Lincolnshire councils are drawing up new plans to sustain the county’s tourism promotion after Destination Lincolnshire ceased trading earlier this year. The organisation, which managed a visitor website and promoted the region, went into administration in May, and its staff were made redundant.

Council officers across the county have since increased collaboration to ensure tourism support continues. Led by Lincolnshire County Council, the group is meeting more frequently to coordinate efforts and maintain momentum.

Work is now underway on a new destination management plan, being developed by the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership with Boston and South Holland district councils. This plan will include specific actions for each district and closer engagement with businesses in the visitor economy.

The aim is to strengthen the county’s profile, attract more visitors, and protect the economic benefits linked to tourism, with the new framework designed to replace the gap left by Destination Lincolnshire.

While details are still being finalised, the focus will be on sustaining events, supporting local enterprises, and creating strategies that can boost jobs and growth through the visitor economy.

  Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/Nicola

For many critically ill newborn babies, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is the first home they will ever know. Some of these at-risk babies rely on the units’ specialist care and treatments to overcome trauma suffered during their birth. Thanks to a generous legacy donation to the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity, the NICUs at Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital, Boston have received a revolutionary machine that is invaluable in treating newborns who are deprived of oxygen before or shortly after birth. Practice Development Nurse, Dave Speck said: “When complications happen during labour, a baby can be deprived of oxygen, leading to injury to the brain. It is essential that we treat them straight away, by cooling their body temperature. We have just six hours to do this and prevent potential brain damage or other complications that can impact the child’s entire life. “The Criticool is a system to assist with this treatment of ‘therapeutic hypothermia’. A cooling blanket is wrapped around the baby and cold water is pumped through tiny tubes which reduces the infant’s body temperature. The baby is carefully monitored and rewarmed to normal body temperature after 72 hours.” Prior to receiving the Criticool system, the only option was to allow the baby to cool down naturally and the NICU Team would request an immediate transfer to a specialist hospital at either Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre or Leicester Royal Infirmary via a specialist ambulance service which was sited at Castle Donington. Time was always against the team working to transfer the baby within the crucial six hours which was distressing for the parents, especially as in some circumstances, they would not be able to travel with their newborn child. Having this equipment within the Neonatal Intensive Care Units guarantees that the team can cool down and stabilise the baby within that critical time and parents can be with their child, holding and getting to know their baby whilst it is being treated. The risk of unrecoverable brain damage and the need for other medical interventions are significantly reduced and the baby can recover quicker and leave hospital sooner. If the baby still needs to be transferred to another hospital, the mother often has had time to recover from giving birth to be able to travel with her child thus preventing parent and child from being separated from each other. United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity Manager, Ben Petts said: “We are incredibly proud to provide these Criticool systems for the hospital neo-natal units. They are truly life-saving pieces of equipment that give our highly specialised medical teams a critical resource in providing exemplary care to our most vulnerable patients.” Gifts in wills account for almost 70% of income for United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity. Leaving a gift in your will to your local hospitals charity will help them continue providing those additional extras to support thousands of future Lincolnshire patients. More information can be found on the website: http://www.ulhcharity.org.uk/wills   Image: Lincoln County Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit’s Practice Development Nurse, Dave Speck demonstrating the Criticool system.

Construction of the new Horizon Youth Zone in Grimsby has reached a key milestone, marking a significant step forward for the project ahead of its completion later this year. The new multi-million pound facility, located on Garth Lane in Grimsby town centre, is now water-tight and the scaffolding has been removed, revealing the building’s exterior, highlighting the incredible restoration of a Grade II listed building – and bringing the project visibly closer to completion. This site, which was formerly home to the West Haven Maltings and Migar House buildings, has been transformed by Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter. The project has seen the restoration and repurposing of the Grade II listed 19^th century maltings and grain stores, as well as building a major new sports hall alongside a large outdoor multi-use games area (MUGA). Lucy Ottewell-Key, CEO of Horizon Youth Zone, said: “We’ve reached a significant milestone, with major structural work now complete. It’s incredibly exciting to see the progress that has been made and how the building reflects the area’s heritage. As interior work continues, it’s amazing to see the scale and impact of what we’re bringing to the community taking shape.” Set to complete in Autumn, Horizon will feature state-of-the-art facilities – designed to inspire, support, and empower young people aged eight to 19 (and up to 25 for those with additional needs). This space will feature a climbing wall, music room with built in recording studio, performing arts space, arts and crafts, a maker zone with 3D printing equipment and kiln, and sports amenities, including a 3G kick pitch, boxing gym, sport hall and fitness suite. The Youth Zone will also feature a dedicated Enterprise and Employability suite, sponsored by Cornerstone Patron Ørsted, helping young people to develop skills and explore local career opportunities. Horizon Youth Zone expects to welcome over 3,000 young people within its first year of opening.