Community projects, sports clubs, parish councils and village halls are set to flourish after more than £100,000 was awarded to them through Lincolnshire Community Foundation’s Grassroots scheme.
The popular grants scheme has been funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), distributed by Boston Borough Council, and aims to support projects in bringing people together through many methods, including improving facilities and boosting volunteering opportunities.
The GRASSroots scheme has now awarded almost £300,000 of funding to 20 projects across the borough. This, in turn, has leveraged additional match funding, meaning that the total investment in parish, village hall and community projects through the scheme in Boston has totalled more than £500,000.
In this round, a total of £103,441 has been distributed among:
The Community Growers CIC – Replacement of the timber frame, glass frame, doors and roof vent system of a glasshouse used for community planting activities plus internal paving.
Wigtoft Village Hall – Renovations throughout, including re-decoration, new flooring and updating of toilets.
Brothertoft Village Hall – Renovation works to the hall and addition of equipment including hot water heater, electric oven and renovations to toilets.
Old Leake Community Centre – New suspended ceiling and hall redecoration.
Thistles Market Garden, Sutterton – Purchase of a larger mini bus to enable more local residents to access the services offered by the Market Garden.
Boston Tennis Club – Updating clubhouse seating and carpets.
Wigtoft Bowls Club – Relaying the patio area and improving access to bowls green, to enable a greater range of residents to access the club.
Steps To The Future Good Neighbourhood Scheme – Supply and enable craft activities.
Councillor Anne Dorrian, leader of Boston Borough Council, said: “This UKSPF funded grant scheme has been extremely popular, and I’m delighted to see the profound impact it is having on many communities across our borough.
“I want to congratulate the latest recipients, who I’m sure will make the most of the funding they have been awarded and will use the money to really make a difference to their communities.
“We are lucky to have some funds left and I would encourage community organisations such as sports clubs, community learning clubs, parish councils and village halls to make contact with the Lincolnshire Community Foundation team and enquire about the next round of GRASSroots support because this is likely to be the final round.”
Boston Borough Council reports progress in tackling fly-tipping
Boston Borough Council has reported progress in reducing fly-tipping across the borough. In the first quarter of last year, 1,439 fly-tipping incidents were reported. This year, the same period has seen a 10.63% decrease.
Key to the success has been a multi-faceted approach that includes increasing fine levels to meet government limits, installing new CCTV systems, conducting more targeted patrols, relocating litter bins, and implementing an identifiable waste scheme. Additionally, a recent education scheme has played a vital role in reducing these incidents.
Councillor Butler highlighted the council’s efficiency in clearing waste, thanking the dedicated crews and partners for their hard work. “We are one of the most efficient councils in tackling fly-tipping, and this achievement is a testament to our committed team and community partners.
“In the past 12 months, the council’s enforcement team has issued 237 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for fly-tipping. We will continue to advocate for central government to take fly-tipping more seriously nationwide, ensuring our efforts contribute to a cleaner, safer environment for all.”
Image: Boston, Lincolnshire – credit: Stock.adobe.com/Tony
Final South Holland GRASSroots awards take investment in community projects to almost £800k
The final awards for the UK Shared Prosperity Funded (UKSPF) GRASSroots grant scheme have been announced, with almost £650,000 awarded over the past year through the South Holland District Council scheme, distributed by Lincolnshire Community Foundation.
With match funding leveraged, just under £800,000 has been invested in parishes, village halls and community projects in South Holland through the programme, which is now closed for new expressions of interest.
GRASSroots first began awarding grants 12 months ago, and has supported 40 community projects, sports clubs, parish councils and village halls to meet their aim of bringing people together through many methods including improving facilities and boosting volunteering opportunities.
This latest round of funding, which totals £235,981, brings the scheme to an end in South Holland, however applications are still being accepted elsewhere in the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, in Boston Borough and the East Lindsey district.
In this round, awards have been distributed to:
Surfleet Play and Recreation Charity – To repair and replace equipment in the children’s play area, install a shelter for the Forest School and install safety signage around the park.
