Crime & Safety
Oxford Sail Training Trust wins £25,000 Airbnb fund
The Oxford Sail Training Trust has been named one of the inaugural winners of Airbnb’s Best of British Fund, securing £25,000 to help make sailing more accessible for disabled adults and children.
The project is one of over 20 small businesses and enterprises to receive funding through the £1million initiative, which was launched in partnership with Visit Britain.
Jeremy Sharp, grant manager at the Oxford Sail Training Trust, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been recognised by Airbnb and to receive the Best of British funding.
“It will make an immediate and tangible difference to our local community, enabling us to purchase the accessible powerboat we need to open up the freedom of being on the water to many more people.
“We simply wouldn’t have been able to do this without this support, and we’re incredibly excited about what it will allow us to achieve in the future.”
The Best of British Fund supports hospitality and tourism experiences that showcase the unique character and traditions of the UK.
The Oxford Sail Training Trust was selected in the Nature and Outdoors category.
The funding will go towards the purchase of a Wheelyboat, a powerboat adapted for wheelchair users, and will also help the trust work towards a Royal Yachting Association Qualification.
Luke Impett, partnerships and external affairs senior manager for Airbnb UK, said: “Through the Best of British Fund, we’re proud to back the communities who keep these traditions alive and help them grow their visitor offering in a sustainable way.
“By attracting more guests, we can ensure tourism continues to support local jobs, independent businesses and the families at the heart of these destinations.
“This investment is about shining a spotlight on the people and places that make Britain unique – and helping more travellers experience that authenticity for themselves.”
The Oxford Sail Training Trust works to make watersports accessible to people of all ages and abilities through tailored, high-quality programmes.
Its approach focuses on building skills, confidence and teamwork while maintaining the highest standards of safety and instruction.
Airbnb’s Best of British Fund was launched last year to boost the UK’s struggling hospitality sector, which represents over half of all UK job losses from the past year.
Each winning initiative will now begin work bringing their ideas to life.
Airbnb started in San Fransico in 2007. It has more than 5 million hosts and welcomes more than 2 billion guests in almost every country across the globe every day.
Cherwell District Council is working alongside Banbury Town Council and the Quays Consortium to prepare a formal expression of interest for the new national competition, which aims to celebrate the cultural and heritage contributions of towns across the country.
David Hingley, leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “I’m proud to confirm that alongside our partners we will be submitting an expression of interest for Banbury to be recognised as the UK Town of Culture 2028.
“This competition is our opportunity to show the rich, diverse and historic heritage that makes Banbury so special and unique, and to leave a lasting legacy for the future.
“From our outdoor market, thriving community initiatives, popular festivals, grassroots arts and wellbeing projects, to youth sporting programmes, culture is already at the heart of Banbury, and this bid will help us shine a spotlight on the town, its people and its stories.”
The UK Town of Culture 2028 winner will receive £3 million to deliver a six-month programme of cultural events and activities.
Banbury’s expression of interest will showcase its distinct identity and outline how the programme could broaden resident engagement, increase access to arts and heritage, and involve communities in shaping the design and legacy of the programme.
The council is engaging with partners such as Banbury Museum, The Mill Arts Centre, cultural organisations, businesses, and community groups to strengthen the bid and realise the town’s cultural ambitions.
Helen & Douglas House, which cares for terminally ill children and their families, launched its revamped clothing store on March 12.
The updated shop was opened by BBC Radio Oxford presenter Adam Ball and joins the charity’s refurbished homeware shop, which reopened last September and occupies the other half of the unit.
Baljit Dhindsa, head of retail at Helen & Douglas House, said: “We are delighted to unveil the refurbished space, which has been thoughtfully redesigned to create a brighter, more modern shopping environment while continuing our commitment to sustainability.
“The new layout allows us to showcase an even wider selection of clothing and accessories, with improved displays and more space on the shop floor.
“We have also enhanced accessibility within the shop, including adding an additional accessible fitting room to ensure a comfortable experience for all our customers.”
The reimagined boutique-style shop features a contemporary, urban-inspired design with vintage touches and improved backroom facilities, allowing for increased donations and more efficient sorting.
Proceeds from the store directly support Helen & Douglas House’s hospice care in Oxford and in people’s homes.
Ms Dhindsa said: “When you buy something from our shop for £5, this could pay for arts and crafts materials for local terminally ill children to make Mother’s Day cards whilst staying at the hospice in Oxford.
“Our spring collection is now in store so do pop in to checkout our great range of clothing and accessories and take a look at the wonderful transformation of our shop.”
Cotswold Wildlife Park was established by John Heyworth on the Bradwell Grove Estate and opened on Good Friday, March 27, 1970.
It began with 341 animals and has since grown to house more than 1,500 animals across 250 species.
A spokesperson for Cotswold Wildlife Park said: “We hope you’ll join us in celebrating 56 wonderful years of Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens and we’d like to thank our visitors for their loyal support over the years.
“We must thank them for all their support for more than half a century.”
From its early days on a shoestring budget, the park has expanded to include giraffes, which arrived in 2010 for its 40th anniversary, and rhinos such as D’ora, named during its golden jubilee year in 2020.
George the Aldabra giant tortoise is the park’s oldest and only original resident.
To mark the 50th anniversary, keepers made him a special cake during the lockdown.
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