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.

Alexandra died of sepsis in 2018 (Image: Contributed)

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.”

Ian and Rachel Scott-Hunter has raised almost £1m in several years (Image: Contributed)

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.

Ian and Rachel Scott-Hunter with Bicester MP Calum Miller in December 2025 (Image: Contributed)

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.

St Hugh’s School, a co-educational day school and boarding school for pupils aged three to 13, is located at Carswell Manor, and is about to launch a new senior school.

The independent school will welcome its first cohort of Year 9 pupils in September 2026, with the first group of GCSE pupils completing their studies in 2029.

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The opening of the senior school follows the purchase of nearly 20 acres of land next to the existing site.

Pupils at St Hugh’s School (Image: St Hugh’s School)

The newly acquired land will play a central role in the school’s strategic vision for the next five to 10 years.

To coincide with the launch of the senior school, free bus travel is being trialled for pupils.

The school said in a statement: “We are thrilled to share our new initiative for all our families in September 2026.

“Through our existing bus routes, and an additional Oxford route, we are offering our families a free bus service to and from school for pupils in Years 1-9.

“We are hoping this offering will support our families both financially and logistically, whilst delivering on our pledge to be more sustainable as a school and to reduce congestion within the local area.”

Pupils at St Hugh’s School (Image: St Hugh’s School near Faringdon)

The school added buses can be booked for just morning or afternoon each day.

It said: “In addition, we will offer a free breakfast club for pupils in Year 1 and above who are unable to use our current offering of bus routes.

“Supper will also be available for all Year 3 pupils free of charge. This is an addition to our existing free wrap-around care provision before and after school for children from reception upwards.

“We hope that this initiative will offer families greater flexibility to ensure we support them logistically on a day-to-day basis.”

Both the free transport and meal provision will run as a trial for the 2026-2027 academic year, during which the school will assess enthusiasm, viability, and long-term sustainability.

If uptake remains strong, the school hopes to expand the offer further in future. 

To ensure fair access for as many as possible, and to prevent block bookings for unused seats or meals, St Hugh’s will introduce a small charge to cover costs in cases where journeys or meals are missed at short notice.

St Hugh’s has been working closely with architects to shape a comprehensive development plan, including a new dining room, enhanced teaching spaces, and expanded facilities for the pre-prep, prep, and the new senior school which formally opens in June this year.

An open morning for prospective parents and pupils was held on May 8, and places at the senior school are now being advertised.

The party group has a new leadership team in place after it held its seats at the May 7 polls, but failed to make new gains in the authority.

Dr Chris Smowton, who led the group for four years and into the 2026 vote, has been replaced by Katherine Miles, who represents Summertown.

She said: “I am delighted to take the baton from Chris as we head into a critical period of time of change in our city.

“The local government re-organisation will reshape the way the city is run – we need to ensure Oxford has a strong voice.

“I will work to seek a fairer and more sustainable open economy in Oxford and tackle the dual climate and nature emergencies.”

Ms Miles was first elected in 2021 and has lived in Oxford for more than a decade.

Her background is in international development, women’s financial inclusion and climate risk insurance.

She added: “Thank you to Chris Smowton for his effective leadership of the group over the last four years. I look forward to continuing to work together.”

Christopher Smowton (Image: Supplied)

Dr Smowton, who represents Headington, will now be deputy leader of the group.

He said: “This is a vital year for Oxford as we go into a generational change in local government structure.

“I will work to hold the Labour minority to account and fight to ensure we deliver affordable housing, genuinely safe roads and a cleaner, greener city.”