Best Mates Raise £10,889TO HELP SUPPORT PEOPLE THROUGH LIFE’S TOUGHEST MOMENTS.
A charity golf day attended by 84 golfers has raised £10,889. The money will help Best Mates continue supporting people facing some of life’s toughest moments.
The third annual Best Mates Golf Day took place at Cumberwell Park Golf Club on July 31. It brought together businesses, supporters and friends of the charity for a day of golf, fundraising and plenty of friendly competition.
Teams competed in a Texas Scramble format, but behind the fun was an important reason for getting everyone together.
ounded by Jeff Tucker and Carl McCulloch following their own experiences, Best Mates provides financial, emotional and physical support to adults aged 18 and over facing difficult times in their lives. People can receive one-to-one support from someone with lived experience. Or join one of the Walk N Talk groups. Or get help accessing specialist services where needed.
Best Mates Golf Day 2026, Cumberwell Park Golf Club, Bradford On Avon, United Kingdom, 31/07/2026, Photo Credit: Andy Crook
Facts and figures
The charity’s latest figures show 317 people have received support since the foundation ofBest Mates. With at least 1,373 hours of beneficiary support and 743 hours of talking therapy provided. The weekly Walk N Talk groups are also continuing to grow, with 113 people using the service across six groups in the latest month alone.
Jeff said ‘£10,889 is a fantastic amount of money. But behind every one of those figures is a real person who has come to Best Mates because they’re going through a difficult time.
‘Every golfer who took part, every business that supported us and everyone who donated a prize or gave up their time has helped us to be there for the next person who needs us.’
Thanks go to …
Best Mates thanked Cumberwell Park Golf Club for hosting the day. And Infinity Connect, who returned as headline sponsor for the second year. All alongside the businesses, individuals and volunteers who played, donated or helped behind the scenes.
‘Days like this show us how much support there is for Best Mates in the business community,’ said Jeff.
We want people to come along, have a laugh and enjoy themselves. But everyone knows there’s a serious reason behind it too. To have 84 golfers on the course and raise £10,889 in one day is incredible. And we’re so grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.’
The golf day follows a busy summer for Best Mates. One that’s also seen eight cyclists complete a 308-mile journey from London to Brussels. That effort raised a little under £20,000 for the charity.
There are now two major Best Mates fundraising events left in 2026:
1. the Best Mates Go Kart Grand Prix at Buckmore Park on September 5
2. Followed by the Best Mates Winter Ball at Syon Park, London, on November 28.
‘We’d love to carry the support we’ve seen at the golf day into our final two big events of the year,’ said Jeff.
‘Whether you join us for the karting, come along to the Winter Ball or support us in another way, it all helps us reach more people. Inn the end, that’s what every one of these events is about.’
For more information about Best Mates, its support services and upcoming events, visit https://bestmates.org/
Open Day at Christ Church. Working Lives in Bloom: Flower Festival and Heritage. Saturday 19 September 2026, 1pm–4pm. FREE event.
Christ Church and the Community Centre @ Christ Church, Cricklade Street, OldTown, Swindon, SN1 3HG
Open day at Christ Church
Christ Church in Old Town, Swindon, is inviting the local community to step back in time and discover the stories of the town through flowers at Working Lives in Bloom – A FlowerFestival and Heritage Open Day on Saturday 19 September.
The event will bring together:
local organisations
community groups and …
… flower arrangers to celebrate the everyday working lives and trades that have helped shape the history of the town.
The church and adjacent community centre will undergo a transformation. There’ll be colourful floral displays inspired by the event’s theme. From butchers and bakers to candle makers and other local trades, the displays will explore the occupations and organisations that have played a part in the community’s history.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the Grade II* listed 1851 church and its grounds. Guided tours will include:
the church itself
its remarkable stained glass
the bell tower and the surrounding historic churchyard that contains more than twenty-three war graves.
Refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon, alongside craft stalls featuring local makers.
Flower Arranging Competition
As part of the event, a Flower Arranging Competition is open to everyone, with four classes:
Window Display:Jobs that Shaped Our Town
Pedestal Class:Working Together
Table Exhibit:Market Town Place
Children’s Class:Baker’s Basket
Entry is open to all, and participants can enter by downloading the Flower Festival Entry Form and following the instructions for their chosen class.
