Don’t miss out on a new St Albans City Centre event with free entertainment suitable for all – the Spring Festival.
Held on Sunday 18 May from 11am to 5pm, this will be a celebration of food, well-being, community spirit and sustainability.
Among the attractions will be live music, street performers, theatre, dance and dozens of stalls selling takeaway food and drink.
To ensure accessibility, sighted guides and British Sign Language interpreters will be in attendance.
The event is part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and sponsored by Code Ninjas, Côte St Albans and Corker Taxis.
St Albans Mayor, Councillor Jamie Day, laid a wreath at the City’s War Memorial to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
He was joined by Cllr Jenni Murray, the Deputy Mayor, Daisy Cooper, the MP for St Albans, John Gauthier, from the Royal British Legion, and senior officers from St Albans City and District Council.
Canon Margaret Tinsley led prayers at the ceremony by the memorial in St Peter’s Street.
Earlier, the Town Crier Stephen Potter read the VE Day 80 National Proclamation at the Clock Tower at the same time as 300 criers from around the UK and Commonwealth.
The Mayor also launched a display of storyboards at the Assembly Room of the Museum + Gallery, exploring the unique wartime stories of eight individuals from across the District.
Photo: from the left, Daisy Cooper, Cllr Murray, Cllr Day, Canon Tinsley, John Gauthier and Stephen Potter.
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Cash payments can now be made for on-street car parking bays in Harpenden and St Albans City Centre.
The measure has been introduced to help people who struggle with digital payment methods, either the PayByPhone app or contactless.
Motorists can now choose to pop into a PayPoint shop near the bays and pay by cash.
All they need to provide is the registration number of their vehicle and the PayByPhone location code of the parking bay which can be found on signs and payment machines.
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A popular footpath by the River Ver in St Albans has reopened after major repairs were completed.
Part of the trail, between Cottonmill Lane and Sopwell Mill open space, had become badly eroded and had collapsed into the river.
We launched a project last year to restore the path and gained funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The repaired section includes a new retaining wall constructed beside the river while some planting was also undertaken.
Photo: Councillor Helen Campbell, Lead Councillor for Public Realm, inspects the new footpath.
Say hello to Alex Smith and his nephew Jake O’Brien who run the Chiltern Pet Products stall at our Charter Market.
Alex has been trading at the Market for five years selling a wide range of natural treats for dogs of all breeds and sizes.
Among the delicacies are ostrich bones, camel skin, beef tendons, buffalo tails, duck cookies, wild boar strips, yak bars, salmon sticks, black pudding sausages and lamb trotters!
“All our products are totally natural, air-dried, veterinary certified, gluten and grain free with no additives – all 100% meat with no rawhide,” said Alex.
He sets up walk-in shops at dog shows and festivals throughout the country and also sells his products online.
“We have built up a strong customer base at the Market and love the vibe here,” added Alex.
Community groups and charities in St Albans District that help people in need can apply for grants of up to £2,000.
We have launched our Community Project Fund for 2025/26, supporting projects that benefit the community and are in keeping with our equality, diversity and inclusion strategy.
Grants from £200 to £2,000 are available and are intended to help finance time-limited projects run by smaller organisations.
Click on the button below for an application form and details of the grant criteria. Communities 1st are available to help groups apply and can be contacted at stalbansgrants@communities1st.org.uk.
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Sustainable St Albans is celebrating ten years of festivals with a year-round celebration.
SustFest25 includes four community weekends of activities to highlight the actions people can take to help tackle climate change.
This weekend, Friday 16 to Monday 19 May, has the theme of Local to Global, showing how local initiatives connect to wider heath and sustainability goals.
A litter pick in New Greens, a repair shop at St Mark’s Church in Colney Heath and a Sustainability Market in Harpenden are among the events being held.
You can find out more by clicking the button below.
We are excited to welcome our 2025 Summer Interns – all of whom have shown great potential and a passion for public service.
This programme offers them the chance to build their confidence, gain key skills and make an impact in local government.
Inspired? Check out our vacancies and join us in making a difference to the community. Whether you are starting out, changing, or advancing your career, we have rewarding opportunities for you!
 St Albans Greener Together has been focusing on Wilding Our District this month to increase biodiversity.
As part of this, they are hosting a Wilding Our District panel discussion to showcase this work with speakers from Butterfly Conservation, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Wilderhood Watch, Heartwood Forest and Hertfordshire County Council among other groups and organisations.
