advice to people over the telephone or via a pre booked face to face appointment, with all relevant Coronavirus protective measures followed.

The trained energy advisers can assist people with any energy related issue but some of the most common are:

With COVID-19 infection rates increasing and national restrictions in place to reduce the spread of the virus sadly there won't be a big Christmas Light switch-on event this year. However, Christmas lights will still be in place across Bedford Town Centre bringing festive illuminations from today, 16 November.