High demand for community grants means more cash is on the table

Stuart Pearcey
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High demand for community grants means more cash is on the table

There’s so much demand from parishes, village halls and community projects for grants from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund that an extra £165,000 has been made available.

The Lincolnshire Community Foundation GRASSroots scheme, funded by the Shared Prosperity Fund, has been given £40,000 more in Boston and £125,000 more in East Lindsey. This extra funding will boost the pot substantially in East Lindsey and means that £1million will have been distributed to small community organisations in the district in the space of a year. Similarly, in Boston almost £300,000 has been awarded bringing, alongside other contributions, a total investment of £500,000 in community assets overall with match funding. This funding is in addition to an earlier allocation of £100,000 from the East Lindsey Community Reserve funds in May. The GRASSroots scheme has proven very popular across the sub-region with 111 projects already receiving over £1.7million of funding from LCF and UKSPF/RPF since it first began in July 2023. Most recently, groups across the sub-region were awarded more than £600,000 through the scheme last month. Councillor Anne Dorrian, leader of Boston Borough Council, said: “I’m thrilled that more projects will be able to apply for funding from the GRASSroots scheme as I know how high demand has been from the very beginning. “Through this funding, we will continue to support all of our communities, with a particular focus on those that have been historically under-represented in the provision of local growth funding. We’re committed to making sure that all parts of our borough benefit and that prosperity is truly shared.” In East Lindsey, Councillor Steve Kirk, portfolio holder for the coastal economy, and Councillor Adam Grist, portfolio holder for market towns and the rural economy, said: “It is fantastic news for the district that the LCF GRASSroots scheme can be kept open for longer via the partnership’s additional funding. “We’ve already seen great examples of what these grants can do to benefit the local community – and now we will be able to see even more projects flourishing. This funding represents a once in a generation investment in local growth for our most rural communities. “We would urge anyone who is interested in applying for a grant to get in touch with LCF as soon as possible as if the past few months is anything to go by, the scheme will be very popular.” Sue Fortune, CEO of Lincolnshire Community Foundation, added: “Staff and Trustees at Lincolnshire Community Foundation are delighted with the news that the South & East Lincolnshire Council’s Partnership has made further funding available. “We are confident that, together, we will continue to invest in local communities ensuring residents have access to facilities and activities both now and into the future.” The deadline for applications is 1 September, 2024. Contact Lincolnshire Community Foundation

Connexin signs pledge to reduce roadworks wherever possible

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Connexin signs pledge to reduce roadworks wherever possible
Internet provider Connexin has become the latest utility company to sign up to the Lincolnshire County Council Street Works Charter, aimed at reducing disruption because of roadworks. The charter is an agreement by major utility companies to ensure minimum disruption, maximum traffic flow and a ‘working-together’ ethos wherever possible. Connexin made the move to join the charter after being awarded a significant contract to bring gigabit broadband to remote areas of Lincolnshire as part of the Government’s ‘Project Gigabit’ rollout. The contract will see the company upgrade around 14,000 premises across the west of Lincolnshire in the coming months. Connexin’s Paul Coles said: “Our collaborative approach with Lincolnshire County Council, and other utility providers, will allow us to roll out our infrastructure with minimal disruption to residents. “For the majority of our network build, we will be using existing infrastructure from other providers where possible. In the more rural areas of Lincolnshire, we may need to install new network infrastructure. The Street Works Charter and our Community Engagement Team will allow us to complete these works efficiently, and with reduced disruption for the community. We look forward to bringing fast, reliable connectivity to the region and opening up more digital opportunities in remote areas.” Connexin joins ten other utility providers and companies in the Lincolnshire County Council Street Works Charter, which was launched last year to cut the amount of disruption roadworks cause across Lincolnshire. The Charter is the work of the county council and has been put together in a bid to cut down both the amount of time a road is closed, and the number of times different utility companies carry out work in the same spot.

Dumping commercial waste costs drive-by operator £2,300

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Dumping commercial waste costs drive-by operator £2,300
A drive-by scrap collector who dumped commercial waste he was paid £350 to dispose of properly has been charged £2,300 and told to do 15 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid community service work. Tommy-Lee Barras pleaded guilty at Lincoln Magistrates Court to three charges relating to fly-tipping after North Kesteven District Council responded to the dumping of a large amount of material near Leadenham a year ago. He admitted fly-tipping on August 18, 2023, not having the necessary waste carrier’s licence to take the waste away and failing to assist in the investigation by providing the required information or assistance. The waste included flooring, signage and construction items as well as paperwork relating to a premises in Kirton, Boston. After being traced back to its origins the property owner confirmed it was his. He said a white Ford Transit van – later found to be Barras’ – pulled up at the premises looking for scrap and the driver offered to take the waste away for £350. The business owner admitted he made no checks for a waste carrier’s licence – which anyone engaging waste removal should – and accepted that he failed in his duty of care to ensure that Barras was a legitimate waste carrier, for which he was fined £400 through a fixed penalty notice. Through North Kesteven District Council’s investigations, CCTV and ANPR data tracked two collections being made on August 17, journeys back and forth to Newark where scrap was weighed in, and payment to Barras. He repeatedly failed to respond to requests for information and the details he eventually gave of a waste carriers number were not valid. Councillor Mark Smith, Executive Board Member with special interest for environment and public protection, said: “There were numerous complaints received regarding the dumping of this waste in a popular walking location. Members of the public were understandably outraged by this blatant environmental crime, as were we. “Barras was paid and trusted to deal with this material properly but instead sought to profit through criminality, without any consideration for the law, the environment harmed by dumping it in open countryside, or the people affected. Fly-tipping is not a victim-less crime and it is important for everyone to be vigilant in doing the right thing and engaging the right people to handle their waste to ensure it doesn’t happen. “As this case shows, we take a very dim view to fly-tipping of any waste in our area and in partnership with the Lincolnshire Environmental Crime Partnership will continue to take a rigorous approach to people like Barras who take advantage of people and cause environmental harm.”  Barras was ordered to pay £2,314.93 in costs to the Council and fulfil a 12-month community order to undertake 15 days of rehabilitation activity and 150 hours unpaid work in the community.   Image credit: North Kesteven District Council