For further information and Flower Festival competition entry forms:
A spokesperson for Christ Church said: ‘Working Lives in Bloom is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the history of our local community in a creative and accessible way. Flowers will help us tell the stories of the people, trades and organisations that have shaped Old Town and Swindon, while the Heritage Open Day gives visitors a chance to discover more about our beautiful church and its fascinating history.’
The event is suitable for all ages and offers something for everyone. Whether visitors are have an interest in local history, architecture, flowers, and crafts. Or simply enjoying a relaxed afternoon in the heart of Old Town.
Art Club Celebrates Children’s Artwork. Let’s Create Art Club, Swindon’s largest children’s visual arts organisation, celebrates their summer art competition winners with an exhibition at Richard Jefferies Museum.
Founded by local artist Rachel Bray, Let’s Create Art Club opened their first ‘Swindon Summer Art Competition’ in July.
Theme for a dream
This year’s theme was ‘My Imagination’. The competition encouraged KS1 and KS2 aged children to create art inspired by the people, topics, and things that spark their imagination.
For our first competition, we had over 140 entries from children aged 4 to 11,’ said Rachel. ‘It was much harder to judge than I anticipated. There is such talent in Swindon and there were some stand out pieces unique interpretations and imaginative artworks.’
Children could submit art created from a range of materials.
‘We saw artwork created using everything, from poster paint to collage to driftwood. It was great to see a wide range of mediums used. The entries we received that embraced the theme of ‘My Imagination’ shone out’.
Art Club Celebrates Children’s Artwork – Rachel Bray, founder and CEO Let’s Create Art Club, with the winners of their “Swindon Summer Art Competition”.
The winners
The two winners of the Let’s Create Art Club’s art competition were:
KS1 Winner – Poppy, aged 7. Poppy created a colourful, fantastic flying caped cat, with a watermelon sun using metallic pens.
KS2 Winner – Georgia, aged 8. Georgia created an intricate and well thought out entertainment treehouse that included everything from an art studio to a mermaid lagoon.
‘Our KS1 winner was well deserved. Their bold colours, fun use of characters and interesting ideas throughout their design simply stood out in this category,’ Rachel commented.
‘Our KS2 competition was strong. We chose our winner because she’d packed it with thoughts, ideas, details and interesting ideas throughout. This design stood out in this category’ commented Rachel.
Both of our winners received hampers full of art supplies worth more than £60. Many of our winners received their and certificates in their school assemblies. It was lovely for them to get this recognition in front of their peers.’
Exhibited
All artwork from the competition was exhibited at the Richard Jefferies Museum across three rooms from 22nd to 31st July. Due to the competition’s fantastic response, Rachel has big plans to continue and extend its reach.
I want this to be an annual art competition. We had over £300 worth of prizes given away and I would like to secure sponsors for next year to make the prizes even bigger!’
To Rachel, this is more than a mere competition.
‘It means a lot to me to bring attention to Swindon’s children’s artwork. Daily, I hear the stories that live behind the art and am often wowed with the individual style that can be effortless to kids,’ she said.
‘They deserve to have an event that celebrates them and that they can feel proud to have entered and, in some cases, even won.’
Let’s Create Art Club is a member of the Institute of Children’s Activity Providers (ICAP). That ensures the club meets high standards for safety, inclusion and engagement. They provide a safe, fun, and pressure-free artistic environments through after-school clubs, weekend workshops and holiday art camps for children aged four to twelve.
Malmesbury is for Art Lovers this coming September.
A trio of events are being planned for art lovers of all ages across Malmesbury next month. For then the town turns into a vibrant canvas. One celebrating local talent, creativity, and community spirit.
The High Street+ Gallery is a popular annual event organised by Malmesbury Town Council. Running from 12 September to 11 October, this month-long initiative will showcase the work of 30 artists. Displayed in the windows of shops and businesses right across Malmesbury they’ll span from the Triangle, past the Market Cross, down to the lower High Street.
The event offers a fantastic opportunity for artists to present and sell their work in the locality. All while encouraging residents and visitors to explore the trail.
