Three organisations involving young people have benefitted from funding donated to them by a West Lindsey district councillor.

The 6^th Gainsborough Sea Scouts; 203 Gainsborough Sqn RAF Air Cadets; and Gainsborough Rugby Club’s Mini Wasps have each received £1,000 thanks to donations from Cllr Jessie Milne.

The money comes from Cllr Milne’s Councillor Initiative Fund, which provides financial support for a wide range of community projects and activities.

The Mini Wasps are the junior arm of Gainsborough Rugby Club, and their director Nathan Mitchell says the money will be used for essential training equipment for the youngsters “They’re just now training to learn how to tackle, and we need some training aids to get them used to doing this and at the same time make it safe for them.”

Jonathan Swatton, Group Scout Leader at 6th Gainsborough Sea Scouts, is using the funding to purchase tarpaulin and special hammocks, which the group will use for shelter on expeditions. “We’ll be able to use this equipment when we get out to places in Derbyshire and areas like The Wolds. The youngsters really get involved in the planning of these expeditions, helping to decide where we go.”

The group is continually organising and taking part in fundraising events, which has included helping at water stations at the Morton 10k, community events and fashion shows.

Flight Lieutenant Lee Chapman of the Gainsborough Air Cadets said their £1,000 will go towards purchase of a new minibus to replace one stolen in February last year. “Transport allows us to get young people out to activities that may not otherwise be available to them.”

Cllr Milne said she was delighted to be able to provide the funding to such worthwhile groups. “The people that run these groups and organisations give up so much of their time to provide these opportunities for youngsters, so it was good to be able to support them.

“These groups allow young people to enjoy themselves while developing lifelong skills they can use in their future careers.”

Community groups are taking a grassroots approach to bring fresh produce to a Grimsby neighbourhood in the drive against rapidly rising food prices. Groups in the town’s East Marsh community are coming together and are set to create a new urban orchard and garden that will feed and educate local people as well as serving as a new communal green space. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities gave North East Lincolnshire Council an £85,000 grant to create new urban green space or refurbish existing parks. Thanks to the funding, the Council will plant trees at the Albion Street Playground and community groups are set to create the new community garden on part of the underused Garibaldi Street car park. Mary Vickers, Community Food Co-ordinator in North East Lincolnshire, is working with The Salvation Army, St Andrew’s Church, the Rock Foundation, the Fisherman’s Mission and other local community groups to set up the new garden. Planting areas, raised beds, pathways and fencing will be in place by the end of March. North East Lincolnshire Council is planting 35 fruit trees in the community garden and a selection of other trees on land next to Albion Street playground. As well as fruit trees, the community garden team plan on planting bushes for soft fruits, potatoes, carrots, salad, herbs and brassicas, such as cauliflower and cabbage. Encouraging people to grow, prepare and cook their own food is one of the main drivers behind the project. The Salvation Army building, opposite the car park, has a new community training kitchen where there are facilities to teach people cooking skills. Food grown in the community garden will provide a steady supply of produce for the local community and the kitchen as well as local food banks and other community food providers. This will give people the opportunity to plant, grow, pick, and cook their own food all within a few metres of the garden – and maybe occasionally eat together too. Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport at North East Lincolnshire Council, added: “By transforming part of this underused car park into a vibrant, community garden, the groups involved can create a new, much-needed green space. “This project was earmarked for funding by the government because of the lack of greenery in the area and the levels of deprivation. “From improving physical and mental wellbeing to providing an educational activity and a source of fresh produce, the new community garden is hugely beneficial for people in the area.” Mary Vickers, Community Food Co-ordinator in North East Lincolnshire, explains: “Part of my work as Community Food Co-ordinator is to help our variety of local community food providers (food banks and hot food kitchens) to work together and collaborate as often as they can. Another important aspect of my role is to encourage and support projects which help individuals and communities to move away from reliance on free food parcels. This exciting project works with both aims at the same time. “Providing an opportunity for people to learn to grow at least some of their own food is immensely valuable. Simply working together in the open air is known to increase wellbeing. Adding this to the provision of practical growing and cooking skills can greatly increase both individual and community resilience. It can also be fun! “An added aspect here is the range of different community groups who wish to be involved, all of whom will bring their own dimension to the project, as well as enabling wider involvement into as yet unreached groups within the local area. We have a working title for all the community growing projects in North East Lincolnshire – #CommunityGrowingNEL.  This highlights that communities who grow things together also grow together themselves.” Major Alison Gardner, church leader at Grimsby Salvation Army, said: “This project will provide many things, not only fresh produce for people who are struggling with the cost of living and reliant on food banks, but a peaceful place where people can sit among the trees in East Marsh, enjoy a picnic and view the dock tower. “As a church and charity, part of our mission is ‘care for creation’, the idea of protecting and caring for our planet. The creation of this garden represents all that is good in our community, encouraging green space and providing a basis on which happiness, health, and friendship can be built and where every person can play a part and contribute. It will be somewhere that children and older people can work and rest together with dignity, where those who plant can harvest, cook and eat their produce. “The Salvation Army recently reopened its church and community centre in East Marsh where we have a thriving coffee shop and programme of activities. There’s a real energy about the place at the moment and this community garden will only add to that.” The team behind this project are appealing for volunteers to help prepare and plant the garden. They also need: water butts, chippings, compost, and soil. If you can help, and want further information about the project, please contact Mary Vickers, Community Food Co-ordinator in North East Lincolnshire, by emailing mary@nbforum.org.uk.