West Pinchbeck Village Hall – Replacement of existing boiler, installation of disabled toilet/improvement to toilet blocks and disabled access, resurfacing of car park and replacement of two windows.
Holbeach Amateur Theatrical Society – New lighting and sound equipment.
Deeping St Nicholas Parish Council – Redevelopment of St Nicholas Park.
Sutton Bridge Parish Council – Development and refurbishment of play area.
Crowland Town Bowling Club – New clubhouse.
Gedney Drove End and Dawsmere Village Hall – Upgrading of electric wiring, installation of kitchen extractor fan and signage for the hall.
Fleet Parish Council – Renovation of the playing field with more accessibility for disabled users.
Holbeach United Community Sport Academy – New lighting and redecoration of academy building.
Weston St Mary Village Hall – Upgrading the village hall, replacing the floor, fire doors, patio and fencing.
Marjorum Beehive Association Ltd – Replacement of hall’s warped wooden floor and redesign of male toilet to include ramp and changing facilities.
Sutton St Edmund Parish Council – Installation of outdoor gym equipment.
Councillor Paul Redgate, deputy leader and portfolio holder for finance, said: “I am so pleased that we have marked this milestone just 12 months after the first awards were made by Lincolnshire Community Foundation.
“This investment marks a once in a generation investment by the council.
“There has been a huge demand for this grant scheme and those who have been successful have demonstrated what can be achieved with the right combination of suitable funding and passion.
“All of the recipients have used the funding to help to build their communities and improve their facilities or volunteering opportunities – and that’s exactly what we wanted to see happening with the UKSPF funding.
“I hope that these final recipients make the most of their awards, and I look forward to seeing the results of their work.”
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/Stockfotos-MG
Classic Ibiza brings Balearic vibes to beautiful Burghley House
Classic Ibiza made a triumphant return to Burghley House near Stamford on Saturday evening, with Stephen Hussey’s 32-piece Urban Soul Orchestra leading a capacity audience on a five hour journey of the very-best in Balearic-infused house music.
Performing 16 new orchestrations in a set of over 40 dance classics, the show clearly hit a chord with the Lincolnshire crowd, with one attendee saying: “You blew us away!!! Utterly amazing.” You can check-out all the feedback for yourself on Classic Ibiza’s Facebook page.
Classic Ibiza’s Lisa Ward comments: “What a way to mark our return to the absolutely stunning grounds of Burghley House. A huge shout out goes to Urban Soul Orchestra, our DJs and crew for serving up a delicious taste of the White Isle right here in Lincolnshire.
“A massive thankyou also goes to our incredible Burghley House audience – you are the ones that bring the Classic Ibiza vibe that makes the show so special. We can’t wait to party with you again next summer.”
The concert began at 5.30pm with a Chill-Out DJ Set, as the crowd settled into the show’s family-friendly atmosphere over their picnics. Former Pacha Ibiza resident, DJ Jose Luis then took control of the decks for his Afro/Latin House Set, which included a live jamming session with members of USO. Next up, USO and former Ibiza Rocks resident, DJ Krystal Roxx, took centre stage for the San Miguel Sundowner Set, reinventing these iconic dance tracks:
Go (Moby), The Cure & The Cause (Fish Go Deep), Killer (Adamski), Unfinished Sympathy (Massive Attack), Theme From S-Express (S’Express), Missing (Everything But The Girl), Cola (CamelPhat), What Is Love (Haddaway), Rhythm Is A Dancer (Snap!), You Don’t Know Me (Armand Van Helden), For An Angel (Paul van Dyke), We Come 1 (Faithless), Children (Robert Miles), 9 PM (Till I Come) (ATB), Destination Calabria (Alex Gaundino), Needin’ U (David Morales).
