Parkinson’s UK celebrates 40th anniversary in Grantham
Parkinson’s UK’s Grantham branch is celebrating its 40th year supporting local people who are living with the condition and their loved ones. The branch arranges regular meetings, outings and activities and provides information, advice, support and friendship for people with Parkinson’s and their friends, family and carers.
The Grantham branch is regularly attended by many people from the local community living with Parkinson’s, and to mark its 40th anniversary, the group arranged a celebration lunch for everyone to come together and share their favourite memories of the group.
The 40th Anniversary event was held at the Guildhall in Grantham in May. 80 people attended, including the Mayor Parkinson’s UK’s Chief Executive Caroline Rassell and Brenda Kinnish, a founding member of the group.
Debbie Gaskell, Local Volunteer Officer at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s can be a shock and adapting to life with the condition can be hard for the person involved and their loved ones too. But we know that getting the right information and support at the right time can make all the difference.
“That’s why it’s important to celebrate that the Grantham branch has been running for over 40 years. The group has such an important part to play for those people in Lincolnshire, and hope to be part of the local community for many more years to come.”
The group meets regularly every Wednesday, the first Wednesday of each month venue varies and the second, third and fourth are at the Church Hall of St John the Evangelist, Manthorpe, 10 High Road, Grantham, NG31 8NF. The sessions start at 1.30pm and finish at 3pm. The meetings include various speakers as well as many activities such as singing sessions, tennis, exercise to music and many social outings.
Caroline Rassell, CEO at Parkinson’s UK, said: “The Grantham branch demonstrates the strength and resilience of the Parkinson’s community. Their tight-knit support network, built over 40 years, just shows you the power of unity and compassion in facing challenges together. We applaud their dedication and support throughout the years, which continue to uplift and inspire us all.”
Speaking about the anniversary celebrations, Ian Askew, Branch Chair of the Grantham Branch, said: “The celebration lunch was a great afternoon with a wonderful atmosphere, enjoyed by everybody and it was fantastic to have a number of special guests join us, including Brenda who started the branch 40 years ago, the Mayor and Caroline Rassell, CEO at Parkinson’s UK.
“I have been attending the Grantham Branch for almost five years, and it has been wonderful to see the group and activities continue to flourish. It’s been a great opportunity to meet other people in similar situations, and share experiences, make friendships, and to be able to offer a range of regular physical activity sessions which are of such benefit to the Parkinson’s Community.”
Around 153,000 people in the UK are living with Parkinson’s, including around 11,000 people in the East Midlands.
Image: Members of Parkinson’s UK’s Grantham branch celebrate 40 years of support at a special anniversary lunch
Free Discover day to help kids become ‘Marvellous Makers’
Discover, the latest in North Lincolnshire Council’s series of fantastic free family events is back on Saturday 6 July, 11am to 4pm.
This year’s event, held in and around Queen Elizabeth Gardens in Scunthorpe’s Church Square, will launch the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge – Marvellous Makers.
The year’s theme is designed to get youngsters involved in creative experiences, firing up their minds, increasing confidence and inspiring them to tell their own stories, and think about future skills and careers.
There will be dozens of events, exhibits and hands-on activities designed to get five to 13-year-olds playing, participating and thinking.
Wannabe artists can unleash their creativity by helping create enormous action paintings while a madcap Alice in Wonderland walkabout show will keep visitors entertained.
Rhubarb Theatre will be putting on three 30-minute productions in Church Square.
Scunthorpe Central will be signing youngsters up to the Summer Reading Challenge on the day, and the library will be hosting lots of reading activities, including live storytelling, a quiet space, a School of Beatbox workshop, an author discussion, and activities from Study United.
There will be a teen zone featuring an escape room.
The Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire will be opening their doors with exciting science experiments and hands-on activities, including a Harry Potter potion workshop with Lab Rascals and children’s book illustrator Yen Ip, who will be hosting a live drawing activity.
Other activities include guessing what criminals would wear which shoes, a Q&A session with local company Know Media, how to give your dog a health check – and much more.
20-21 Visual Arts Centre will be encouraging children to get creative with activities to unleash their imaginations, including Fabric Lenny, who will be making pieces of art around the centre.
Other creative activities include a polymer art event, a Discover Denim drop-in fashion session, felting and rag-wreath making.
All the usual Discover favourites will be in Church Square, including Humberside Police; Waste Services with a 26 tonne bin lorry; the Fostering team with crafts; NL Families; the Dancing Tiger Scrap Store with a recycled material workshop and the Road Safety team.
