Grimsby’s tribute to members of its seafaring community who risked their lives sweeping the seas for mines has been refurbished by custodians Associated British Ports. The freestanding memorial for both world wars was erected in 2001 by members of the Royal Naval Patrol Service Veterans led by the late Tom Walkley and supported by Associated British Ports (ABP) who allowed the memorial to be sited on our land and supported its creation. Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber ports said: “Due to its location the memorial suffers the ravages of the weather and it’s fitting that we keep it maintained as a tribute to all those who served and gave their lives. We’re delighted that it has been restored to its former glory. “Grimsby was a major centre for the minesweeping crews, mainly fishermen who joined up as they had the local knowledge of the Estuary and the North Sea. They earnt the nickname Harry Tate’s Navy, which was jargon for something amateurish after an old music hall entertainer who played a clumsy comic. They were anything but amateurs and became well respected by the Navy for their courage and resourcefulness. This is a fitting tribute to those men.” Dale Wells from the Turntable Gallery said: “The Turntable Gallery was delighted to be awarded the incredible opportunity to preserve the memorial to the memories of those valiant minesweepers who lost their lives, clearing the estuary and beyond, of enemy mines. “As part of the gallery’s ongoing commitment to preserving out material heritage, and restoring the artifacts of our shared past, this project was one we relished. The task required sympathetic cleaning, re-establishing the worn lettering, and replacing the lost badges. The latter involving extensive research and contact with specialists in the field. These new ceramic pieces have been sourced from Italian artisans, and now adorn the central stone. “ “To restore this important monument and preserve its legacy for future generations to remember these heroes by, has felt incredibly poignant, considering the hardships people face to this day, in the channel. Working on repainting the lettering of the faded names, and learning a little of the lives they lived, and left behind, has made their stories incredibly immediate. The least we can do is ensure the record of their passing is preserved.” Work on the memorial has included recolouring the letters and having three new replacement badges made for the centrepiece. Grimsby was a minesweeper base in both world wars and in 1908 provided two trawlers to the Admiralty for minesweeping tests. The memorial is to the memory of the 2,385 men who during World War Two have no grave but the sea. The original plaque dedicated in 1939 to those who swept the seas is located on the western side of the Dock Tower after a campaign by Dorothy Clapham, who wrote the Lavendar Column in the local newspaper. It was paid for by Grimsby businessmen Mr J Doig and Mr A Phillips.

Everyone living within the historic county of Lincolnshire is to be served by a new local authority from next spring, thanks to the agreement of a devolution deal that will bring together North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, and Lincolnshire County Councils as the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority. It’s expected that devolution will progress through its final legislative stage to allow the forming of the new authority before the Mayoral election next May, and reverses the creation of the new authorities on the breakup of Humberside County Council. The Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Cllr Philip Jackson said: “I am sure I share the sentiments of the Leaders of Lincolnshire County Council and North Lincolnshire Council, when I say this is the best possible news we could have hoped for. Months and months of dedicated hard work and effort has been put into creating a vision for Greater Lincolnshire that will offer a cohesive approach – allowing this region to grow and prosper. “Our deal was supported by the last Government with millions of pounds of funding agreed to be devolved down to our new Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority to ensure we would be able to truly invest in our key priority areas, which will underpin our positive way forward. “I am therefore delighted that Greater Lincolnshire devolution continues to have the support of the country’s new Government and I now look forward to continuing our journey towards more local control with funding and powers handed to those who are closer to the communities they serve. We have a chance to make a real difference.” Lincolnshire County Council Leader Martin Hill said: “This is great news and I’m pleased we are able to move forward with devolution to deliver growth in Greater Lincolnshire. We have always been clear that strengthening local decision-making where we consider the needs and wants of our communities, will give the best results for residents and businesses. “It’s clear that having a Mayoral Combined Authority will give us the ability to liaise directly with the government about what is best for our residents and be able to achieve our ambitious plans more quickly. The decision to take this forward reflects our strong partnership work with North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils, and the hard work we have all put in to making sure it’s the right deal for our area.” Cllr Rob Waltham of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “Our £720m deal was supported by thousands of residents and has been on the table for years and negotiated earlier this year. At last, we can get to work on seizing this monumental opportunity – bringing better paid jobs to the area, boosting skills, expanding local infrastructure and enhancing our environment across Lincolnshire. “We will continue to strengthen ties across our great historic county – I am incredibly proud to have been born, educated and lived and worked in Lincolnshire for most of my life and to have 10 generations of my family living throughout Lincolnshire.  We are a great county full of inspirational people who deserve the best opportunities for them and their families as we seek to level up Lincolnshire to deliver a better quality of life for local residents.” The financial Deal remains the same as finalised between the three lead authorities and the previous Government, with a total investment fund of three-quarters of a billion pounds over the next 30 years. This includes an annual £24m Mayoral Investment Fund to invest in priority areas of jobs and skills; housing & highways, transport, the environment and nature, net zero, digital improvements, and innovation and trade. There is also an initial capital funding pot of £28m including brownfield funding for individual schemes across Greater Lincolnshire. In North East Lincolnshire this will support the phase one development of a Grimsby Town Centre Transport Hub, along with the new housing scheme for the town’s Alexandra Dock.

