Local news: Oxford
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Peace named Oxford Children’s Word of the Year for 2025
Peace has been chosen as Oxford Children’s Word of the Year for 2025, reflecting young people’s awareness of global events. Research by Oxford University Press also highlights the growing influence of AI and the importance of slang in children’s social lives.
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Beard Construction raises record £170k for local charities in 2025
Beard Construction has celebrated a record-breaking year of charity fundraising, with colleagues raising more than £170k in 2025. The funds will support five charities across the south of England, helping thousands of people in local communities.
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Westgate Oxford helps shoppers beat the January blues with events and winter offers
Westgate Oxford is brightening January with styling events, giveaways and seasonal offers. From free hot chocolate to dining discounts and cinema screenings, the centre is encouraging guests to enjoy the winter months with plenty of reasons to smile.
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Warneford Hospital’s 200th anniversary launches with Museum of Oxford exhibition
A new exhibition at the Museum of Oxford has launched Warneford Hospital’s 200th anniversary celebrations. The free display explores two centuries of mental health care and is the first in a year-long programme of exhibitions touring Oxfordshire.
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Ex-BBC presenter Geraldine Peers joins Oxfordshire rock band Lunar Kites for new single
Former BBC Oxford presenter Geraldine Peers has added her voice to a new single by space rock band Lunar Kites. The myth-inspired track features Peers as the goddess Demeter and marks an unexpected collaboration ahead of the band’s debut album.
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Wildlife photography exhibition brings calm to cancer patients at Churchill Hospital
A new wildlife photography exhibition, The Wild Encounter, is now open at Churchill Hospital’s South Street Gallery. Featuring work by Oxford-based photographer Robert Edwards, the exhibition offers patients and visitors moments of calm and escape through encounters with the natural world.
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Helen & Douglas House named headline charity partner for Oxford Half 2026
Helen & Douglas House has been named Headline Charity Partner for the 2026 Oxford Half Marathon. The partnership will give the Oxford-based children’s hospice more runner places than ever, helping raise vital funds to support terminally ill children and their families.
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Oxford Drug Design reports major milestone in AI-driven cancer therapy
Oxford Drug Design has announced a key milestone in the development of a potential first-in-class cancer therapy. Using its AI-driven platform, the Oxford-based company demonstrated strong anti-tumour activity in advanced colorectal cancer models, including cases resistant to existing treatments.
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Oxford startups OXCCU and A&B Smart Materials recognised in Startups 100 Index 2026
Two Oxford-based companies have been named in the Startups 100 Index 2026, with OXCCU ranking fourth and winning the Sustainability Award, and A&B Smart Materials recognised for its biodegradable polymer technology, highlighting Oxford’s rising influence in UK innovation.
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Day Fever brings its daytime disco phenomenon to Oxford’s O2 Academy as part of major 2026 UK tour
Day Fever is bringing its hugely popular daytime disco to Oxford’s O2 Academy this February, offering an afternoon of dancing, nostalgia and feel-good music – all wrapped up before the evening begins.
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Free Oxford park and ride bus journeys extended until March 2026
Free park and ride bus journeys in Oxford have been extended until March 2026 after a sharp rise in passenger numbers, supporting the temporary congestion charge and reducing traffic in the city.
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Stevenage and Milton Keynes now rival Oxford and Cambridge as supercluster growth spreads
New research shows Stevenage and Milton Keynes now rival Oxford and Cambridge for economic growth, as business leaders call on government to fast-track East West Rail approvals to unlock a £78bn growth opportunity across the supercluster.