National Lottery funds new airborne forces trail across South Kesteven

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National Lottery funds new airborne forces trail across South Kesteven
South Kesteven District Council has been awarded almost £150,000 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop a project highlighting the build-up in the area of airborne forces ahead of major Allied operations in the Second World War. The funding has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players. The £147,550 will enable SKDC to spread awareness of a unique story, entitled Soldiers From The Sky. It will document how paratroopers of three nations – Britain, America and Poland – came together in South Kesteven during 1944 in preparation for the famous battles of Operation Overlord (D-Day) and Operation Market Garden (Arnhem). Commemorating their local presence and impact will create a new visitor trail of national and international significance amidst a District that housed troops, witnessed their training and saw them leave aboard giant airborne armadas. Using the 80th anniversaries of both military milestones, the project will collaborate with visitor attractions, accommodation providers, volunteer groups, schools, businesses and residents to create a physical and digital trail identifying and celebrating the back-stories before they pass from living memory. Two of the most daring and iconic Airborne operations of the war were planned and launched from South Kesteven: D-Day, 6 June 1944: Pathfinder paratroopers flying from South Kesteven spearheaded the American airborne assault, setting up beacons for the main US airborne force. US aircraft from local airfields then dropped more than 6,300 paratroopers of the US 82nd Airborne Division in Normandy. Operation Market Garden (Arnhem): the largest airborne assault of WW2, memorialised in the film ‘A Bridge Too Far’. US aircraft flying from local airfields dropped more than 8,600 British, US and Polish paratroopers, and towed more than 3,000 US glider troops to their landing zones in the Netherlands. Ferrying them into battle were the unsung heroes of America’s 9th Troop Carrier Command, launching waves of aircraft from giant airfields around Grantham. The 18-month project will include a website, smartphone app, information signs, an exhibition at Grantham Museum and commemoration events. Letters supporting the bid came from visitor sites with airborne links such as Easton Walled Gardens and Harlaxton Manor, community groups, America’s National Glider Pilots Association and the top echelons of the Britain Army’s 16 Air Assault – the Parachute Regiment. Cllr Paul Stokes, the Deputy Leader of SKDC, said: “Soldiers From The Sky represents an unprecedented and exciting opportunity to discover, explore and share the back-stories to this amazing chapter of our military heritage. “We are extremely grateful to National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for enabling us to dust off and celebrate that chapter. It will help us value, care for and sustain our very special heritage “Lincolnshire is widely known as ‘Bomber County’, rightly highlighting its role in the Second World War, but we have a unique and complementary story to tell of how airborne soldiers of three nations came together in preparation for iconic battles. “By making these stories accessible and relevant to new audiences we will enhance public, community, volunteer and stakeholder engagement and awareness, strengthen the visitor offer and unite communities through pride in a shared heritage, ensuring a lasting commemorative legacy.”   Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/Robert L Parker

Clinicians swap Lincoln County Hospital wards for classrooms in Sri Lanka

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Clinicians swap Lincoln County Hospital wards for classrooms in Sri Lanka
Three clinicians from Lincoln County Hospital have been invited to share their expertise and to train medical staff to become CPR trainers in hospitals across Sri Lanka. Consultant Cardiologist David O’Brien, Consultant Cardiologist Dinal Taleyratne and Lead Resuscitation Practitioner Monique Loveday will all be travelling to Sri Lanka later this month. Dr Taleyratne was born in Sri Lanka and has always wanted to return and give something back to the country of his birth. He has spent the last year planning the trip. He said: “My parents and my extended family are all from Sri Lanka and I was born there. I have always wanted to return and offer my support in some way. Because of the registration requirements for clinicians in Sri Lanka we are unable to provide medical care, but we can provide life support training. “In the UK we have access to robust standardised resuscitation training that is not easily accessible in Sri Lanka. We are supporting doctors by instructing on a local European Resuscitation Council Advanced Life Support course in addition to training staff on a bespoke ‘train-the-trainer’ course which we have helped develop, sharing our knowledge on specific areas of specialised cardiac care.” The trip has been funded by the trio outside of NHS budgets. Monique said: “All three of us have a real passion around training, education and sharing knowledge and expertise. We are all trained to teach UK and European Resuscitation Council courses and we are excited to be involved in helping to organise a new educational platform in a country that does not currently have the same formal structure in place that we do. “We take so much for granted with the NHS. We have the benefit of its history and all of the hard work and experience that has got us where we are today.” The plan is that hospital staff from across Sri Lanka will travel to non-clinical centres for the training and will then take their new knowledge and experience to teach other colleagues back at their local hospitals. Professor O’Brien is professor of medical education at the School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, and is also Vice-Dean at the Lincoln Medical School. He has worked as an interventional cardiologist in United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 16 years where he was former Clinical Director for Cardiology, opening the Lincolnshire Heart Centre at the Trust in 2013. He has been teaching Advanced Life Support (ALS) for 25 years and has been an ALS course medical director for 15 years. He said: “As an ALS Committee Member of the Resus Council UK, I appreciate the profound benefits that both timely basic and advanced life support training provide to patients. I have been educating people within clinical environments for the majority of my professional life and teaching advanced life support courses not only in this country but more recently in China and India. “I truly believe that education is a powerful tool and a wonderful gift and one which we often take for granted. I am really excited to have the opportunity to offer the benefit of our combined years of experience to another country that currently just does not have the same infrastructure and financial resource to support with teaching and training of these vital skills, as we are fortunate enough to have in the UK. “I feel privileged to work on this project as part of such a fantastic team, and also with such dedicated colleagues in Sri Lanka. I think it reaffirms to me that wherever you are in the world, clinicians all have the same common goal; that of improving outcomes for their patients.” Dr Taleyratne added: “I am most looking forward to working with the team in Sri Lanka, looking at how we can contribute a little bit of our knowledge to help them on their journey. I also think we might be able to learn from them. They are creating an exciting programme where resuscitation skills are taught in schools. For a developing country to be doing this when we are not, shows there is a lot we can learn from each other.”   Image shows Consultant Cardiologist Dinal Taleyratne, Lead Resuscitation Practitioner Monique Loveday and Consultant Cardiologist David O’Brien at the Lincolnshire Heart Centre. Picture credit: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Something for everyone at The No Limits Festival 2024

