Back after a week away - technical gremlins got the better of me last time, but we're back and loaded.

Yesterday was gloriously chaotic. Restaurants packed, hampers flying off shelves, last-minute dashes to the florist. Mother's Day does something to this county. We wrote this for our mum:

A mother's love is quiet but strong, guiding our hearts when days feel long. In every hug, in every smile, she makes the hardest road worthwhile.

If yesterday was a tough one for you, whether you've lost your mum, never had a great one, or just found the day difficult, we see you. We hope you found something good to hold onto.

There's plenty happening across Hertfordshire. This week's edition covers all the boroughs and districts, including a final reminder on the local government consultation - it closes next week, and once that window shuts, it shuts for good. Have your say at www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk.

Also, if you haven't registered for Hertstown Dinners yet - real conversations, local restaurants, good people. Use the link below and come join us.

💌 Love this newsletter? Share it with a friend or family member and buy me a coffee if you haven’t already 😉

Hertfordshire leaders have launched a bold 10-year economic strategy with a target to grow the county's economy from £50bn today to £63bn by 2036, with ambitions reaching £80bn by 2050. The plan, unveiled at a Westminster event attended by government, business and community leaders, puts AI and digital adoption, skills, clean growth and thriving places at its centre. The Growth Board says this is the strategy that positions Hertfordshire as the UK's answer to a global innovation heartland.

Read more →

Hertfordshire County Council has set out a new adult care strategy backed by £563 million of funding, nearly half of its £1.2 billion front-line budget for 2026-27. The plan focuses on better support for unpaid carers, improving access to information, and tackling loneliness and social isolation, which officials say are growing challenges for older residents. With 78,333 support requests made last year on behalf of more than 40,000 adults, most aged over 65, demand is only heading one way.

Remember when the news was about what happened, not how to feel about it? 1440's Daily Digest is bringing that back. Every morning, they sift through 100+ sources to deliver a concise, unbiased briefing — no pundits, no paywalls, no politics. Just the facts, all in five minutes. For free.

Read the newsletter trusted by 4.5 million fact-seekers.

Hertfordshire County Council is cutting holiday food vouchers for children on free school meals after changes to a Government cost-of-living support fund. The vouchers previously cost around £5m a year and supported thousands of families including many of the county's 32,000 children eligible for free school meals. In their place, the council plans a £1.8m Children and Families Crisis Support Fund, available on application by professionals for families in severe hardship.

Hertfordshire's Better Health Bus is expanding its free mobile services after reaching over 4,000 residents since launching in July 2024, delivering 1,200 health checks across 157 events. New additions now include a community support worker, sexual health testing kits, a defibrillator, emergency bleed kits and overdose-reversal medication. The bus connects people across the county to stop-smoking support, recovery programmes and financial advice.

Read more →

A countywide trial to repair pedestrian guard rails has already upgraded 28 locations in its first ten weeks, covering Watford, Three Rivers, Dacorum, St Albans, Hertsmere and Welwyn Hatfield. Highways teams have been repairing and replacing damaged railings and removing temporary orange barriers to make busy roads safer for pedestrians near junctions and traffic-heavy routes. The programme is ongoing.

Read more →

The Government has launched a seven-week consultation on proposals to replace Hertfordshire's 11 councils with new unitary authorities, with three models under consideration creating two, three or four new councils. Decisions are expected in summer 2026, and residents are being encouraged to review the proposals and submit their views before the deadline. The consultation closes 26 March — don't leave it late.

Submit your comments →

A clothes swap event hosted by Veolia, Watford Borough Council and West Herts College brought together 27 attendees who exchanged 234 clothing items, with 185 items donated to local charity Goods for Good. The initiative helps tackle the environmental cost of fast fashion while giving students hands-on experience in sustainability projects. Another one is worth watching for if you want to refresh your wardrobe without spending a penny.

Read more →

Two Multi-Use Games Areas at Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre have been fully refurbished at a cost of £500,000, with new artificial surfaces for football, tennis, netball and hockey alongside upgraded fencing and lighting. The courts are already open for community use, supporting schools and local clubs. If you haven't visited, now's the time.