Giant jeans standing at just over 10 feet tall may be the world’s largest pair of educational jeans made entirely from discarded denim. They, along with artwork produced by students from across Lincoln, will form a central part of the ‘Unpicking the story of your Clothes’ exhibition coming to Lincoln. Created by Lincoln-based textile artist and owner of Rethread Denim, Kerry Gibson, the ‘Giant Jeans’ art installation opens at the Project Space Plus gallery on the University of Lincoln, UK campus on Thursday 16th February. Kerry said: “I see the fashion industry like a giant jigsaw puzzle; every part of the industry has a role to play, and every action has an impact on something else.  If we understand the real fashion industry we learn about social, environmental, and ecological issues that affect us all. We can be educated on human rights, gender equality, consumption, and climate change. “The jeans and Project Fashion Fixed are simply a way of trying to raise awareness around these issues but in a fun and engaging way. I am ‘educating through creativity’ and trying to engage the younger generation and help them see that even the small decisions we make can make a big difference.” Project Fashion Fixed is an initiative Kerry led last year that inspired University of Lincoln and sixth-form college students to creatively explore topics around sustainable fashion as an extra-curricular endeavor alongside their studies. All the participants Kerry contacted to ask if they would like to participate a second time said yes and some of this art from 2022 will be on display at the exhibition. Jessica Bunn, a Fashion Fixed participant and President of the E.C.O (Environment, Conservation and Opportunities) Society at the University, said: “By the end of the first session, I was hooked on the project and was shocked into making change. On that day, I took a one year pledge to not buy any new clothes. “I wanted to amend my consumer behaviour to reflect the truth that Kerry has uncovered for us, previously hidden by the modern world of fast fashion and greenwashing. Project Fashion Fixed is educational in a fun and creative way, with a genuine sense of community, empathy, and passion for our world. “I am so grateful for the knowledge and expertise Kerry has shared with us and the opportunities to collaborate with students outside of my course. Attendees of the exhibition will come away with a new perspective on consumerism as well as a sense of hope for the future, as slow and sustainable fashion flourishes.” When describing the process behind the ‘Giant Jeans’, Kerry explained that the art piece was made entirely from discarded denim. She collaborated with the charity St Barnabas, and they kindly donated denim that could not be resold. After washing the denim, Kerry deconstructed the jeans into a new resource onto which she lasered images, weaving the story together using a patchwork technique. Renowned denim designer, Mohsin Sajid helped Kerry to construct the art on his professional machinery in London to complete the collaborative piece. The story illustrated on the denim tells of the lifecycle of clothes; a topic Kerry explores through many of her projects including her recent TEDx talk at the Brayford Pool titled ‘Change your clothes! Change the world!’. Fellow TEDx speaker and singer-songwriter, Matt Tango Ellerby will also be at the event providing live acoustic music to complement the artwork. ‘Giant Jeans’ has been supported by ‘Lincoln Creates’, a Lincoln BIG initiative, and will be at the Project Space Plus Gallery in the Nicola De La Haye building from Thursday 16th through to Saturday 18th February, open from 10-4pm. No booking is required for this free event, with everyone welcome to attend.