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Something for everyone at The No Limits Festival 2024
Families can meet their favourite authors and unleash their creativity when the free No Limits Festival storms into Normanby Hall Country Park near Scunthorpe on 21 and 22 September. Brigg-based, award winning, independent bookshop, The Rabbit Hole, has curated an action-packed programme brimming with authors, inspiring illustrators and wonderful live performances, bringing the magic of books and creative arts to life. Harriet Muncaster, creator of Isadora Moon, now a popular animated TV series, will be joining the fun this year! Readers will love to see many award-winning, school favourites like Peter Bunzl, Sophie Anderson, Emma Carroll, Jenny McClachlan and Helen Peters as well as Blue Peter Award winning Mike Barfield with his ‘Rollercoaster’ of exciting non-fiction, alongside Sophy Henn’s ‘Lifesize’ non-fiction and graphic novel draw-alongs. Watch out for International award winning, Petr Horacek with his latest book, Blue Monster, too! For the grown-ups, author talks from the Rickard Sisters, Lucy Adlington, popular Hull Noir authors Nick Quantrill and Nick Triplow and the chance to meet many locally based authors for informative talks. With brilliant live music and top street food vendors, there is so much for the whole family to enjoy. For this very-special weekend, entry is completely free, giving families the perfect chance to discover everything the award-winning park has to offer. Keep up to date with announcements via The No Limits Festival social media pages. Details are also being shared to the event page on Normanby Hall’s website.

Spalding United FC agree 25-year deal for Sir Halley Stewart Field

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Spalding United FC agree 25-year deal for Sir Halley Stewart Field
There are plans for new investment at Spalding’s Sir Halley Stewart playing field, following the completion of a long-term lease for the community asset by Spalding United FC. The new 25-year lease will allow the club to realise their ambitions to increase the field’s offer for local residents and community groups, as well as furthering their own progress as they continue to rise through the football pyramid. Over recent months the club has worked with the Trustee of Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field on the deal, which will open up new funding and investment opportunities and create more opportunities for wider use of the popular facility. From the Trustee’s perspective, the lease will further the key priorities for the field, seeing more local residents able to access, use and enjoy the asset, whilst supporting more local clubs and their members to continue to find a home and grow and helping Spalding United FC continue their fantastic progress and remain a key part of the town’s identity. As part of the agreement Spalding United have reaffirmed their commitment to encouraging use of the grounds and to helping grow grassroots football and other sport and recreation opportunities at the Sir Halley Stewart and in the local area. Councillor Nick Worth, leader of South Holland District Council, and Councillor Henry Bingham, portfolio holder for assets and strategic planning, said: “We are delighted that Spalding United FC and the Trustee have agreed this deal, which can help start a fantastic new chapter for the Sir Halley Stewart, the local community and the club. “We have known for some time that there was a growing desire and need for investment in the facilities that the Trustee would really struggle to find without the costs having to fall upon local taxpayers. “This lease not only secures that investment, but also creates wide-reaching benefits for the local community, economy and businesses, whilst ensuring the field remains home to a wide number of sporting organisations and other initiatives.” Andrew Killingsworth, Chairman of Spalding United, said: “From day one we have shown an interest in taking more ownership of the Sir Halley Stewart, not only to help our growth as a club but the growth of the local community as a whole, it’s a significant project and one we look forward to engaging as many people as possible with, so the club can grow in tandem with the town. “This is another piece in the jigsaw that we needed to maximise the opportunity that has been presented to us all.”   Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/anekoho

North Lincolnshire prepares for first ever Walking Festival

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North Lincolnshire prepares for first ever Walking Festival
As part of its Year of Walking celebrations, North Lincolnshire Council is launching its first ever walking festival in Autumn 2024. Running from Saturday 28 September to Sunday 13 October, the festival will promote and offer a host of free activities for all ages across North Lincolnshire. There is already an incredible amount of walking activities and established walking groups within local communities that are all invited to come together and be part of the festival and host their own events. Whether it’s a history walk around an historic village, a bug hunt in Ashbyville or a simple social walk around Central Park, the council wants to showcase the amazing scenery and routes across North Lincolnshire as well as the great things happening in its communities. Cllr Richard Hannigan, cabinet member for adults and health, said: “Walking really does tick all the boxes – it is easy, free, good for your mental and physical health, you can do it alone or with friends and you can start right outside your front door. “We have some wonderful open spaces in North Lincolnshire, including six Green Flag parks and the fantastic area around of Normanby Hall, Waters’ Edge and Thornton Abbey. “I encourage everyone to get involved in the Festival of Walking, from going on a treasure hunt with your children to tackling the Viking Way.”   Image credit: North Lincolnshire Council