The event will be held online on Wednesday 18 June at 7.30pm and all are welcome.
 Do you have questions about recycling in the District and want to know more?
St Albans Greener Together and The Green House want to answer your questions about recycling.
Join them for our upcoming online panel with representatives from the Council, the District's waste and recycling contractor Veolia and Soil Squad.
The event will be held online on Wednesday 11 June from 7.30pm and is open to all.
We are supporting Playing Out St Albans District – a scheme to encourage children to play outdoors and for neighbours to network and strengthen their community.
Residents can apply to close their street for up to three hours, eight times a year, to enjoy this activity.
Our housing team has included Playing Out sessions in the Community Days that they organise at locations around the District.
Playing Out St Albans District runs information sessions throughout the year and has a website where you can get advice on how to apply for a street closure.
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The Enterprise Car Club allows you to hire electric vehicles by the hour or day without the costs of insurance, tax, maintenance and vehicle repayments.
Simply register to use the scheme, reserve a car via the app or website, and then collect from St Albans City Centre or across the UK.
Two cars are available parked behind Ladbrokes on St Peters Street and we hope to introduce more vehicles as demand for them grows.
St Albans residents can sign up from just £10 and receive that back in driving credit every year.
And you don’t have to worry about paying for parking permits locally as you can park in resident permit bays, making it easy to pop home or visit a friend.
 We have partnered with our housing repairs contractor Morgan Sindall Property Services to support an immersive work experience programme.
Around 90 business and marketing students from Oaklands College were given the chance to gain an insight into a future career in the property services industry.
Their brief was to write a dummy social value tender bid for a new contract in St Albans District before pitching to a panel of judges.
In doing so, the students learned about the different roles and opportunities available in the property sector.
May Half Term, Monday 26 to Friday 30 May
At St Albans Museum + Gallery, you can book an Alphabet of the Norse People clay workshop or Birds and Bugs Modelling. Free activities include dressing-up as a bunny or a butterfly in the Wild About Hertfordshire exhibition as well as Museum and City trails.
At Verulamium Museum, join a Roman kitchen or family painting workshop inspired by Roman wall paintings; dress-up as a Roman; explore the collection with a Tessa Wheeler trail; and join an Archaeology for Families session.
Georgian Costume Ball, Museum + Gallery, Saturday 7 June, from 7pm, £50 per person
Celebrate 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen by dressing up as your favourite Georgian and dance in the elegant Georgian Assembly Room in the heart of St Albans.
Tickets include a welcome drink and canapes.
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Later Life Colour and Fashion Workshop, Museum + Gallery, Wednesday 11 June, 2pm, Free
Join an interactive workshop exploring colour, fashion and style that works for all ages.
This event will be a celebration of Age Without Limits Day - a national initiative to celebrate ageing and challenge ageism.
Hosted by Annie Stevenson (pictured right), Age UK Herts Ambassador, and with guest speaker Ali Suss-Francksen (left), renowned personal stylist.
Community as a Superpower: Refugee Week 2025, Sunday 22 June, 11am - 3pm, Free
Support Refugee Week with this year's theme of Community as a Superpower.
Drop in to find out more about the local community groups that support refugees and asylum seekers in our District.
There are craft activities for children and and an attempt to make St Albans' longest paper chain.
We have a number of garages at locations around the District available for hire.
They are available to rent not just to Council tenants, but to other residents and businesses too.
Please note, though, that they can only be used for a vehicle and not general storage.
You can apply to hire one through your MyStAlbans account or click on the button below for further information.
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 St Albans Healthy Hub is your centre for health and wellbeing information, advice and support.
You can get help on many issues including how to lose weight, quit smoking, cut down on alcohol, become more active and manage money.
The organisations involved include Citizens Advice, Communities 1st, Mind in Mid Herts and many more. You can find more information on the Healthy Hub webpages.
Transform your home with a new retrofitting guide for a cosier, greener and more energy-efficient house.
Retrofitting Your House offers advice on cost-effective upgrades to reduce harmful emissions and save money on energy bills. The guide was recently praised by The Times newspaper as being 'factually brilliant'.
Whether you live in a Victorian terrace or a modern house, it has tailored solutions on creating a sustainable future.
The free guide is produced by the Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership – and be downloaded by clicking onto the button below.
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