Elvis is still in the building after six-month contract lasts more than 40 years
North East Lincolnshire street cleaner Martin ‘Elvis’ Beck, is celebrating more than 40 years in the job, and has no plans to stop working anytime soon.
Known as Elvis by his workmates, he joined the Council when he was 18 in 1978. Starting on a six-month temporary contract, he was assigned to emptying the bins around Cleethorpes for what was then called Humberside Council.
Following the creation of North East Lincolnshire Council in 1996, Martin was transferred to Street Cleansing where he has spent the last 28 years litter picking Grimsby town centre. However, despite his long service, he won’t be stopping anytime soon.
“I tried a number of other jobs before coming here, but I didn’t like them as much as I do this. I was at a bedding shop for about a week and a pop factory in Grimsby for a month too, but I became bored of them all.
“I went on to get a six-month trial with the Council and have been here ever since. This is by far the best job in the world and I’m the happiest I have ever been. Everyone here is great and we all get on with one another.
“Additionally, the job keeps me physically fit as I’m always walking around town and I love talking to people too. The interaction with others is one of my favourite things.
“Some people come up to me just to say how good a job I’m doing and that I’m keeping the town clean.” Martin spends most of his shift litter picking around the town centre, but is often helping out elsewhere across the borough.
However, despite over four decades in the job, he has no plan of stopping anytime soon. “I’ll keep going here until I’m at least 90 if I can, nothing will change my mind on that. If I could do this for 24 hours a day everyday I would, I just love the job and everything it involves.”
North Lincolnshire gets ready for Armed Forces Day
North Lincolnshire Armed Forces Day returns to Scunthorpe on Saturday 22 June with a schedule packed full of parades, displays, military equipment, live music and much more.
The talented The Veterans Big Band will be making a special appearance as part of the jam-packed timetable alongside the flag raising, land-based displays, musical performances and family activities that are all taking place at Brumby Hall Sports Ground in Scunthorpe from 11am to 5pm.
It is always one of the most popular events of the year and a free day out for the family. This year’s line-up is better than ever, with a packed timetable of activities and events for all the family to get involved in.
It’s a chance to show support for the men and women who make up the armed forces community: from those currently in service, to veterans, cadets, and their families.
Things planned to keep the whole family entertained include:
• A parade featuring Cadets and Veterans from the tri-services.
• An interactive Cadet Village with games, challenges and more.
• RAF Air Cadets Band performance.
• Army Cadets Field Drill displays.
• Twin Tigers Martial Arts displays.
• Coritani Creative Taiko Drumming performance.
• Scunthorpe RUFC Exhibition Match.
• Kazbah Theatre ‘Chips & Fish’ puppet performance.
• Climbing Wall.
• Paintball Range.
• Mobile Bike Events BMX bike course – have a go sessions.
• Kids funfair rides.
• Stalls for local groups and organisations.
• Arts, crafts, and creative play.
A range of food and drink stalls will also be there on the day, including ice cream, doughnuts, burgers, Greek street food, cakes, fudge, iced slush, and an outside bar. A dedicated picnic area will be available next to the stage and attendees are welcome to bring their own blankets and camping chairs to use whilst enjoying the event.
A much-anticipated flyover is expected to take place by the legendary Lancaster Bomber, but this is subject to weather conditions on the day and operational requirements.
Hundreds of helicopters sighted in Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance Great Yarn Bomb Challenge
Hundreds of helicopters are landing in communities across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire this weekend creating a cornucopia of colour as part of Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance’s (LNAA) 30th Anniversary.
For months, dedicated crafters across the two counties have got out their knitting needles and crochet hooks to make hundreds of bright yellow helicopters and post box toppers to help spread the word of the charity’s life-saving work. And LNAA’s Doctor Shayda and Paramedic Chris even met the newest helicopter to join the fleet whilst on shift in the Notts critical care car!
LNAA’s Volunteer Manager, Kate Kerrigan, said: “We have been overwhelmed with the response since we launched the challenge in February and over 800 people have already signed up to create their own woolly masterpiece. Collectively they are spreading the message about the vital work that our crews do every hour of the day, 365 days of the year.”
Helicopters can be seen at shops, pubs, churches and outdoor spaces in villages and towns across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. One has already been spotted on a post box at Burton Joyce, north-east of Nottingham, as well as one at Bramcote’s Chesham Drive post box, and a happy heli is waiting to deck the Grange Road, Hawton Road post box in Newark.