£38m community diagnostic centre builds reach milestone

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£38m community diagnostic centre builds reach milestone
An exciting milestone has been reached in the development of two new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in Lincolnshire. The external structures of the buildings in Lincoln and Skegness are now in place and the £38 million build programme to create the NHS-run facilities is now approximately half-way through. In recent weeks, 71 modular units have been craned into place – 42 in Lincoln and 29 at Skegness – to create the shells of the buildings. Work is now steaming ahead inside to create the state-of-the-art and welcoming facilities that will be home to a variety of diagnostic services, including X-ray, MRI, CT and non-obstetric ultrasound. These services will be run by experienced hospital staff from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, using the same clinical systems already in place in the county. Professor Karen Dunderdale, Group Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said: “The progress that has been made since planning permission was granted earlier this year is fantastic and we are currently on track to deliver these new facilities for Lincolnshire’s patients before the end of this year. “We know that when anyone needs a diagnostic test, they want to access this quickly to support the rest of their ongoing care. Our CDC programme, through our first CDC on Gonerby Road in Grantham and temporary facilities in Lincoln and Mablethorpe, is already making a significant difference in improving access, and we’re confident that these new facilities will continue to reduce waits and make testing more convenient.” Each CDC is being designed to consider the health needs of the local community. In Skegness, plans for the Old Wainfleet Road site include a dedicated chemotherapy room to reduce the amount of travel necessary for cancer patients and a dental X-ray. These services, along with MRI and CT scanning, have not previously been available in the town. Lincoln CDC, which is on Lincoln Science and Innovation Park, will have dedicated training facilities to support the training of future radiographers, with ULHT becoming one of the first NHS Trusts in the country to link directly with a school of radiography at the University of Lincoln. Partners from a range of organisations, including the NHS, local councils, local businesses and the construction teams involved in the builds, recently held a celebration at each site to see the progress being made.   Image: Lincoln Community Diagnostic Centre pictured at the beginning of August 2024 – credit: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

South Kesteven Council takes a walk on the wild side

Stuart Pearcey
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South Kesteven Council takes a walk on the wild side
New rewilding areas are being identified across the South Kesteven Council area to help pockets of land to go back to nature. Trials at Tattershall Drive, Market Deeping, Rutland Heights in Stamford, and at Queen Elizabeth Park in Grantham have shown the way to restore, protect and increase local biodiversity. South Kesteven District Council is to approach parish councils and its own ward members to identify pockets of land in public open spaces that could benefit from an extension of the existing project. Cllr Rhys Baker, said: “Rewilding is a process that allows nature to take back control and, as tall grasses and other plant species grow, this in turn encourages wildlife, insects, birds and mammals. Over time we anticipate that more species move in to create a balanced natural environment, as well as some welcome colour. “The idea is that these areas would receive minimum essential maintenance and be allowed to grow as nature intended. Not everywhere is appropriate for this, as we need to take into account the recreation use of green space and safety aspects too. “We hope to be able to offer advice, seeds and trees for areas nominated for the project, as in Tattershall Road, Market Deeping, where a bund was created and planted with wildflowers and grasses, with trees set nearby. “We hope that people will be able to learn more about their natural environment through these areas where we can re-connect people with nature at minimal cost.” SKDC’s commitment to increase wildlife habitat and improve biodiversity is a key strand of the Council’s Corporate Plan, which seeks a Sustainable South Kesteven and following the declaration of a Climate Emergency, states: “We will protect and enhance the natural environment and wildlife habitats, working to actively restore and rehabilitate damaged eco-systems.” New locations will now be identified with guidance from SKDC ward members, parish councils, and the Council’s Sustainability and Climate Change team and its grounds maintenance staff.

Deadline approaches for communities to apply for Council grants

Stuart Pearcey
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Deadline approaches for communities to apply for Council grants
Community groups are being urged to apply for project funding before the next South Kesteven District Council funding deadline of 20th August. More than £7,000 was awarded to four projects across the district in the last allocation round of South Kesteven District Council’s Community Fund. Boothby Neighbours were awarded £800 to set up a Good Neighbours Scheme, operated by volunteers, to help less able residents have access to assistance to help them complete tasks. The Boothby Pagnell group also hopes to prevent isolation through transport to village events and new social gatherings such as a breakfast club. The D-Day Darlings wartime tribute choir will be singing at the Caythorpe Gala in September thanks to a council award of £1,740. Gala organisers have booked the choir to celebrate the Arnhem 80th Anniversary event at the village’s annual 216 Parachute (Signals) Squadron reunion, commemorating Caythorpe’s rich history with the Parachute Regiment. Grantham’s Christchurch Methodist church is to have a fully functional sound system in its Shepherd Hall thanks to an award of £3,699 towards the total cost. The sound system, with speakers, amplifiers, sound induction loop driver and mike system will enhance the versatility of the hall, making it suitable for a wide range of activities benefitting the local community. Bourne’s SCIFEST will be staging two community events at Bourne Corn Exchange in September and October thanks to a council award of £1,135 towards the total cost. The aim of the science-based events is to engage with families with school-aged children, to increase the profile of science and give an understanding of how science touches all lives. Cllr Rhea Rayside, SKDC Cabinet member for People and Communities said: “Once again a wide range of extremely worthwhile causes are benefitting from our SK Community Fund awards, all set to make a beneficial difference to people’s lives”. Community groups can apply for up to 80% of eligible costs to a maximum of £5,000, with the remaining 20% as a required applicant contribution. The small grants scheme can fund 100% of project and event costs up to £2,000, with no match funding required. This scheme is only open to groups that hold £10,000 or less of financial resource.

