The lastest from Blenheim Palace

As we enter the second half of the year I am pleased to share we have made some great progress with our local community support with the delivery of the following:

We awarded to numerous applicants our £50k bursary pot – we had over 100 applications which made it very hard as all so worthy, but the awarded projects will result in some much-needed activities to improve people’s wellbeing and we will share more on these projects as they are delivered. Among groups receiving funds, ranging from £200 to £5,000, are Combe Village Hall Committee, Stonesfield Outdoor Gym, Freeland Baby & Toddler Group, the Plunkett Foundation, Sustainable Woodstock, Edward Field Primary School, North Leigh Roman Villa, Begbroke Orchard and Aspire Oxford.

On the 24th June we held the final pitch evening for our Blenheim Start Up competition with the worthy winner being Molly Stevenson and her company Littlemore Candle Company – you will see her products in our shop very soon, but in the meantime you can visit her online shop and website at littlemorecandleco.co.uk.

Working with Experience Oxfordshire and Oxford Bus Company, we are seeking grant funding to re-energise the Oxford Pass to help draw in further tourism locally and, after development of a more robust online platform, we hope this will launch in Spring 2022 to help draw visitors into the area for overnight trips and spending money!

We have also used our promotional power to raise profile of local businesses the White Horse Pub in Bladon, Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum and the Help Hub.

We are working with Kay Sentance, the newly employed Community Development Worker for Woodstock to help integrate the new community at Park View with existing Woodstock with some summer events already planned.

If there is more you think we could be doing or have an idea please do reach out. Our Blenheim.org website is going through a refresh but will be the place to find what more we are up to on a regular basis.

We have definitely noticed a change post freedom day with lots more visitors coming to see us and that staycation market increasing with families, now the children have broken up from school. All our catering and shop facilities are seeing the benefit and hoping our next few events; the Food Festival, Horse Trials and Salon Privé, all go well prior to lots of new Autumn fun and events.

Last week we launched our new development at Church Farm in Radley, although we haven’t officially opened the site we did a soft launch for customers to give them a chance to reserve off plan and I’m elated to say two were taken in one evening! This is our first legacy development with a partner after delivering Park View, our own legacy site and it’s such a proud moment to see people’s reactions to what we believed was a special first partnership and product. To reduce the residents carbon footprint, there is no gas used in these homes which are equipped with solar panels and heat pumps instead.

Our partnership with Aspire to pilot a ‘Natural Health Service’ social prescribing offer has been really well received by both those taking part in the groups and those signposting to us. Data analysed by our partners Oxford University saw an uplift in mental and physical wellbeing for all participants and we are now delighted to extend it for at least twelve months. Part of this extended program, linking people with nature, will see us focus on how to link the offer more closely with primary care through the Social Prescribing Navigator. It’s an exciting area and one which is very much in need.

With support from OXLEP we are delighted to be delivering a network of vehicle to grid chargers across the Estate this autumn. These chargers which use our fleet of electric vehicles to power the grid when not being driven is another step to achieving our goal to become a net generator of green energy. As part of this project we will also be looking to install some public facing charging points outside the Woodstock gate entrance for visitors and the town.

Our Oxfordshire business network B4 has just shared they will be hosting a garden party here in September with their members – it felt so refreshing to have this agreed and launched after so long of no networking – I can’t wait to see those of you who will be going and if you’re not members do chat to the MD Richard Rosser at richard@b4-business.com about how you can get involved. This network is so vital to help support each other in recovery and beyond.

Finally, I just wanted to take the chance to say thank you to all our partners and colleagues – we really couldn’t do what we do without your support and help.

Until next time, enjoy the Summer.

Kind regards,

Dom