Flying monk art trail
Art enthusiasts can also look forward to the annual Flying Monk Art Trail on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September (10am to 4pm). Organised by arts development agency Caerbladon, this year’s trail features around 20 exhibitors. And including 8 brand-new participants.
It’ll take place across artist studios, homes, and pop-up spaces in Malmesbury. And also the surrounding villages. Visitors can:
drop into open studios
meet local makers
and enjoy community stops along the route.
That includes a coffee morning in Little Somerford organised by the Little Somerford Art Group. All in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
Malmesbury is for Art Lovers – Anne Heyhoe exhibiting in the 2026 Flying Monk trail
The young people’s exhibition
Also featuring as part of the arts month bonanza, Caerbladon is organising the young people’s exhibition. It’s running from 11 September to 23 September, at the John Bowen Gallery in Malmesbury Town Hall.
Inspiration behind the exhibition – called To Build a Home – comes from recent Malmesbury graduate Mareyam Smith’s university final piece, which was a model house.
Mareyam Smith, whose model house has inspired the young people’s exhibition ‘To Build a Home’ (NB Mareyam’s piece is not included in the exhibition)
Through a series of themed summer workshops delivered by Mareyam, local young people have created their own pieces. Funding to support Mareyam’s role and Caerbladon’s youth outreach has come from:
Swindon and Wiltshire Community Foundation
Malmesbury Town Council
and Malmesbury Carnival.
Malmesbury Deputy Mayor Cllr Karen Drake, who is also co-founder of Caerbladon, said: ‘September is set to be a wonderful celebration of creativity in Malmesbury. It’s fantastic to see our community come together to support local artists, inspire young talent, and fill the town with art.’
Brochures with more information about all the events, including trail maps for the High Street+ Gallery and the Flying Monk Trail, are available from Malmesbury Tourist Information Centre, Caerbladon in the High Street. And other venues across the town.
Longevity at a Local Level as Swindon electricians celebrate business growth.
One of Swindon’s most successful electrical contractors, TECC Ltd, is celebrating a move to their biggest premises to date. All in their 20th year serving the community.
The Electrical Compliance Collective Ltd (TECC) is a UK-based specialist in electrical compliance. They support businesses with safe, regulation-ready installations and ongoing professional development.
Longevity at a Local Level – the TECC Ltd team, who are celebrating a move to bigger premises in Cheney Manor, Swindon.
Began two decades ago
Starting two decades ago as a Swindon PAT Testing LLP, the company has been on a journey of growth and expansion. This summer, the organisation are celebrating their recent expansion. And they’re moving into premises on the Cheney Manor Industrial Estate.
Pete McCallum, a director of TECC Ltd, said: ‘When I first started the business, I couldn’t have imagined where a 20-year journey would take us. Yet today we’re a team of committed professionals and we’ve now moved to our biggest premises to date!’
TECC Ltd began life as Swindon PAT Testing LLP.
‘After a few years, I bought out the business and continued as a sole trader until 2011. Then I incorporated it as South West PAT Test Ltd, ‘said Pete. ‘The business has grown alongside our reputation. And during the pandemic we levelled up to become TECC Ltd – The Electrical Compliance Collective Ltd.’
It’s more than a rebrand
It wasn’t just a rebrand. It was about creating one business with a clear identity and one promise to our customers. That being to provide excellent service from qualified and experienced professionals who are reliable, insured and trained.’
Since 2020, the business has gone from strength to strength. Finally, after months of planning, TECC Ltd recently moved into new premises in one of Swindon’s oldest and largest industrial estates, Cheney Manor.
‘This expansion is game changing for us. Our new site gives the business space to continue to grow. And to improve experience for any customers who come to visit us and provides better facilities for our growing team.’
Today, the team provide a complete range of electrical testing, inspection and installation services across domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. For businesses, they operate their ‘four pillars’ system. That covers the key areas of: electrical inspections; PAT Testing; fire alarm maintenance and emergency lighting.
‘None of this growth would’ve been possible without our people,’ Pete reflected. ‘Today, we employ 26 full-time members of staff alongside our T Level students gaining valuable workplace experience. Although we’ve grown, our ambitions remain rooted in the local area. Our vision is simple: to become the electrical services company of choice for customers across Swindon and within an hour’s drive of the town.’