East Mercia Rivers Trust given £150,000 after pollution incident

Stuart Pearcey
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East Mercia Rivers Trust given £150,000 after pollution incident
East Mercia Rivers Trust,  charity formed by the merger of Welland Rivers Trust and Lincolnshire Rivers Trust, has received a financial boost of £150,000 after the Environment Agency accepted an Enforcement Undertaking offer from Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Ltd. The payment is part of an undertaking offered by the company for a leak of aerosol production trade effluent from its site on Sinfin Lane, Derby.  The pollution occurred on 12 August 2021 into the Cuttle Brook as it flowed through Sinfin golf course. Reckitt Benckiser produces household cleaning products, healthcare products and infant/child nutrition products. The undertaking occurred because of a discharge that led to the death of 371 dead bullheads and 10 sticklebacks.  It also caused a prolific growth of sewage fungus and perfumed odour to the brook. The effluent was found to be seeping out of the bank of the brook within the site. It also resulted in low oxygen levels and was 130 times more polluting than untreated sewage. The company took prompt action to stop the polluting discharge and investigate the cause. It had stopped by the following day. In addition to the donation, Reckitt Benckiser has spent £300,000 to prevent any recurrence of the pollution incident and paid the Environment Agency’s costs of over £10,000. Paul Chambers, Environment Officer for the Environment Agency said: “Enforcement Undertakings allow polluters to positively address and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents. “The Environment Agency will consider acceptance of Enforcement Undertakings submitted for suitable cases to restore the environment, improve practices of the offending company and avoid longer criminal court cases. However, we will prosecute in appropriate cases. “As well as donations totalling £150,000 to East Mercia Rivers Trust that will bring great benefits to the environment, Reckitt Benckiser has made significant improvements to the Sinfin Lane site drainage system, and particularly its trade effluent pipework. Rachel Butler, Executive Director at East Mercia Rivers Trust said: “The donation from Reckitt Benckiser has directly contributed towards a major river restoration project as part of East Mercia River Trust’s ambition to restore the Upper Witham landscape at scale. “An important limestone river, this watercourse forms the headwaters of the Witham catchment and is home to white-clawed crayfish and brown trout amongst other native flora and fauna.”

Applications urged for South Kesteven Community Fund grants

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Applications urged for South Kesteven Community Fund grants
Community groups in South Kesteven are being urged to apply for project funding before the next council funding deadline of 20 August. More than £7,000 was awarded to four projects across the district in the last allocation round of South Kesteven District Council’s Community Fund. Boothby Neighbours were awarded £800 to set up a Good Neighbours Scheme, operated by volunteers, to help less able residents have access to assistance to help them complete tasks. The Boothby Pagnell group also hopes to prevent isolation through transport to village events and new social gatherings such as a breakfast club. The D Day Darlings wartime tribute choir will be singing at the Caythorpe Gala in September thanks to a council award of £1,740. Gala organisers have booked the choir to celebrate the Arnhem 80th Anniversary event at the village’s annual 216 Parachute (Signals) Squadron reunion, commemorating Caythorpe’s rich history with the Parachute Regiment. Grantham’s Christchurch Methodist church is to have a fully functional sound system in its Shepherd Hall thanks to an award of £3,699 towards the total cost. The sound system, with speakers, amplifiers, sound induction loop driver and mic system will enhance the versatility of the hall, making it suitable for a wide range of activities benefitting the local community. Bourne’s SCIFEST will be staging two community events at Bourne Corn Exchange in September and October thanks to a council award of £1,135 towards the total cost. The aim of the science-based events is to engage with families with school-aged children, to increase the profile of science and give an understanding of how science touches all lives. Cllr Rhea Rayside, SKDC Cabinet member for People and Communities, said: “Once again a wide range of extremely worthwhile causes are benefitting from our SK Community Fund awards, all set to make a beneficial difference to people’s lives.” Community groups can apply for up to 80% of eligible costs to a maximum of £5,000, with the remaining 20% as a required applicant contribution. The small grants scheme can fund 100% of project and event costs up to £2,000, with no match funding required. This scheme is only open to groups that hold £10,000 or less of financial resource. For Community Fund enquiries and application forms email: communityfund@southkesteven.gov.uk  
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/Stockfotos-MG

Construction team goes the extra mile for hospital charity

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Construction team goes the extra mile for hospital charity
The team behind the construction of two new NHS community diagnostic centres (CDCs) in Lincolnshire are going the extra mile to raise funds to enhance care. Staff from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT), modern methods of construction specialist MTX and DAY Project Management are joining forces to walk 35 miles over two days in aid of the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity. The team hope to raise £15,000, which could fund equipment such as an interactive Kitten Scanner to help children to prepare for an MRI scan. The challenging route the team plan to take will start at Skegness CDC in Old Wainfleet Road, Skegness, and end at Lincoln CDC on Lincoln Science and Innovation Park. These two new facilities, which are currently under construction and due to open in winter 2024, will offer patients improved access to state-of-the-art diagnostic testing away from busy hospital sites, including CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound and echocardiograms. Alistair Nelson, CDC Design and Implementation Lead at ULHT, said: “During our work to develop the CDC programme in Lincolnshire, we have seen first-hand how these community-based NHS facilities are making a difference to helping patients to access the tests they need quickly and easily. “We, along with our construction partners, wanted to see what else we could do to support our youngest patients. Our fundraising could contribute towards equipment such as a Kitten Scanner. There is currently one such scanner at Grantham hospital and it has made a significant difference to the children who have been able to use it, allowing many to have their scans without the need for any sedation or a stay in hospital. “We’re excited to take on this challenge, and offer our thanks to the Lincolnshire Ramblers Association, who have provided incredible support and advice in creating the route for the walk.” MTX Managing Director, David Hartley, said: “The creation of a network of CDCs is a key element in improving access to care and patient experience across the country. We are delighted that United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust has chosen to partner with MTX for delivery of two new facilities, based on our proven track record of rapid and cost-effective delivery. “The opportunity to further support the Trust in their endeavour to purchase innovative equipment comes as a welcome challenge, and one that Team MTX are looking forward to taking on!” DAY Project Management Director, Phil Davies, said: “DAY Project Management are really proud to be supporting United Lincolnshire Hospitals in delivering two community diagnostic centres at Lincoln and Skegness providing state-of-the-art community-based NHS facilities. The chance to undertake a charity walk and raise funds to support patients is something we are delighted to be involved in.” The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity has previously supported the CDC programme by funding benches at Grantham. The charity also funded the original Kitten Scanner that has made a massive difference for young patients at Grantham and District Hospital. United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity Fundraiser Gary Burr said: “As a charity we fund the extras not covered by the NHS and we’ve been proud to have previously supported Lincolnshire’s CDC Programme. We hope to see further enhancements at Lincoln and Skegness CDCs, which will help to make our spaces even more relaxing and welcoming for patients. We wish the team the best of luck in their challenge.” The walk will take place on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 August 2024. Donations to support the team’s charity challenge can be made via a JustGiving page by following this link.   Image: courtesy of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust. ULHT CDC Design and Implementation Lead Alistair Nelson, DAY Project Manager Adam Nevin, ULHT Procurement Head of Category Kate Savage, and MTX Project Manager Conor Brogan outside Skegness CDC