Read more →

Ten winners were celebrated at the Pride of Dacorum Awards held at Pendley Manor Hotel in Tring, recognising residents and community groups who go above and beyond to support others. Honourees included fundraiser Robert Lovatt, youth volunteer Miles Harrison Nouch, and initiatives including the Highfield Community Fridge and the Human Milk Foundation. The awards are a reminder of how much good is quietly happening across the borough.

Read more →

Work on a major new Sports and Leisure Centre on St Georges Way in Stevenage starts in April 2026, bringing together existing leisure and swimming facilities into one state-of-the-art building with a 25-metre pool, sports hall, fitness suite, studios and family activity spaces. The project is part-funded by a £37.5m Towns Fund investment and is expected to open later this decade. Note that the Stevenage Swimming Centre car park closes from 12 April — alternative parking will be provided.

Read more →

Most people have no idea what supplements they're taking. Download SuppCo to organize your routine, audit your nutrients, and see your StackScore. Then you'll know if your stack is helping or just expensive.

Check Your Score

Everyone Active's Sporting Champions scheme, now in its 10th year, is offering aspiring athletes in North Herts free access to training facilities and mentoring from Olympic and Paralympic stars including ambassador Colin Jackson. The programme has already supported over 6,000 athletes nationally, including 21 from North Herts last year, using local centres including North Herts Leisure Centre and Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre. Applications close 20 March— if you know a young athlete, pass this on now.

Read more →

Senior Three Rivers councillors visited Maple Lodge Nature Reserve in Maple Cross, a 40-acre wildlife haven managed by volunteers since 1983, featuring lakes, marshland, woodland and wildflower meadows. The visit highlighted ongoing habitat restoration, tree planting and conservation work carried out by the Maple Lodge Conservation Society. If you haven't been, it's worth a trip.

Read more →

Hertsmere has launched a new promotional video timed to coincide with this year's Academy Awards, showcasing the borough as a prime destination for film and television production. The campaign highlights world-class studios, diverse filming locations and proximity to London, with recent productions including Hamnet filmed locally and support available through the Filming in Hertsmere Office and the Hertfordshire Film Office at Elstree Studios. Council leaders say Hertsmere sits at the heart of the UK's screen corridor, and this campaign is making sure the world knows it.

Read more →

The Home Office has confirmed the Delta Marriott Hotel in Cheshunt will end its role as asylum seeker accommodation from mid-June 2026, closing an arrangement that started in December 2022. Broxbourne Borough Council had repeatedly opposed the use, citing the loss of a key community asset and concerns about pressure on local services. The council pursued the decision through legal action and direct representations to Downing Street before the announcement was made.

Read more →

Eleven outstanding residents and organisations were honoured at the sixth annual Borough of Broxbourne Awards held at The Spotlight in Hoddesdon, covering volunteers, charity founders, youth coaches and community organisers. Among those recognised were Adam and Alexandra Whiting for their 'As Seen on Bury Green' community network and Jack Ferris, named Young Citizen of the Year for his work supporting local youth through football and mentoring. The awards capture what makes this borough tick.

Read more →

County councillor Tony Hill has resigned just ten months after narrowly winning the Flamstead End and Turnford seat, creating a vacancy on Hertfordshire County Council. A by-election will only be triggered if two local electors formally request one in writing. The vacancy adds further uncertainty to a 78-seat council where the Liberal Democrats currently hold the largest group.

For Every Mum in Hertfordshire

From the market towns to the quiet village lanes, from St Albans to Stevenage, Hitchin to Hertford. You are the thread that holds it all together.

The one who remembered the permission slip. Who made the house feel like somewhere worth coming back to. Who carried worry like a second job and never put it on the CV.

To the mums raising children in the shadow of the Chilterns, walking the Lea Valley with a buggy and a to-do list a mile long. Who found community in school gates and WhatsApp groups and somehow made it work, every single week.

