Rural England
BEDFORDSHIRE
Who we are
Join us
Make your voice count - CPRE is a registered charity, a campaigning group and a voice for everyone who wants to save our countryside. We believe that much of the destruction is unnecessary. We want a future in which our countryside is protected and enhanced while our towns and cities are made more attractive places to live. But to make this vision a reality we need your support. Almost all of our income comes from the public.
Become a member of CPRE
Join our tens of thousands of members, and enjoy some excellent membership benefits. You can join online, by phone or by post with a variety of payment options.
More about the benefits and how to join and join online NOW !
Volunteering
You can help support CPRE Bedfordshire's work by volunteering either occasionally or on a regular basis from our branch or from your own home.
Volunteering with CPRE Bedfordshire is rewarding work and we have current opportunities.
We have a vacancy on our Executive Committee (Trustees) for a Branch Secretary 
.
We also have other volunteering opportunities especially for Planning Volunteers .
Why not enjoy protecting your countryside by gettting involved as a volunteer or executive member with this highly respected charity, at a time when our county is under severe from over-development.
Please click the relevant position titles to download a PDF document of further details.
Why not contact us ?
As a CPRE volunteer, you could:
Join
our Executive Committee - share your skills and help manage the branch
to achieve its objectives to protect the countryside
by campaigning on environmental issues and encouraging sustainable use of land.
Respond to planning applications - If you know about the planning process, you could help assess local planning applications. If you don't know how, we would be happy to teach you.
Produce publicity - You could assist in writing news releases or organise photo opportunities, create newsletters, and campaign materials.
Lobby - We need volunteers who are willing to speak to councillors, MPs and local authority officers about CPRE's campaigns.
Fundraise - Help fundraising efforts in your local area or use your skills to develop the fundraising potential of CPRE Bedfordshire.
Help at events - We are always in need of people who can give a few hours at stalls at local shows and events or use their co-ordination skills to set up an event for us.
Distribute leaflets - Deliver campaign leaflets to local homes to keep people informed of our local issues.
Help in the office - Provide assistance with our filing, mailings, accounts or letter writing.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us by telephone
on 01234 353331 or email us at ann.cw@cprebeds.org.uk
An application form (MS Word 32KB) is available to download here .
Donations, Legacies and Gifts
Your donations make the difference to our campaigns. It is through them that we are able to campaign effectively to protect the countryside for us all to enjoy now, and for future generations. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you wish to discuss any of the options further or if you have any questions regarding 'tax benefits' that may be applicable.
Make a donation to CPRE
You can make a donation by telephone using a credit or debit card on 01234 353331, or by post to CPRE Bedfordshire, 15-17 High Street, Bedford , MK40 1RN - please include your details of name and address .
If you would like to make regular donations to CPRE Bedfordshire and give even more support to our work either annually or monthly by direct debit from your bank account – please print the CPRE Membership and Direct Debit form complete it and post it to the address shown at the bottom of the form.
Making a regular donation by direct debit means that we can plan and budget better for the future.
Legacies - Remember CPRE in your will
If you share our beliefs about protecting our precious heritage of beautiful countryside, consider leaving a gift to CPRE in your will.
Your legacy, no matter what the amount, will help us ensure that developments are sensitive to the countryside, and that housing sprawl is kept in check. With your help, there will be a green, tranquil and beautiful England for all of our grandchildren to enjoy.
A legacy can be in the following formats ;
A residuary legacy - part or all the remains of your estate after all the other bequests, debts, tax and expenses have been paid
A specific legacy - a gift of a particular item such as a house or shares
A pecuniary legacy - a specified cash sum.
With the advice of a solicitor, writing a will or changing it in order to include a gift to CPRE Bedfordshire is very simple. We suggest that you consult a solicitor to ensure that your wishes are carried out as you intend. If you already have a will, you will need to add an amendment, called a codicil.
Gifts and Merchandise
CPRE National Office produces a range of gifts, Christmas cards and calendars carefully selected to reflect the beauty of the countryside that CPRE is working so hard to protect. These are available from the National Office website by following this link to the shop . A wide range of items such as mouse mats, key rings, and shopping bags are displayed together with instructions on 'how to order'.
Thank you for your support - In choosing CPRE products you will be helping us to continue our vital work.
All paper products are made from sustainable sources.
Publications
CPRE
Bedfordshire produces a bi-annual review, Bedfordshire Matters, which
highlights some our current issues and campaigns in the county as well as informative
articles about Bedfordshire and its people. Bedfordshire Matters Spring/Summer 2008, in printed
format, is available free to CPRE Bedfordshire members and is also available
free online as an Acrobat PDF (3.9 MB) file to download here . You can find out more about Bedfordshire Matters by following
this link to an example summary of contents .
CPRE National Office produces a wide range of publications on many of our campaigns and policies including for example 'Housing Sprawl' and ' Sustainable Development'. Many can be downloaded from CPRE National's website as Acrobat PDF files by following this link to the publications page
If you do download one of our publications, do please consider whether you can support us.
You must have Acrobat Reader software to do this which is available free
from www.adobe.com
Planning Guidance
CPRE National Office has created a dedicated new website, www.planninghelp.org.uk, to
provide guidance on planning issues. It will show you how you can use the planning
system to protect the countryside and promote urban regeneration.
Featured content includes
Planning questions and answers
The latest planning news
How to respond to planning applications
Stop or improve a bad planning development
The information in this site is for information and guidance only. If you believe that you might be materially affected by a specific development proposal, you should contact your district council and, if necessary, a professional planning consultant.
If you would like to assist CPRE Bedfordshire in achieving our goals, please contact us on 01234 353331 or by using this email link info@cprebeds.org.uk
