“Backed by over £16 million of government funding these new landscape-scale projects will drive collaboration and supercharge peatland restoration across the country to tackle climate change and fight biodiversity loss.”
Government puts more money into Lincolnshire peatland restoration
Thousands of hectares of peatlands including two in Lincolnshire are set to be restored with financial help to help tackle climate change and recover biodiversity.
The Fens East Peat Partnership will restore over 1,300 hectares of peatland in the Fens East, which includes agricultural peatlands and landscapes already being restored. The partnership will share knowledge and expertise with practitioners facing similar challenges across peatland landscapes.
In the Humberhead Levels the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust will restore relic raised bogs which have historically been drained for agriculture or for fuel. Restoration activities will see action to control scrub and improve water level management to improve the landscape. Community events and training days will also be delivered to engage local landowners in peat restoration.
The work is part of a Government investment of more than £50 million in peat restoration, building on its pledge to restore approximately 35,000 hectares of peatland in England by the end of this Parliament, and leave the environment in a better state for future generations.
Peatlands are an iconic feature of England’s landscape – often referred to as “our national rainforest”. They contain over half of the country’s terrestrial carbon stores and provide a haven for wildlife, as well as supporting better water quality and natural flood management.
However, 87% of England’s peatlands, including lowland peatlands are degraded, damaged and dried out, emitting tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The funding from government will help restore these environments, in turn helping protect wildlife and restore their critical ability to manage water quality and reduce the risk of flooding.
The projects being awarded funding stretch from Somerset to County Durham and will see iconic peatland habitat, such as the Great North Bog, Dorset Heaths and the Lincolnshire Fens restored.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “Our peatlands hold over half of our terrestrial store of carbon, but with just 1% in a near natural state and soils drying out we must take urgent action to prevent further carbon from being emitted into the atmosphere.
New £5.5m training centre welcomes first young engineers
A new £5.5m training centre will launch the engineering careers of more than 60 young learners now it is open for business.
The new arrivals at the building at Pioneer Business Park in Stallingborough are among 250 taking up courses at three sites owned and operated by Humberside Engineering and Training Association (HETA).
The new centre is purpose-built and provides facilities for electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and fabrication and welding, with an IT suite, classrooms and meeting rooms.
It sits at the heart of North East Lincolnshire Council’s £42m South Humber Industrial Investment Programme (SHIIP) area, which is being promoted as a major industrial development opportunity.
Iain Elliott, HETA’s Chief Executive, said: “This is the culmination of about nine years of thought, discussion and planning – and more than a few sleepless nights. We couldn’t have picked a worse time to build it. We exited Covid, the war started in Ukraine, material costs were soaring and supply of materials and labour were an issue. But we were only two weeks late and we were on budget.”
The total investment is £5.5m, broken down into a build cost of about £4.2m with land purchase, fees and VAT making up the rest.
Iain added: “It’s a £5.5m investment in the future of engineering training in North East Lincolnshire and beyond. It’s for those people who are coming out of school and want to take engineering as a career and for employers who need that skilled labour coming through. We know young people are now seeing apprenticeships and engineering and other technical trades as a viable alternative to university.”
Image shows HETA CEO Iain Elliott outside the new centre.
Louth to stage its first food and drink festival on Lincolnshire Day
A new celebration and showcase of Lincolnshire food and drink producers comes to Louth on Sunday 1 October, as part of the town’s inaugural Food and Drink Festival – and it’s already fully booked with stallholders.
The Festival, organised by East Lindsey District Council, will take place on Lincolnshire Day from 10am to 4pm, and will welcome over 60 different stalls to the town centre featuring a variety of different food and drink businesses, primarily from the Greater Lincolnshire area.
There should be something for all tastes to enjoy, with products on sale including local cheeses, chutneys, cakes, pastries, wines, beers, tacos, pizza, gin, waffles, fudge, fries, chocolate, ice cream and much more.
