 Family fun and festivals at Dinton Pastures
There’s lots coming up at Dinton Pastures Country Park over the next few weeks, with family fun, wellness and a full day of country-inspired entertainment all on the way.
Meet Bluey at the Spring Fair
The Spring Fair, hosted by JL Events, runs from 10am to 4pm this Sunday (26 April).
It’s free to enter and you can enjoy donkey rides, children’s rides and inflatables, face painting, slime making, spring activities, craft and gift stalls, plus food stalls and a licensed bar. You can also meet Bluey during the day.
Cash and card are accepted, but there is no Wi-Fi on site.
Country and ‘Cue Festival comes to Dinton
This brand new Festival is on Sunday 3 May, from 11am to 6pm.
Hosted by JL Events, the day will include live country music, barbecue, butchery demonstrations, line dancing, axe throwing, a hot wing challenge, rodeo bull, children’s fun zone, street food, bars and a range of stalls.
Tickets must be booked in advance through the Country and ‘Cue website, with no tickets available on the gate. Adult tickets cost £16 and children aged five to 15 cost £9. You can also buy discounted all-day parking in advance for £5 on the Dinton website.
Kamala Festival returns this May
Kamala Festival returns on Saturday 9 May, from 10am to 11pm.
The festival brings together yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound healing, movement, art, music, artisan food and drink, craft stalls and family-friendly activities.
Tickets start from £20 on the Kamala Festival website and there are also options to stay overnight at Dinton.
 What happens to your food waste
Ever wondered what actually happens to your food waste once it leaves your kitchen?
We went behind the scenes to follow the journey from caddy to energy and fertiliser.
One common misconception is that you need special compostable or biodegradable bags for your food waste caddy. You do not.
You can use any bag you have to hand, such as a bread bag, carrier bag or bin bag. At the anaerobic digestion plant, machinery separates packaging from the food waste before it enters the process.
The food waste is then broken down by billions of microbes, producing biogas that is used to generate electricity for the national grid. What remains becomes a nutrient‑rich liquid fertiliser, which is used by farmers.
All that from a banana skin.
 Free wellbeing support for you and your family
If family life has felt busy or overwhelming lately, there’s now free online support available to help.
You can access Togetherness, an online learning platform with NHS-informed support for emotional wellbeing. It includes guidance to help you better understand big feelings, relationships and child development.
There are resources for all stages of family life, including:
- Antenatal courses
- Postnatal learning, including specialist support for NICU parents
- Understand your child from toddler to teenager, with tailored advice for children with additional needs
- Adult mental health resources, including trauma information and relationship support
 Accessible paths to memorial woodland
Work is under way to create accessible paths linking California Country Park to the Covid Memorial Woodland to the north of the park, helping make the site easier to reach, navigate and explore ahead of its official opening this summer.
The paths will connect the memorial woodland with existing routes in the park, supporting visitors of all abilities and creating clear, welcoming access.
The work is being carried out carefully and sensitively, with disruption to the woodland environment kept to a minimum.
Over the past year, volunteers, school pupils and local groups have helped bring the Covid Memorial Woodland to life by planting thousands of young trees and sowing wildflower seed. The site is now beginning to take shape as a peaceful place for reflection and remembrance.
As the ground dries after a wet winter, path construction is continuing. We will share a further update when plans for the official opening are confirmed.
 Why struggle when you can get free support?
If you’re finding everyday tasks harder, whether it’s getting out of bed, managing your health, or keeping up with housework, you don’t have to face it alone.
Ask Sara is a free online tool that gives you personalised advice from occupational therapists to make life easier.
With more than 90 topics, Ask Sara can help with:
- Household activities – cooking, cleaning, laundry, and shopping
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Health and wellbeing – managing conditions and staying independent
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Mobility and safety – making it easier to move around your home
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Smart solutions – technology and equipment to support daily living
Simply answer a few questions and get report with personalised suggestions.
If you plan to vote in person, in the local elections on 7 May, remember you must show valid photo ID.
You can still apply for free photo ID to vote, called a Voter Authority Certificate, until 5pm Tuesday (28 April).
If you vote by post, votes will still be accepted if you use tape to seal or reseal an envelope. Your vote won’t be rejected.
What you might have missed
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