USO took a break during Krystal Roxx’s Deep House DJ Set, a generation-busting mix of Ibizan anthems. They were then reunited on stage for the Dance Set, performing these knock-out tracks, accompanied by an incredible laser light show:
Don’t You Want Me (Felix), Castles In The Sky (Ian Van Dahl), Pump Up The Jam (Technotronic), Superstylin’ (Groove Armada), The Key, The Secret (Urban Cookie Collective), Zombie Nation (Bass Drifter), Adagio For Strings (Tiësto), Insomnia (Faithless), Breathe (The Prodigy), Gonna Make You Sweat (C & C Music Factory), King Of My Castle (Wamdue Project), Need U 100% (Duke Damont), On A Ragga Tip (SL2), Silence (Dilerium), Anthem (N-Joi), Dirty Cash (Money Talks) (Adventures of Stevie V), Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless) (Crystal Waters), Space Cowboy (Jamiroquai), U Sure Do (Strike), I’m Not Alone (Calvin Harris), Freed From Desire (Gala), Not Over Yet (Grace).
The concert then drew to a close at 11pm following an encore of these firm Classic Ibiza favourites: Born Slippy (Underworld), Waiting All Night (Rudimental), Sandstorm (Darude).
Classic Ibiza will return to Burghley House on Saturday 26 July 2025, with tickets going on sale this Thursday, 1 August, via classicibiza.co.uk. The show was proud to support East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.
Image credit: David Evans Photography
Lincoln Castle welcomes 100,000th visitor after three-year restoration
Lincoln Castle guide Mike Lewis has welcomed the 100,000th visitor for a tour of the grounds of historic Lincoln Castle since its three-year restoration was finished in 2015..
Kim Vickers, Lincoln Castle general manager, said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the milestone of welcoming the 100,000th person to experience one of our guided tours at Lincoln Castle, a testament to the dedication and passion of our volunteer guides from the Friends of Lincoln Castle.
“Their commitment to delivering exceptional tours and providing comprehensive training and recruitment for new guides is truly remarkable.
“The positive feedback we continually receive from our visitors highlights the significant impact these tours have on their experience. We are incredibly grateful for the invaluable contribution of our volunteers, and we look forward to continuing this successful collaboration for many years to come.”
Guided rounds tours are available to visitors with a day ticket and Annual Pass holders, and are led by one of FOLC’s specialist guides.
Lasting between 45 minutes and an hour, the tours explore the area of the bailey within the castle walls, and is ideal both for those who seek an introduction to the historic site, as well as for anyone who wants to delve deeper into the colourful history of the castle.
Buyer sought as Lincolnshire manufacturer falls into administration
A Lincolnshire manufacturer has fallen into administration, with a buyer being sought for the business.
Gareth Harris and Deviesh Raikundalia of RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of MTAG Composites Ltd, MTAG (Holdings) Ltd and Electric Future Group Ltd on Friday 12 July 2024.
Based in Coningsby, MTAG Composites is the trading company in the group and is a manufacturer of moulded composite parts for the rail, aerospace, automotive, construction and leisure sectors, producing items such as train interiors, aircraft seating and boats.
Whilst viable options were being considered, the administrators took the decision to temporarily cease day-to-day operations immediately upon their appointment.
Following an accelerated and detailed review of the financial position, the administrators have decided to recommence day-to-day operations on a limited basis to align with the timetable for an accelerated sales process.
Thus far, the administrators have made minimal redundancies but have retained all of the operational and production staff on a ‘lay-off’ basis. The administrators understand that employees had not been paid for some time prior to their appointment and they are working with the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) to ensure that those affected receive their statutory entitlements at the earliest possible opportunity.
Gareth Harris, restructuring advisory partner at RSM UK and joint administrator, said: “The decision to recommence operations demonstrates the commitment of all stakeholders to attempt to save this business and the livelihoods of the staff. Although not at full operational capacity, ongoing production will assist us in finding a buyer for all or part of the businesses.”
Deviesh Raikundalia, restructuring advisory director at RSM UK and joint administrator, added: “We have received significant interest in the acquisition of the business in the short time that we have been undertaking the sales process. We are continuing to engage with all parties who have expressed an interest in acquiring all or part of the businesses.
