Buckinghamshire services move to Joy Marketplace: what residents need to know

Buckinghamshire residents will be directed to Joy Marketplace from 1 July 2026 when it replaces Bucks Online Directory as the main online place to find adult services, local groups, organisations and community activities.

The change affects people looking for support in the county, as well as charities, providers, clubs and community groups that currently rely on Bucks Online Directory to publicise their services.

Joy Marketplace takes over on 1 July

Joy Marketplace will become the central directory for adult services and community support in Buckinghamshire. The listing service is intended to help residents, carers and professionals find support, activities and organisations in one place.

Bucks Online Directory will no longer be the main route for those listings after the switch. That means users who previously searched the old directory should begin using Joy Marketplace for local service information from July.

For residents, the practical change is where to search. For listed organisations, the practical change is that an existing Bucks Online Directory entry will not be enough to keep visibility after the move.

Existing listed groups need to create a new entry

Any service, group or organisation currently listed on Bucks Online Directory is being asked to create a new listing on Joy Marketplace.

That applies to groups offering adult support, community activity, wellbeing services, local help and other relevant provision in Buckinghamshire. Creating a fresh listing is the step needed to continue publicising a service or group through the new marketplace.

The change sits within a wider pattern of councils using online directories to help residents navigate local care, support and community options. Similar public-service updates, including changes affecting adult social care and support services, are often aimed at making local information easier to find before residents need urgent help.

Residents, carers and providers affected

The switch is relevant to several local groups:

• Buckinghamshire residents looking for adult services or local activities.
• Carers and family members searching for community support.
• Voluntary groups, charities and local organisations that want their offer to be visible.
• Service providers that previously maintained a Bucks Online Directory listing.

There is no cost information in the council notice. The published action is focused on moving listings from Bucks Online Directory to Joy Marketplace before the new directory becomes the main search point.

What to do before the directory changes

Service providers and community groups should prepare their Joy Marketplace listing before 1 July 2026 so residents do not lose an easy route to their information.

Listings should clearly describe who the service is for, what support or activity is offered, the area covered, opening times where relevant, and how residents can make contact. Groups that support older people, disabled adults, carers or people seeking community activities should check that their details are current before submitting a new entry.

From 1 July, residents searching for adult services, groups, organisations and activities in Buckinghamshire should use Joy Marketplace as the main directory.

Source: Buckinghamshire Council