Conker the donkey adds his weight to council’s fostering campaign

Stuart Pearcey
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Conker the donkey adds his weight to council’s fostering campaign
Conker the donkey, goats, and highland cows are the latest to show their support for foster carers in North East Lincolnshire, after Nunny’s Farm became the latest business to join the Council’s fostering-friendly scheme. The animals at Nunny’s Farm, in Nunsthorpe, Grimsby, were out in force as council officers met with the farm owners Joanna and Neil to discuss how they can work with the local petting farm. Nunny’s Farm is the latest business to sign up to NELC’s Fostering-Friendly business scheme, which encourages local businesses to consider how they can best support local foster carers, from offering discounts on local goods and services to offering extra support to employees who may also be foster carers. Councillor Margaret Cracknell, Portfolio Holder for Children and Education at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “It’s great to see Nunny’s Farm has signed up to the scheme, and is ready and willing to offer support to our foster carers. “We’ve had some fruitful initial discussions about opportunities for children and families, for foster carers, for looked after children. “Nunny’s Farm is a fantastic local resource, offering children in our area an opportunity to get hands-on experience with animals and amongst nature. “I’m pleased to be able to welcome Neil and Joanna to our fostering-friendly business scheme and look forward to working with them in the future to support our foster carers.” Joanna said: “We are proud to be part of this amazing initiative, especially as Neil’s father was fostered as a young boy.  It is a great way for us to be able to pay it forward, and we are excited to work closely with the families on this scheme in our community.”

East Lindsey Councillors pump money into communities

Stuart Pearcey
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East Lindsey Councillors pump money into communities
East Lindsey District Councillors have been allocated funds to support organisations and community projects in their wards through the Councillors’ Community Grant Scheme. The scheme provides councillors with the opportunity to support non-profit organisations in the East Lindsey area. Recent grants have been awarded to a wide range of beneficiaries, including the Wragby and District Social Group, Horncastle and District Community Association, and a range of community events and public buildings. The latest round of grants incoudes: Wragby – Councillor Ru Yarsley has awarded £200 to Little Angels Toddler Group to assist with purchasing role-play clothes and equipment for the children. Spilsby  – Councillor Ellie Marsh has awarded £500 to Spilsby Recreation Ground to assist with their playing field drainage works project. Wragby – Councillor Ru Yarsley has awarded £400 to East & West Barkwith Parish Council to assist with their D-Day commemoration project. Wragby – Councillor Ru Yarsley has awarded £150 to Wragby and District Social Group to go towards the costs for their monthly outings, which help tackle loneliness within the local area. Spilsby – Councillor Ellie Marsh has awarded £500 to 2nd Spilsby Scout Group to assist with their kitchen refurbishment. Wragby – Councillor Ru Yarsley has awarded £150 to Wragby Market to help with market advertising, using new signs. Horncastle – Councillors Sandra Campbell-Wardman, Richard Avison and Fiona Martin have awarded £1,000 to Horncastle and District Community Association to assist with the installation of a hearing loop in their main hall. Withern and Theddlethorpe – Councillor Travis Hesketh has awarded £595.20 to Withern Village Hall to assist with purchasing an electronic till and EPOS System. Mablethorpe – Councillors Claire Arnold and Kate Marnoch have awarded £1,000 to Flanders Friends to assist with purchasing equipment for their 1940’s weekend, including banners, high visibility jackets and gazebos. Fulstow – Councillor Edward Mossop has awarded £500 to Utterby Village Hall to assist with their building restoration project on the village hall. Skegness – Councillors Richard Cunnington, Danny Brookes, Mark Dannatt and Billy Brookes have awarded £2,000 to East Coast Pride to assist with the 2024 pride event taking place in September. Withern and Theddlethorpe – Councillor Travis Hesketh has awarded £500 to Maltby Le Marsh Women’s Institute to assist with hiring speakers to present to their groups. Tetford & Donington – Councillor Daniel Simpson has award £250 to Hemingby Village Hall to assist with the costs associated with their 50th Anniversary Celebration. Spilsby – Councillor Ellie Marsh has awarded £500 to Spilsby and District Public Hall to contribute towards purchasing a new fridge. Louth – Councillors Rosalind Jackson, David Hall, Sam Kemp, Andrew Leonard, Darren Hobson and George Horton have awarded £1,340 to Louth Navigation Trust to assist with their Slipway to Summer community event.