As well as stalls to buy the delicious delicacies there will also be demonstrations from local suppliers and venues throughout the day, as well as live music and a children’s area, featuring pop-up shows from Rhubarb Theatre performing The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
The Festival is being held as part of the Council’s Vital and Viable Market Towns initiative, working with local communities to protect, promote and preserve East Lindsey’s market towns. The Festival is designed to promote the nationally recognised unique food and drink offer in Louth and the surrounding area.
Councillor Adam Grist, East Lindsey District Council portfolio holder for Market Towns and Rural Economy, said: “We are immensely proud of the fantastic variety of high-quality food and drink businesses on offer in Louth and the surrounding area, and it will be fantastic to see residents, visitors and traders coming together to celebrate and explore for themselves.
“Whether you’re a sweet or savoury person, or if you like a tipple or something non-alcoholic, I can guarantee there will be something new for you to try that is being grown, made, baked or brewed right here in Lincolnshire. I would encourage everyone to save the date and come along to support our brilliant local businesses and producers and help to put Louth and East Lindsey on the culinary map.”
Council closes more shops after illegal cigarette sales
Lincolnshire Trading Standards has closed two more shops for selling illicit tobacco – taking this year’s tally to 12 closure.
The latest two shops to be closed on 11 August – The Corner Shop on Eastgate in Louth, and Mini Market Shop on High Street, Boston – mean eight different shops have been forced to close since the start of July 2023.
Issued by the courts, closure orders make it illegal for anyone to enter the shop building, except in exceptional circumstances, and can be issued for up to three months.
The service has just had its 29th closure order issued since 2020. The orders cover 19 different shops across Boston, Lincoln, Louth and Spalding – with some stores being forced to close two or three times as illegal trading continued.
Principal Lincolnshire Trading Standards officer, Andy Wright, said: “Unfortunately, in most towns in Lincolnshire there are shops that sell illegal cigarettes and vapes. On the face of it, they will often look they sell food items as a façade to mask the true purpose of the shop, which is to sell the illegal products.
“Together with Lincolnshire Police, we’re working hard to disrupt the illegal tobacco market in the county. And the Courts have been very receptive to our applications and have granted the maximum closure period of three months in respect of all but one of the premises, which received a two month closure.
“There’s a definite link between the sale of illegal cigarettes and other crime. We’re focusing our efforts largely in areas where residents have indicated that they feel at risk from crime and anti-social behaviour.
“In some areas, such closure orders have led to a 12% reduction in reported anti-social behaviour and a 16% reduction in violent crime. In short, we’re listening to the concerns of local people and taking action to remove criminals trading in the town, and the related crime they bring.
“After the three month closure period has ended, we fully intend to reapply for further closures if the illegal activity is still happening. This is exactly what we’ve done on West Street in Boston where Bucharest, Europlus, and Tatry (now Market Azadi) have all been closed on three separate occasions for a total of nine months each.”
Hip, hip, hurrah! Crematorium gives £12,000 to LIVES from metals recycling scheme
The lifesaving Lincolnshire charity LIVES that provides emergency care in critical situations has been given £12,000 to keep vital volunteers on the road thanks to Lea Fields Crematorium in Gainsborough.
The money’s the latest instalment from £71,000 given to charity though the scheme since Lea Fields opened in 2020. It has come through a national metal recycling scheme run by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management Metal Recycling Scheme, set up so that with the consent from families, orthopaedic implants recovered after cremation are recycled and any money raised is used to give back to bereavement-related charities.
Council Chairman Stephen Bunney said: “LIVES do incredible work providing emergency care to people in critical circumstances. and it is a real privilege to be able to provide them with this cheque.
“Without fantastic schemes like this, metals would have been buried in crematorium grounds, creating potential environmental problems. Recycling ensures that the metals do not contaminate land. A special thank you goes to the bereaved and their families whose decision to recycle is helping to raise much-needed funds for local charities.”