To mark World Alzheimer’s Day, recognised globally on 21 September, the RAF welfare charity, the RAF Benevolent Fund, is highlighting its support for members of the RAF Family affected by dementia and memory loss in Grantham. Research has found that 982,000 people are estimated to be living with dementia in the UK, with 52% of the UK public knowing someone who has been diagnosed with a form of dementia. According to research, armed forces veterans have an increased risk of dementia due to risk factors including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, deployment, and sleep. The RAF Benevolent Fund facilitates Dementia Reminiscence Groups for serving and retired members of the RAF, including widows and spouses, who are affected by memory loss. The groups, based in Grantham and country-wide, allow members of the RAF Family with dementia and memory loss to share life experiences, memories and stories from the past, giving those affected a sense of competence and confidence by recalling these memorable moments. In 2023, the RAF Benevolent Fund was awarded a grant of £82,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to go towards funding up to eight Dementia Reminiscence Groups over three years. Terry, who has benefitted from his local group in Cambridgeshire, said: “I struggle with dementia and need prompting by my wife constantly. I forget things when I’m speaking, and she fills in the gaps for me. I forget words, where I live and, more upsettingly, the names of my children. It’s scary. The group has made me feel welcome and is a safe place for my wife and I to speak and meet with people.” Declan Geraghty, Friendships and Connections Manager at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “We are dedicated to supporting the local RAF Family with our Dementia Reminiscence Groups, during Alzheimer’s Awareness Day and beyond. Our goal is to connect individuals affected by memory loss, whether diagnosed or not, by fostering meaningful connections. Engaging with others who share similar experiences can significantly reduce feelings of isolation and enhance overall happiness and wellbeing.”   Image: RAF Benevolent Fund’s Dementia Reminiscence Group attendees take part in the Fund’s Tin Foil Challenge in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Credit: Ollie Dixon

The development of Lincoln’s culturally-significant Greyfriars building has begun,  with a view to removing it from the National ‘At Risk’ Register by creating a space for weddings, conferences, and education. Greyfriars is set to welcome visitors again in late 2025 thanks to a successful bid for £3m in funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and partner organisations. ASBC Heritage & Conservation Specialists are dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the nation’s historic structures, making them a perfect fit for such a restoration project. Dating back to 1230, Greyfriars is believed to be the oldest-surviving Franciscan friary building in the country, having served the community in various roles over the centuries including as a Free School, a Jersey knitting and spinning school, a house of correction, a mechanics institute and the county museum. Heritage Lincolnshire will work with community partners to create a multi-use space for events, conferences, weddings, learning and other creative uses in this historic part of the city. The project will deliver an exciting programme of activities and events to celebrate the history of Greyfriars and provide learning opportunities for a broad audience. Cllr Joshua Wells, Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economic Growth at City of Lincoln Council, said: “I am very pleased that the necessary funds from the National Lottery Heritage Fund have been secured to bring the Greyfriars building back into use, and that the construction phase has begun. The building is so steeped in history and culture, and it will become an even more unique and treasured asset to the city once made more accessible for visitors.” Tracy Stringfellow, Chief Executive at Heritage Lincolnshire added: “I am incredibly excited to start the next stage of this project at the iconic Greyfriars. A tremendous amount of work has been going on behind the scenes, with City of Lincoln colleagues we have been working closely with the Heritage Fund to bring about appointment of our construction partner, Alan Staley Building Contractors Ltd. We can’t wait to see work progress and for Greyfriars to begin serving the community once again.”