Stroud District Council update - w/c 17 August 2026

As we make the most of the summer holidays, there’s plenty happening across the district for residents and visitors to enjoy.

The Stratford Park Lido has now reopened, thanks to the enormous efforts of everyone involved in bringing this much-loved facility back into use. Whether you call it the lido or the outdoor pool, it's great to see it welcoming visitors again. To guarantee entry, tickets can be booked through the Active Lifestyles website, while some spaces are also reserved for walk-in visitors. There's also a brand new café and shop on site too.

There are two more Big Summer Picnic & Play Friday events to come in Stratford Park this August, offering a fantastic range of free and low-cost activities for families. From sports, arts and crafts and museum activities to food, drink and entertainment, there's plenty to keep everyone busy. If you're planning to attend, please be mindful of parking. Overflow parking is available at SGS College and Tesco when the main car parks are full - thank you to both organisations for their support. And while you're there, don't forget everything else Stratford Park has to offer across its 56 acres, including the arboretum, shaded woodland, lake, sensory garden, children's play areas, tennis courts, museum and large open spaces.

We're also celebrating the success of Stroud Funding, our community crowdfunding platform, which has helped raise more than £588,000 for local projects since launching in April 2024. The funding has supported a wide range of brilliant community-led initiatives. The next funding round opens soon, with information workshops taking place on 9 and 10 September. Visit Stroud Funding - Home - Spacehive to find out more. 

Finally, please take extra care during the current dry weather. Local fire crews continue to report evidence of fires across the district, which could have devastating consequences for wildlife and put lives at risk. We're working with the National Trust to raise awareness of the dangers and thank Ranger Tom for helping install new signs at Selsley Common.

If you'd like to keep up to date with council news, events, service updates and other local information, why not sign up for our weekly email bulletin? It lands in subscribers' inboxes every Friday and is a simple way to stay informed about what's happening across the district. Sign up here https://stroud.gov.uk/emailalerts