“Staff that we have retained since our appointment will continue to be paid and we appreciate the commitment and patience shown by the employees to date.”
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/NAMPIX
East Midlands Railway encourages people to get on board with volunteering
Charity Carers First and East Midlands Railway are joining forces in a project that will raise the visibility of local services for Lincolnshire’s unpaid carers and support more people to benefit from volunteering.
Carers First works directly with, and for carers to provide personalised information and tailored support in the way that suits them, helping them find balance, and to live their lives to the fullest.
In Lincolnshire, Carers First volunteers have the opportunity to support unpaid carers in a range of activities, as well as helping raise much needed funds for local carer events.
The Community Fundraiser and Promotion Volunteers will help with fundraising events and organise activities in their local community. For example, volunteers have previously helped to raise over £700 in a bucket collection at Lincoln City Football Club.
Ellie Boon, Volunteer Manager at Carers First, said: “Volunteering can be such a good thing to do, whether you’re looking for a way to connect with your community, learn some new skills, find a job, or feel committed to supporting carers.
“We really value our volunteers here at Carers First, and we provide them with support and training. We’re a small and friendly team, and volunteers make an enormous difference to the work we do and to the support we can provide to unpaid carers.”
Increased community presence for Carers First will help more people recognise themselves as carers and raise awareness of the support and services available to them.
The project, funded by the East Midlands Railway Foundation, aims to attract new community fundraising and promotions volunteers to increase awareness and raise funds for carer events, activities, and projects.
Those who volunteer will be given all the training and support they need and will have the opportunity to volunteer for additional roles available within Carers First or other local organisations.
For carers, the outcomes of this project will include improved emotional wellbeing, greater recognition, feeling more valued and included, more people identifying as carers, and reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Locally, they aim to increase the awareness of Carers First services and of carers within communities, as well as improving relationships with local support organisations.
For Carers First, the project will create an expanded support network and an increased awareness of the needs of carers, as well as stronger referral pathways.
Freemason Golfers give St Barnabas Hospice a £5,000 boost
Lincolnshire’s golfing Freemasons have given St Barnabas Hospice £5,000 – enough to fund 250 hours of in-home care, or more than 50 hours of doctor’s care to balance medications for individual patients, or two syringe drivers.
The money was raised at the Lincolnshire Freemasons’ Golfing Association centenary match played at the Seacroft course in Skegness. It topped up the Association’s charity fundraising efforts over its 100-year life to £50,000, all of which was given to good causes in Lincolnshire.
This year running the Hospice will cost £14m, half of which must be raised by the Hospice itself. Receiving the cheque from the golfers Caroline Swindin said: “The Hospice is working through a five-year recovery and growth plan. Funding is a challenge; we were hoping to receive a 2% increase this year, but we actually got just 0.6%. Added to that we are dealing with more complex cases, with complications caused by people suffering long Covid.”
She added: ” All donations are gratefully received, and will help us to continue delivering care not only in the in-patient unit in Lincoln, but also at Wellbeing Centres in Grantham, Louth, Boston, Gainsborough, and Spalding, and through our ‘Hospice at Home’ service, through which staff visit patients in the own homes.”
Communities share in a further £270,000 funding round
Community projects, sports clubs, parish councils, and village halls have been given a share in £270,000 through Lincolnshire Community Foundation’s Grassroots scheme.
The scheme has been funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), distributed by East Lindsey District Council, and aims to support projects in bringing people together through many methods, including improving facilities and boosting volunteering opportunities.
In this round, a total of £272,656 has been distributed among:
East Barkwith PCC – Significant capital works, with substantial match funding, including a new servery and toilet facilities.
High Toynton PCC – Refurbishment of toilet, small kitchen and storage within the Church. This compliments the previous £12,000 grant given to the PCC made under UKSPF and significant co-investment from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Woodhall Spa Cottage Museum – Provision of craft events and materials for community events and resources to re-open the tourist and heritage information hub for the local community. Furthermore, support will be offered to improve safety measures at the site and increase the availability of the site to visitors and residents alike.
