By the time you read this article, we will be deep into Autumn, as the clocks will have gone back on the 26th October, signalling the end of British Summer Time and the coming of darker nights. However, there are some things to look forward to this month, Remembrance Sunday, Late Night Shopping and the Lights of Love Ceremony.

As most of our members may know, the Society has been a member of Civic Voice since its formation, but we received some worrying news from them a couple of weeks ago.

Civic Voice is tasked with representing civic societies in England at a national level. Given the current situation Civic Voice cannot claim to be truly representative of the civic movement. After seeking independent advice from financial advisers it has become clear that Civic Voice has no financial sustainability beyond 2026. The main reason behind this situation is that, as with most charitable institutions, there has been a steady decline in membership resulting in the reduction of working capital needed to sustain the organisation.

The Board of Civic Voice have identified 4 possible options for the future and they are:

Option 1 - Merge with another National Charity

Option 2 - Closure

Option 3 - Volunteer Led Survival

Option 4 - Clean Start

We have published the full report which is available here. This report will be discussed at a Civic Voice meeting on 8 November in Birmingham, immediately prior to the AGM. There will be an online session on Wednesday 19 November at 2.30pm when the issue will be further discussed and reflect on the feedback from the 8th November meeting.

We are about to start putting together our next "member exclusive" Newsletter, planned for the February 2026 issue. If there is anything you feel we need to cover, or have any suggestions as to content, then please email me at chairman@buntingfordcivic.org.uk.

If you are not a member, why not join the Civic Society. Membership is £10 per annum which guarantees a copy of the Journal delivered to your door, "you know it makes sense". A membership application form can be downloaded from the membership section of this website.

Graham Waite, Chairman, Buntingford Civic Society

If you have any queries about Buntingford Civic Society or issues you would like to raise, you can email the Chairman direct at chairman@buntingfordcivic.org.uk.

The November issue of the Buntingford Journal is now available from the usual retailers. The December/January issue will be available from the 28th November.

More information about the Buntingford Civic Society can be found here and membership forms can be found here.

This website and all the pages herein are © Buntingford Civic Society.