Oxford News
Bicester couple near £1m for Alexandra House of Joy centre
Alexandra House of Joy was founded in 2018 by husband and wife, Ian and Rachel Scott-Hunter to build the site on Middle Wretchwick Farm in Bicester.
The centre was Alexandra’s dream and will support and care for young and old adults with profound learning disabilities and their primary care givers.
Rachel said: “This is a legacy to our very brave and inspirational daughter. If we walked away, it would dishonour all that she went through.
“We know first-hand what families like ours are facing – the worry, fear, stress, isolation and loneliness, day and night, year after year.
“Love drives us, but love shouldn’t mean having to struggle without support.”
Alexandra, who was born at St David’s Hospital in Bangor, North Wales, suffered a brain haemorrhage four days after birth. This confined her to a life in a wheelchair where she was totally dependent on others. She died of sepsis in 2019.
From 1991, when Alexandra entered adult social care, the couple say they saw “how fragile and unfair the system could be” and now warn of a “shocking and disgraceful” erosion of adult social care.
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“We were heard, marginalised, excluded, ignored and utterly disrespected,” the co-founder said, “No-one was doing anything so we had to bring change.
“As services have disappeared, many are facing exhaustion, isolation and heartbreak alone.
“Families caring for people with profound learning disabilities in our community are being left behind.”
Despite this, the couple has raised £982,434 over the last eight years and are now only £17,565 off their £1m goal which will secure the start of the three-phase building project.
When the doors finally open, Rachel hopes her daughter’s legacy will be one “of love, courage and quiet strength.”
She said: “Our centre will offer care, hope and relief for people. People with profound learning disabilities will be valued and family caregivers will know they are not alone.”
Phase one, which aims to break the ground by early 2027, will see the construction of a four-bed purpose-built centre to support up to 25 families a month.
Phase two would add more bedrooms, extra activity rooms and a hydrotherapy pool, while phase three would see the creation of a small hospice service with two beds, a family lounge and relatives’ apartment.
The charity has been supported by local businesses and organisations, including Bicester Motion, Bicester Village and Bicester Tesco, who have hosted fundraising events over the years.
A fundraising tandem skydive will take place at Brackley Airfield in July and MP Calum Miller, the charity’s ambassador, will be joining supporters to climb Snowdon in September 2026 to raise funds.
The annual Varsity March, which covers 82 miles (132km) from Oxford to Cambridge, raises funds for The Gatehouse, an Oxford-based charity supporting people experiencing homelessness, as well as Jimmy’s in Cambridge.
This year’s walk began at the University Church in Oxford. Four walkers took part, including event organiser Stephanie and Dylan – a stuffed sheep mascot.
Stephanie, a member of the Cambridge University Rambling Club, was the only participant to complete the full distance, reaching St Mary’s Church in Cambridge after 36 hours of walking.
She said: “We all love walking and a challenge, which really sums up the Varsity March. Walking over 130 kilometres is a stretch even for experienced walkers.
“The added bonus is raising funds for two very important local charities which are doing a great job supporting homeless people in Oxford and Cambridge.”
The three other walkers also covered more than 100 miles combined. However, the final 30 miles fell to Stephanie alone. This marks her 20th Varsity March finish, though Dylan the sheep, who has completed 22, still holds the record.
The walkers’ determination has raised vital funds for The Gatehouse. The charity operates a drop-in community centre in central Oxford offering free services to homeless and vulnerably housed adults.
David Kay, fundraising manager at The Gatehouse, said: “Every year I’m impressed by the efforts of these individuals, and I’m still amazed that anybody manages to walk the whole distance.
“At the Gatehouse we’re extremely grateful for the funds that they raise to help cover the costs of the services we provide free of charge to our homeless guests. Costs have risen massively over recent years as we’ve increased both staff capacity and our range of services to meet growing demand.
“This year we need to raise over half a million pounds, a large proportion of which comes from individuals and organisations in the local community donating money and raising funds for us.”
The Gatehouse’s services include a café, a clothes store, shower provision, and bespoke individual casework and counselling support.
Supporters are encouraged to donate in recognition of the walkers’ efforts.
Donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/page/varsitymarch2026-gatehouse.
Posh Spice and David Beckham have submitted plans to build a new oak balcony at Maplewood Barn, in the 44th application they’ve made since renaming the home they bought a decade ago.
In that time David and Victoria Beckham have been embroiled in numerous rows with neighbours and accused of ‘drip-feeding’ development there.
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And the latest scheme has raised accusations of ‘hypocrisy’ after they had previously accused a neighbour wanting a balcony at their London home of spoiling their privacy.
Documents submitted on behalf of the Beckhams said the latest scheme involved replacing the “Crittall-style screen and doors” and installing an “oak balcony to the western elevation.”
They wrote: “The proposed replacement Crittall-style screen and doors, together with the new oak-framed balcony to the west elevation, have been carefully designed to consider the character and significance of Maplewood Barn and its listed setting.
“The works are to the modern west range constructed as part of the approved barn conversion and will not result in the loss of, or harm to, any historic fabric associated with the original Grade II listed buildings.
“The replacement glazing will match the existing design, proportions, and colour, ensuring visual continuity with the existing barns, while the oak balcony introduces a simple and sympathetic addition that reflects existing timber detailing within the development.
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“Given the small scale of the proposals, and their location within a later addition to the dwelling, it is considered that the works preserve the special architectural and historic interest of the listed buildings and their setting.”
No public comments have so far been submitted but it comes six years after the Beckhams fought a furious planning battle with neighbours at their Holland Park home in London over renovation plans – including their desire for a balcony.
In 2020 they eventually lost the battle to stop the neighbour drastically updating a posh property close to their £31million townhouse.
The celebrity couple had expressed concerns that the neighbour’s architect was creating a whole new patio area including a balcony on the first floor, which may have overlooked their back garden.
Amended plans were approved when a council officer’s report dismissed any privacy fears.
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At the time they stated: “There are no concerns with the impact of the proposal on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers in terms of light, sense of enclosure, noise or privacy.”
The couple have also been involved in multiple rows over work at their Grade-II listed country house at Maplewood Barn, near Great Tew in Oxfordshire
Since buying the three listed barns for £6,150,000 in 2016, they have added a new driveway and gates, an additional garage outbuilding, tennis court, treehouse, security hut, extension to the garage outbuilding and a landscaped pond.
This Oxford Mail archive gallery of pictures show shots mostly taken by staff photographer Jon Lewis in the summer of 2006.
From the city to the towns and villages of the county, this collection shows a range of summer fun from two decades ago.
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End-of-term school events feature in this collection, with school plays and sports days both featured.
Pictures of friendly World Cup rivalry between opposing team’s fans show not much has changed in some respects over the past 20 years.
Take a look back through this Oxford Mail archive gallery to be transported back to June 2006.
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