Hertfordshire is full of remarkable people. Most of them were made remarkable by you.

Happy Mother's Day. Rest if you can. You have more than earned it. 💐

👶 Museum Minis
📍 St Albans Museum + Gallery, St Peter’s Street, St Albans AL1 3DH
🗓️ Sunday 15 March 2026
💷 Small fee — booking required
👉 Learn more: https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/by

🎭 Ignite Theatre Group (Ages 12+)
📍 Watford Palace Theatre, Studio 2, 20 Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1JZ
🗓️ Sunday 15 March 2026
⏰ 6:15pm
💷 Tickets from £7
👉 Learn more: https://events.hertfordshire.gov.uk/local-offer/herts-inclusive-theatre-ignite-theatre-group-ages-12-watford-16032026

🎭 The Mesmerist — Rufus Hound
📍 Watford Palace Theatre, Watford
🗓️ Running until Saturday 21 March 2026
💷 Paid ticket
👉 Learn more: https://watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/

🎨 Messy Monday Mornings (Toddlers & Pre-Schoolers)
📍 St Albans Museum + Gallery, St Peter’s Street, St Albans AL1 3DH
🗓️ Monday 16 March 2026
⏰ Morning session
💷 Paid ticket — booking required

🎨 River Colne Art Exhibition
📍 Radlett Road, Watford WD24 4LL
🗓️ Monday 16 March 2026
⏰ 5:00pm
💷 Free entry
👉 Learn more: https://www.watfordactually.com/blank-1

💃 The Great Big Dance Off — East Regional Championships 2026
📍 Gordon Craig Theatre, Lytton Way, Stevenage SG1 1LZ
🗓️ Monday 16 March 2026
⏰ 3:00pm & 6:30pm
💷 Tickets £18
👉 Learn more: https://everyonetheatres.com/whats-on/the-great-big-dance-off/

🤖 Hoppers AMBEAM — Science & Robotics for Kids
📍 Various venues, Hertford
🗓️ 14–19 March 2026
💷 Paid ticket — booking required
👉 Learn more: https://www.mumsguideto.co.uk/hertford/events.php

🎵 Live Music Event
📍 The Spotlight Venue, Hoddesdon EN11 8TL
🗓️ Friday 27 March 2026
💷 Paid ticket
👉 Learn more: https://www.thespotlightvenue.com/whats-on

🎤 Evening Show
📍 The Spotlight Venue, Hoddesdon EN11 8TL
🗓️ Sunday 29 March 2026
💷 Paid ticket
👉 Learn more: https://www.thespotlightvenue.com/whats-on

Hertford

Monday 16 March 12°C 🌡️ 8°C | ⛅ Sunny intervals, breezy | ☀️ Sunrise 06:13 | Sunset 18:06

Tuesday 17 March 14°C 🌡️ 4°C | ⛅ Sunny intervals turning cloudy | ☀️ Sunrise 06:10 | Sunset 18:08

Wednesday 18 March 17°C 🌡️ 4°C | ☀️ Sunny | ☀️ Sunrise 06:08 | Sunset 18:10

Thursday 19 March 16°C 🌡️ 5°C | ☀️ Sunny | ☀️ Sunrise 06:06 | Sunset 18:11

Friday 20 March 13°C 🌡️ 5°C | ⛅ Sunny intervals | ☀️ Sunrise 06:03 | Sunset 18:13

Source: Met Office — updated 14 March 2026

Have questions or suggestions to improve our newsletter? Got a story to share? Email us at [email protected].

Interested in advertising with us? Drop us a line at the same email address.

If someone forwarded this email to you, be sure to thank them—and don’t miss out next time! Subscribe here.

Love the newsletter? ☕
Support it by buying me a coffee! Your contribution helps keep this weekly resource alive and thriving. Thank you!

Wishing you a fantastic rest of your day!

Cheers,
Editor-in-chief | Emeka Ogbonnaya

P.S. Want to sponsor our newsletter? Email us at [email protected]