Lincoln Book Festival opens its 2024 chapter

Stuart Pearcey
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Lincoln Book Festival opens its 2024 chapter
Lincoln Book Festival 2024 will take place from 26-29 September, bringing big name authors and rising stars of the publishing world to the city for four days of engaging talks, readings, discussions, workshops and Q&As. The theme for this year’s festival is “generations” and the most eclectic programme in the festival’s 20-year history features plenty of options for audiences of all ages to come together and connect through all aspects of the written word, packed into four days. Highlights include:
  • Chef, food writer and presenter Rick Stein, signing copies of his glorious new book, Food Stories.
  • Author Jules Acton, a fresh new voice in nature writing, and her brilliant debut title, Oaklore.
  • Music scenes, eras and movements with Britpop pioneers Audrey Golden and Jane Savidge, talking tunes with Dr Guy Mankowski.
  • In conversation with YouTuber, author, and LGBT campaigner Jamie Raines and podcast collaborator and creator Shaaba.
  • Verse and Vibes open mic night – a chance for local creatives to perform original prose or poetry.
  • Tips on how to get published for creative writers – an interactive workshop with Writing East Midlands.
  • The Book Club live collaborative podcast – bring your book club to join the discussion in this real-time recording.
  • Paranormal research, stories and scepticism plus a ghost story writing workshop revealing secrets of the genre.
  • Flash fiction short story competition winners celebration and launch event.
Ian Richards from the Lincoln Book Festival organising committee said: “The 2024 line-up for Lincoln Book Festival is our most varied yet, with more opportunities than ever before for people to get involved, whether that’s picking up a pen in a writing workshop, getting creative in arts and crafts, learning more about local history, talking fiction in our live interactive podcast, or grabbing the microphone to perform their own creative work on stage. “As always, the festival is also a great chance to meet some wonderful guest authors and contributors, ranging from podcast stars, YouTube influencers, activists, historians, conservationists, music industry insiders, chefs and food writers, to children’s book writers, illustrators, and storytellers.” Lincoln Book Festival 2024 is supported by an Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant with a new festival hub at Lincoln Arts Centre at the University of Lincoln. Supporters include Destination Lincolnshire, Lincoln Business Improvement Group (BIG) and local businesses including Lincoln Independent, Ruddocks, Wright Vigar, and Stanbridge Associates. Lincoln’s independent book shop Lindum Books will have a pop-up bookstall for the duration of the festival at Lincoln Arts Centre. Lincoln Central Library, Usher Gallery, Lark Books / Shelf Editions and Waterstones will all host festival fringe events.

Council seeks opportunity to make more Grimsby town centre grants to businesses

Tess Egginton
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Council seeks opportunity to make more Grimsby town centre grants to businesses
North East Lincolnshire Council is on the lookout to offer more capital grants for business ventures and community-based organisations to reactivate empty properties in Grimsby town centre. The aim of the scheme is to bring forward smaller projects which will enhance the major regeneration works that are currently taking place, including a repurposed Riverhead Square, major works at St James House to create a small business hub, an NHS Community Diagnostics Hub, the Horizon Youth Zone, and a new cinema and leisure development. The fund can cover projects that fit with at least one of the following six town centre priorities identified in the Masterplan:
  • Introduce more diverse uses to the town centre
  • Reconnect the town centre and the community with the waterfront
  • Promote and support community ownership and participation
  • Identify development opportunities within the town centre, including low-carbon initiatives
  • Prioritise health and wellbeing activity in the town centre
  • Enhance employment, skills and entrepreneurial opportunities
Since its inception many businesses and organisations have benefitted from a range of grants. Anne Bickerstaffe of Christian Action Resource Enterprise has been thrilled with the funding, which helped to secure the group a building. She said: “CARE is so grateful to the Activation & Community Engagement Fund for supporting our project, which has levered in other national funding to support the project, as many funders have asked us about local support. This newly renovated building will be a lasting legacy for Grimsby, creating and safeguarding jobs, as well as building pride in the community. It will ensure our charity’s sustainability, meaning we can serve the residents of Grimsby for many decades to come.” Others have used the funding to provide a base of operations, such as Monica Chatterton from Our Big Picture. In 2022, Our Big Picture was awarded funding, which then enabled them to secure an additional £175,000 match funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to buy a Listed Heritage building in the centre of Grimsby. She said: “This blended funding supported the establishment of North East Lincolnshire’s first Arts & Heritage Community Hub. The NLHF funding supported 2 years running costs which included four staff members. The Activation Fund was key to the continued development of Grimsby’s Arts & Cultural creative community.”