Alford Squash Club – Replacement of wooden court floors and upgrading of court walls.
Authorpe Village Hall – Making the village hall more accessible, replacing fire doors and fitting a disabled toilet.
Wainfleet Methodist Church and Community Centre – New kitchen fitted, commercial equipment including dishwasher, fridge and hot holding cupboard.
Coningsby Community Hall – Complete refurbishment of ladies’ toilets/cloakroom.
Spilsby Christian Fellowship – Installation of a new suspended ceiling and ramp access to front and rear of building.
Evergreens Miniature Railway – Making the railway more accessible through renovating the station, allowing more local miniature railway enthusiasts to access the provision.
Burgh Le Marsh Town Council – Restoration of historic features within the town, including heritage railings, the replacement of the Tinkers Green entrance gates and new sheltered seating.
Carrington Village Hall – Replacement of village hall’s flat roof.
Binbrook Parish Council – Renovations to green spaces and improvements to encourage physical activity for residents, including exercise equipment and play equipment for young people.
JB’s Community Outreach – A programme of sports events for children and young people, including football and netball.
Welton Le Marsh Village Hall – Funds to support the renovation of the Village Hall, including renovation of toilet facilities.
Winthorpe Community Partnership – Capital renovations to a local facility as well as services to support young people in the local area.
The Storehouse, Skegness – Replacement of doors and front windows.
Grimoldby Football Club – Equipment to support the local football team and to expand engagement with football in the local area.
Councillor Steve Kirk, portfolio holder for the coastal economy, and Councillor Adam Grist, portfolio holder for market towns and the rural economy, said: “We are thrilled to see so many of the district’s community initiatives receiving funding from this popular UKSPF funded scheme, as the number of projects supported surpasses 50, drawn from across our district.
“Substantial investment has been made in play equipment and support for young people, including through sport and youth work, as well as improvements to green spaces and community facilities throughout East Lindsey.
“This is a substantial down-payment on the future of our rural communities, which we have further sustained through an additional investment of £250,000 made in the GRASSroots scheme by East Lindsey District Council through our Community Reserve Fund.
“This means the fund can stay open for longer and can continue to make a difference for more local communities.
“Each award will have a huge impact to each project and the communities they support – and we look forward to seeing the results.
“There is still funding available for projects who have not yet applied, so we would encourage those groups to get in touch with the Lincolnshire Community Foundation to find out more.”
The GRASSroots scheme has already awarded over £750,000 of funding to 57 projects across the district. When combined with the additional match funding contributed by applicants and third-party funders, over £1.1m of funding has been provided to parish councils, village halls and community projects directly, leveraged by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund in East Lindsey District.
Lincoln’s London Camera Exchange welcomes new models from CANON with pre-order deal
Lincoln’s London Camera Exchange is preparing to offer the recently annouced new models from CANON, with a half price Lexor 128GB CF Express card when bought as part of a pre-order.
The CANON EOS R5 Mark II & EOS R1 can be pre-ordered now, for those ready to be among the first to own one of the new flagship models.
CANON has revealed full specifications for the highly anticipated flagship EOS R1 and an exciting release with the EOS R5 Mark II. Both cameras feature stacked full-frame sensors, high-resolution RAW internal video recording, fast continuous burst shooting, a new DIGIC Accelerator, and Action Priority mode.
Ideal for sports, news, and action photographers aiming to capture career-defining moments, the EOS R1 helps you get ahead and redefine your photographic potential with speed, precision, and advanced technology.
For photographers and filmmakers across all genres – from wildlife and reportage to portrait photography, filmmaking, interviews, and documentaries – the EOS R5 Mark II empowers you to create your most innovative work yet.
To pre-order visit: https://www.lcegroup.co.uk/Promotion/Canon+EOS+R+Launch_2447.html