In Lincolnshire at Sandilands, near Sutton on Sea, on the East Coast, a paramedic has been spotted on top of a post box, whilst just up the road at Trusthorpe, a host of helis have joined the congregation at the Methodist Chapel.
“We want people to stop and smile when they see a helicopter,” said Kate. “And perhaps also think about how they can help us? There are numerous ways to support the work of LNAA, from fundraising by holding cakes sales or competing in one of our sporting challenges, to volunteering at events and talks.
“LNAA receives no direct government funding and this year, we need to raise £13 million to keep our helicopter flying and critical care cars on the road, bringing emergency treatments to some of the most critically ill and injured people in Lincs and Notts. It is thanks to the generosity and goodwill of our supporters that our crews can provide such critical care.”
The yarn bomb challenge will continue to grow over the summer as more helicopters are created and placed in public spaces, culminating in the Grand Finale in Air Ambulance Week at the beginning of September.
Every helicopter has a label inviting people to snap a photo and share on social media, letting the team at LNAA know where it was spotted. The sighting will then go on a huge map at LNAA Head Quarters, to show how far the knitted and crocheted helicopters have travelled! More details can be found on the website: https://www.ambucopter.org.uk/volunteer-for-us/lincs-knotts-helicopter-challenge/
Crowle’s Peatland Railway stages open days this weekend
Crowle Peatland Railway is open to visitors on June 8th and 9th, offering a glimpse into the past of peat…
The railway was built to move peat extracted for commercial and domestic purposes from animal bedding to amateur gardening, but that’s all stopped now, with the peat seen as a valuable resources for containing carbon.
These days the volunteers at the railway have small restored locos Little Peat and The Thomas Buck, and even a tram rescued and restored from the Portuguese city of Lisbon.
They’ll offer train rides, a tour of the railway buildings, and refreshments in the site’s Moorside Cafe.
The railway’s based at The Old Peatworks off Dole Road in Crowle, DN17 4BL. If you use what3words, search for dabbing.amphibian.line
Get ready for DogFest at Burghley this weekend
Dog lovers and your furry friends, get ready for the weekend you’ve been waiting for – DogFest is coming to Burghley House!
The UK’s favourite dog-friendly festival makes its debut at Burghley House this weekend (Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June), promising a tail-wagging good time for all.
Join for two exciting days where your dogs can shine in the spotlight! Participate in Have-A-Go Activities, Fun Dog Shows, Big Dog Walks, Breed Meet-Ups, Dog Schools, and much more.
Not forgetting about ‘hoomans,’ there’s plenty to enjoy too! Lots of shopping, delicious food & drink, and top activities for kids – making it a perfect outing for the whole family.
That’s not all! Meet the stars of the dog world – TikTok sensations, Crufts champions, Dog World legends, and big-screen icons including the chance to see 2024’s Britain’s Got Talent finalists, Lucy Heath & The Trickstars!
Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 June – tickets available to book online or purchase on the day.
Don’t miss out on a pawsome weekend!
Don’t forget, Burghley House, Gardens & Adventure Play are open during DogFest! There’s an entire day of excitement, discovery and history waiting for you. Step inside Burghley House to explore its historic charm, stroll through the vibrant gardens, and embark on an epic adventure at Hide & Secrets — all open throughout the weekend. Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/VasylArmed Forces lunch invitation extended to D-Day veterans
An invitation is being extended to any Lincolnshire veterans of the D-Day operations to join in a lunch being held to celebrate the contributions of our Armed Forces: past, present and future.
The 80th anniversary of the June 6 D-Day (Normandy) Landings will be the theme for North Kesteven District Council’s annual veterans’ lunch on June 24, which is a significant part of its Armed Forces Day activity and specifically celebrates the individual and collective service of veterans spanning many decades through the presentation of Veteran’s Badges.
D-Day veteran Les Budding (98) who has returned to the event regularly after receiving his Veteran’s Badge at the lunch a few years ago, is hopeful of meeting others who participated in the legendary tri-service international allied offensive by land, sea and air.
Royal Marine Les was 18 years old when he served on board Landing Craft Flak 34, charged with providing covering fire for the first wave of troops who stormed Sword Beach on June 6, 1944.
Preceded by an airborne force of over 18,000 men, more than 132,000 troops landed on the shores of Normandy to start what is widely regarded to be the beginning of the liberation of France during the Second World War. Recorded as the largest-ever seaborne invasion, 7,000 ships took part, and air operations – some of them locally-based – played a critical role both in advance of, and on the day of the assault.