An interview with local bestselling author Joy Ellis

Tess Egginton
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An interview with local bestselling author Joy Ellis
Upon the release of her new audiobook, One More to Die, Lincolnshire Today spoke with Joy Ellis, the Lincolnshire Fens-based crime thriller author. Having written more than 30 novels, including three series, Joy’s success can be seen in 12 UK #1 best-sellers, with her works selling over 3.7 million copies in English and translated into 14 languages.   Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and your journey to becoming a published author? We came to live in Lincolnshire from Surrey in the millennium and I started thinking about writing as soon as we got here and I saw the location. We were wandering around the lanes one misty evening, and I thought “this is the perfect setting for a crime novel.” I started writing in earnest around five years after that. We’d retired, were enjoying ourselves, and I realised that writing is what I really wanted to do, so I buckled down and got absolutely nowhere for years. I sent books off, got loads of rejections, and became very unhappy about it. I had two books taken by a publisher who mainly dealt with hardbacks for libraries which were very expensive and very short print runs, but I knew that wasn’t the way I wanted to go. As soon as I decided it was time to give up, as I was wasting my life and that of my partner Jacqueline, I had an amazing phone call from Jasper Joffe of Joffe Books. He had picked up one of my books that I’d put on Kindle. He said he loved it and asked if I would join them. From that moment I never looked back. You have chosen the Lincolnshire Fens as a setting for your stories for some time. How does living in Lincolnshire encourage or influence your writing? Almost all of my books are set here. Frankly, The Fens are one of the main characters. They literally are based around The Fens and everything about them. I don’t think they would be the same anywhere else. This is just such a different kind of landscape and it’s perfect for my characters and my books. Your new audiobook, One More to Die, has just been released on Audible, could you tell us about it and why you think people would enjoy it? I think they’ll enjoy it for the narrator alone. Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter, Mission: Impossible, Captain America), who is a massive star, is so good. I’m delighted she said she’d do this. She has the perfect voice for my lead character, Detective Inspector Kate Carter. She’s investigating a murder but suddenly realises she has attracted a stalker and without giving too much away, it’s two things running in parallel. She’s trying to work whilst being stalked, which is very scary, and then it all gets too much. It gets quite exciting, shall we say, and because it’s a novella, where you have to get quite a lot into a short space of time, it has plenty of pace. What inspired you to write One More to Die and what was the process of writing it like? The process of writing was really good with One More to Die. There’s something about writing novellas; it’s very immediate and once you’ve got an idea in your head it flows very well because it’s not like mapping out a full-length novel. I really enjoyed this one. I’ve also always wanted to do a particular character who is a DI and very, very efficient, but she’s two people. At home she’s going around in her hoody and has wild kids, mad dogs and lots of cats. She’s a completely different person to who she is at work. I loved that because you can bounce backwards and forwards, and of course when somebody like this stalker intervenes and cuts into both of her lives, she finds it difficult to cope. They’ve taken away her family life and are also interfering with a murder investigation, so it provided great tension for me to work with. What do you think it is that keeps drawing you back to writing crime thrillers? Partly because my partner Jacqueline is a retired police officer, which helps a lot because I have a sort of in-house consultant for police procedurals, which is massive. But they also fascinate me; I’ve always loved reading mysteries since I was tiny. Put my mysteries with Jacqueline’s career and we’ve turned out with police procedurals! You’ve written numerous books, including three series. What keeps your creative cogs turning? Oh, heaven knows! It’s as much a surprise to me as it is anyone else, believe me! It’s little things; some tiny thing that sows a seed. I’m one of these writers that doesn’t plot or plan very carefully or lay everything out and know where everything is going. I literally write chapter one with an idea in my head and off we go. It’s kind of organic, I think. Your series Jackman and Evans is currently being developed for television, starring Richard Armitage as DI Rowan Jackman. Do you remember how you felt upon hearing the news?  I was just over the moon. It’s a dream. I know it will be ‘based on’, rather than being the exact books, but because Richard Armitage is already my narrator for the Jackman series, I know he knows my character. He’s such a nice man and came up here to see The Fens and talk to me about my characters before he even narrated the audiobooks because he wanted to get it right, and I admire that because he is such a busy man. I can’t wait to see it. A lot of things will change, but I hope it’s done sympathetically. They have a very good screenwriter, one of the best, so let’s hope with a great cast it’ll do well! Do you have any advice for aspiring Lincolnshire authors? It’s very rewarding but be prepared. You’ve got to have that passion that will carry you through the bad times and when you get rejection slips back, as everyone does. Before I planned to give in, I probably had been writing for over 10 years. That’s a lot of time to commit to something, but heavens I am really pleased I did. Do you have any other future book releases on the horizon? I have another in the DI Nikki Galena series coming out later this year and I’m writing the next Jackman as we speak. Where can people find you? I have a really good website designed by a lovely young man who works for me, Luke. He’s very creative and does fabulous things on Facebook, including teasers for the next books coming out. So go through Facebook and the website, or through Joffe Books or Audible. Is there anything else you want to add? A thank you to everyone. We writers would be absolutely nowhere without the readers, and they have been so supportive to me. We’ve got a massive base of people who follow us. I love them all. I also want to give a huge thank you to Jasper Joffe, for trusting me and taking the books. We’ve been working together now for eight years, and he’s been a fabulous publisher. He really cares about his authors. It’s been a fantastic journey so far, and now I’m of an age I’m certainly not planning on giving up! One More to Die is available now, exclusively on Audible.  
In One More to Die, smart, happy-go-lucky mum of three, Detective Inspector Kate Carter, leads a team to investigate the murder of a man found in the wreckage of a car. Upon discovering a vital clue — a vintage vinyl record from 1964 — the team are set upon a suspenseful journey of twists and turns to discover the truth. Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Kate soon finds herself contending with something dark in her own life as she becomes victim to an obsessive stalker.

Carenza Lewis leads hunt for Fulbeck’s role in Operation Market Garden

Stuart Pearcey
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Carenza Lewis leads hunt for Fulbeck’s role in Operation Market Garden
Time Team presenter Professor Carenza Lewis from the University of Lincoln will co-direct a dig to uncover traces of Lincolnshire’s part in Operation Market Garden, one of the largest Allied airborne landings in history. Taking place between 15 and 17 August, “Digging Market Garden” will celebrate South Kesteven District Council’s 80th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Arnhem, as a project collaboration between the Universities of Lincoln and Oxford, Wings to the Past, and the Ministry of Defences’ Operation Nightingale. The dig will explore the daily routines of the 1st Airborne Division servicemen stationed at Fulbeck Manor near Grantham during the conflict, with veterans and service personnel from the Royal Air Force and British Army, and local communities all taking part in the field work. Professor Lewis said: “Digging Market Garden is a brilliant opportunity to explore some of the ghost archaeology of World War Two, while also helping people from today’s armed forces. 80 years ago, Britain was carpeted with wartime infrastructure, including at Fulbeck where maps show a massive airbase from which ill-fated ‘Operation Market Garden’ was launched in 1944. “Fulbeck’s wartime structures are mostly now long-gone, but childhood memories still preserve mysteries. One of these is a Nissen hut adjacent to Fulbeck Manor House, which resident Julian Fines remembers clearly, but the 1940s maps don’t extend this far so its function is unknown. “In 2024, excavations with armed service personnel and families will hunt for clues in the beautiful Manor gardens that can tell us more about this chapter of history that is rapidly slipping beyond living memory, while simultaneously offering a positive community experience that will benefit participants’ wellbeing. “I’m delighted to be working on this with Wings to the Past, as a follow-up to the University’s 2019 excavations at Riseholme, regaining momentum lost during the pandemic in our efforts to support military families through archaeology.” Despite the many news reports, war diaries, and historical accounts of Market Garden, little is known about the preparations and build-up to the deployment, and the dig in August will offer a vital opportunity to investigate, record, and commemorate the airborne heritage of South Lincolnshire. All events are free to attend and open to the public:
  • 15 – 17 August, “Digging Market Garden” archaeological excavation: Fulbeck Manor, between 10am – 4pm.
  • 16 August, “By Air to Battle: South Kesteven’s Airborne Heritage”; illustrated talk, Fulbeck Village Hall at 7pm.
  • 17 August, Military memorabilia exhibition and finds from the excavations, Fulbeck Village Hall between 10am – 4pm.
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