Weekly news update - Friday, 5 JuneCelebrating Sustainable Gastronomy DayInspiring conversations, live demos, and delicious discoveries with leading women in food at Darley Street Market on Thursday 18 June 8.30am to 2pm. Join a vibrant, feel-good day bringing people together through food. This special Sustainable Gastronomy Day event is all about connection - to the food we eat, the people who produce it, and the communities it nourishes.
Hosted by Women In The Food Industry and FoodSavers Network - Inn Churches, the day will feature an inspiring panel and keynote speeches with chefs and food changemakers.
Expect a relaxed but engaging programme of panel talks, live cooking demonstrations, and plenty of opportunities to taste exceptional sustainable food.
Come for the ideas, stay for the food, and leave feeling energised about the future of how we eat. SEND youth voice group drives change for inclusive travel across West Yorkshire A photo showing members of the BradStarz youth voice group. Significant changes to the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme for disabled bus pass holders in West Yorkshire took effect in Wakefield last week, with a planned roll-out to the rest of West Yorkshire, including Bradford district, during 2027. Currently, disabled bus passes do not allow free travel before 9.30am on weekdays. Bradford Council's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Youth Voice group, BradStarz, raised concerns about the impact of this restriction on disabled young people travelling to work, school, training and medical appointments. To strengthen their case, the group met with young people from Bradford's School of Rock and Media (SORM), Coleman Training Development, and a further 97 young people with SEND across the Bradford district to hear their views and experiences. Using this collective voice, the group wrote to Metro and met with representatives from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), including Mayor Tracy Brabin. Following these and subsequent meetings, the local authority and WYCA agreed changes to the policy. The new policy, now rolled out in Wakefield, will allow disabled bus pass holders to use their passes at any time of day. The plan is for this to extend to the rest of West Yorkshire, including Bradford district in 2027, as part of the region's new integrated public transport system, as the Weaver Network begins operations. To apply for a Disabled Person's Bus Pass, visit: www.wymetro.com Missed bin collections We’re sorry some bin collections have been missed in a few areas of the district this week. This is due to a range of issues including faults on vehicles and anti-social parking. Our crews have been and will continue working hard to catch up. If your collection was missed, please leave your bin out. We know which areas and streets have been missed and are targeting them. There is no need to report if your bin hasn’t been emptied. Please make sure vehicles aren’t blocking access as this is becoming more and more of an issue, preventing crews from gaining access. We appreciate how frustrating it is, but assure you we are doing all we can to catch up. Thank you Become a National Year of Reading Champion Looking for a simple way to give back during Volunteers’ Week? Sign up as a National Year of Reading Champion and help inspire a love of reading in your community. From sharing a favourite book to encouraging families to read together, every small action can make a big difference. You don’t need any experience – just enthusiasm. You’ll get a handy guide, regular ideas and the flexibility to take part in a way that suits you. What you need to know: - Open to anyone aged 18+ across the UK
- No experience or specialist knowledge needed
- Includes a handbook and monthly updates
- Take part in your own time, your own way
Bradford libraries are backing the National Year of Reading campaign which aims to help more people enjoy reading. There will be events and activities throughout the year. Join your local library – it’s free. Ride Bradford 2026 at Wyke Community Sports Village This Sunday, 7 June sees the second of our Ride Bradford 2026 events come to Wyke Community Sports Village. These events are family friendly and aimed at getting as many people as possible riding bikes, be that for sport, fun or making their everyday journeys. Activities on the day include: - BMX stunt displays
- Bike marking
- Information stalls
- E-bike and adapted bike demonstrations
The event takes place between 11am – 3pm. Free entry and no booking needed – just bring your bikes and helmets if you have them or simply come along and enjoy the fun! Singo Bingo comes to Darley Street Market  The exciting new Singo Bingo experience will make its debut at Bradford’s Darley Street Market when it comes to the Street Kitchen of the city centre venue on Friday 12 June. The Singo Bingo session will be led by international pianist and performer Shane Durrant. Shane’s Singo Bingo is the love child of a traditional game of bingo and a good old-fashioned piano sing-along. Hear the songs played and sung by this one-of-a-kind artist and cross them off your bingo card to win prizes. Come to Darley Street Kitchen, grab a bite to eat from the street food traders and a drink from the Northern Monk bar and settle in for an evening of fun, fast, free, and family-friendly Singo Bingo. West Yorkshire Combined authority grant funding  Does your organisation want to help your community get healthier and happier? Walking, wheeling and cycling are at the heart of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's mission to deliver a better connected West Yorkshire. Safe and inclusive routes for short journeys, which also connect people to the public transport network for longer ones, are key to the Combined Authority's commitment to deliver the Weaver Network – a better transport system for everyone in West Yorkshire. That’s why they're funding local people and groups to deliver training, support and services that help people in their area to walk, wheel or cycle with confidence. There are small grants for one-off projects, as well as bigger grants to become a long-term hub for walking, wheeling and cycling. Help with your application is available. It's Bike Week 8 to 14 June Communities across the Bradford District are coming together this June to celebrate Bike Week 2026 (8–14 June), the UK’s biggest celebration of cycling, with a packed programme of inclusive, family-friendly activities will take place throughout the week, helping to boost physical activity and support mental wellbeing. Beryl supports Bike Week Beryl is supporting Bike Week through its “Move As Yourself” campaign, promoting flexible bike hire across Bradford. Users can access a 15% discount on 100-minute bundles during Bike Week. If you haven’t had chance to ride yet, the LNER20 code remains valid for new users until the end of 2026. Since launch, the LNER Bradford Beryl E-Bike scheme has recorded over 8,000 journeys, covering a total distance of 23,692 km. The average journey length of 2.88 km highlights the scheme’s role in supporting short, everyday trips across key residential, recreational and city centre areas. To complement the existing parking bays an additional bay is now live at the University of Bradford (Richmond Building) providing more convenient access for students, staff and visitors. Student discounts are available for discounted minute bundles and the LNER20 code remains valid for new users until the end of 2026. Grant secured for vital works at Haworth Village Hall A grant has been awarded to the charity which runs Haworth Village Hall so that they can undertake urgent essential repair works on the building. The Local Regeneration Fund (formerly known as the Keighley Towns Fund) approved the £74.8k grant, which is part of a £1.1m total allocation, for infrastructure works to be carried out to make the building safe and for the complete refurbishment of the toilets. The works are vital to ensure the building meets safety standards and provides accessible amenities to meet the needs of the growing community. Currently, the toilet facilities are in significant disrepair and are unsafe, limiting some immediate usage of the hall. | 