North Kesteven District Council Chairman Cllr Andrew Hagues said: “It is fitting in this significant anniversary year that the immense courage and bravery of all of those involved is remembered, celebrated and commemorated.
“We know that there are regrettably very few of those men – and women, who supported the operation in myriad ways too – still alive to share their experiences of that time.
“In celebration of all those who contributed to the Normandy Landings, we would be deeply honoured to host any D-Day veterans, not just from North Kesteven but from across Lincolnshire, who are able to attend our lunch on June 24, alongside our more recent veteran guests.
“This really would reinforce the principle of Armed Forces Day recognising past present and future service.”
The invitation-only lunch will be held at the North Kesteven District Council Civic Suite in Sleaford, between noon and around 3pm.
It will feature some 1940s entertainment from the singer Jayne Darling, themed readings and the presentation of Veterans’ Badges to those who have applied in recognition of their period of service within the Army, Royal Air Force, Royal or Merchant Navy as a regular, reservist or through National Service in the past.
It will follow the usual Armed Forces Day flag raising ceremony in Sleaford Market Place between 10.30am and 11am. This is open to the public to attend.
To nominate a D-Day veteran for the lunch, and discuss arrangements, please contact the Council’s Partnerships Team on 01529 414155 or email: armedforces@n-kesteven.gov.uk before June 12. D-Day veteran guests may be joined by a companion.
Picture: Veterans at previous Armed Forces Day lunch. Image credit: North Kesteven District Council
University leads on pilot scheme in Lincolnshire pharmacies
A community mental health service led by researchers at the University of Lincoln, UK, has been successfully piloted in pharmacies across Lincolnshire.
Over a six-month period in 2023, the pilot offered in-person aid across selected Lincolnshire Co-op pharmacies to those experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or domestic abuse. The response scheme was conducted by a group of researchers from the Universities of Lincoln, Nottingham, York, and King’s College London.
Just as a lifeguard would provide a watchful eye over swimmers to prevent them from getting into difficulty, the Lifeguard Pharmacy service trained 37 professional pharmacy staff, referred to as “Lifeguards”, across eight pharmacies in Lincolnshire to appropriately signpost those who were in danger of harm from themselves or somebody else.
Pharmacy staff reported that after their training, they felt better equipped to identify safeguarding issues with their regular customers, which they were previously unskilled in. The service has left a legacy of trained professionals working in community pharmacies, who are better equipped to identify and support those in crisis.
Following completion of the pilot, discussions are underway to develop a commissioned offering via an integrated care service, as the project identified the potential to support local communities across services in a broader setting.
Josie Solomon, Professor in Human-centered Health at the University of Lincoln and Lifeguard project lead said: “We worked extensively with members of the public and with local services to create the service. People were extremely supportive and keen to help. The feedback from patients, pharmacy staff and the public has shown clear support for a quality assured service like Lifeguard Pharmacy.”
Jeff Law, Honorary Teaching Practitioner at the University of Lincoln and trained community pharmacist, commented: “This project has given some much-needed options and training to deal with some difficult situations that we encounter in the community. The support from the Lifeguard team has been fantastic and really helpful in supporting our staff assist some very vulnerable patients who otherwise may have been overlooked.”
The University of Lincoln is now working with Community Pharmacy Lincolnshire, the Local Pharmaceutical Committee, with the hope of training additional “Lifeguards” in key locations and developing a sustainable service to be rolled out more widely in the county and beyond, offering a lifeline for community-based pharmacies and reducing health inequalities.
The research project, “Responding to people in danger: A feasibility study to co-develop a community pharmacy response service for domestic violence and suicidal ideation” was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and received an award of £407,595.23.
Mamma Mia! The fabulous Australian ABBA Show ‘Björn Again’ to perform at Grimsthorpe Castle
Grimsthorpe Castle plays host to the top ABBA Show ‘Björn Again’ on Saturday 17th August.
Björn Again has also played at such prestigious venues as Wembley Arena, the Royal Albert Hall, the London Palladium, Hyde Park and even Glastonbury!
At the spectacular setting of Grimsthorpe, you can relax and enjoy all the ABBA hits from ‘Waterloo’ to ‘Mamma Mia’ and the unforgettable ‘Dancing Queen.’
Don’t miss this amazing ABBA evening performed by Europe’s leading ABBA tribute show Björn Again.
Secure your tickets today on https://livepromotions.co.uk/bjorn-again/