West Lindsey District Council sought nominations for a charity to benefit from the donation, which was chosen by Priestley & Cockett Funeral Directors.
Nicola Holmes, Business Leader at Priestley and Cockett said: “We are immensely proud to have nominated LIVES charity to receive this fantastic donation. LIVES play a vital role in our community, providing urgent medical assistance, when it matters the most.
“All of the team here at Priestley and Cockett are so grateful to Lea Fields Crematorium for facilitating this donation. We also want to extend our gratitude to the bereaved families who provided their consent during what is undoubtedly a very difficult and sad time.”
LIVES attend 999 medical emergencies across the county, 365 days a year. Whether they are providing rapid first response support on their doorstep, or highly specialised medical interventions to the most seriously ill patients, they all volunteer their time for free to save lives.
Kirsty Raywood, Head of Income for LIVES Lincolnshire said: “Not only do our Emergency Responders attend 999 medical emergencies; they are there for the family of patients when they need support the most. Suffering a loss is difficult in any situation but our emergency responders are there to try and help make things a little more manageable. LIVES provide the equipment and training to ensure that our Emergency Responders stay on the road.
“We are incredibly grateful for the kind donation of £12,000 from the metal recycling scheme. What an incredible legacy for those people who have donated to the scheme; knowing that the funds raised will ensure that our Emergency Responders can continue to be there for local people when they need help the most.”
Deborah Balsdon, Crematorium Manager at Lea Fields Crematorium highlighted the importance of the scheme. She said: “We are delighted to be able to support another Lincolnshire charity through the ICCM Metal Recycling Scheme. We are very proud to be part of the recycling scheme and none of this would be possible without the family’s consent.”
Open Day tours of Grimsby Docks are now fully booked
With weeks to go until the Port of Grimsby’s Heritage Open Day 2023, guided history walks of the site are fully booked.
The popular annual event, on Saturday 16 September, sees owners ABP showcase the historic buildings so visitors can learn more about their importance but also about the work being done.
Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber ports said: “Grimsby and the Kasbah location is a unique place with so much history and heritage with great progress being made in bringing it back to life.
“It’s great to see how popular the event is with the public. This year there’s an opportunity to learn how it’s being used by the film and TV sector as a location and ABP’s ambitions to pursue this to make the place viable. It’s our catalyst in bringing a new identity to the site.
“We’re supporting the many businesses on the port who are all passionate and keen to showcase what they do. Visitors will be able to tour the Alfred Enderby Smokehouse and learn more about the amazing project that is The Great Escape.”
This year the port is celebrating the theme of ‘creativity unwrapped’ and its architecture, port design, food, crafts, artwork, music, and culture associated with maritime, ports and shipping.
The Turntable Gallery are throwing open their doors for the event and launching their new flagship gallery in Building 88 on Auckland Road with an incredible show by the world-renowned Chad McCail.
Featuring across both gallery sites, Even Rations encompasses both sculptural works and 2D pieces to create an unmissable, installation experience. It’s an opportunity to join Chad and the gallery to celebrate the day and welcome in a new and exciting chapter in their story.
ABP’s guided tours will focus on the history of the port, its historic buildings, and their future, while there will also be an opportunity to explore one of the port’s many smokehouses (Alfred Enderby Smokehouse) and a chance to visit some of the buildings undergoing renovation through the PSiCA grant scheme.
There will be talks on how the railway shaped the port and the architecture of the site, which includes many buildings designed by Herbert Scaping, one time borough architect who designed nearby Strand Street School and Cleethorpes Town Hall.
Inside the marquee on site there will be displays and exhibitions from local businesses and charities including ABP, the Fishermen’s Mission, East Marsh United, and the RNLI. Music will be provided by local performers who will be singing maritime themed songs.
On International Dog Day, meet seven new Dulux dogs…!
What better way could there be to start today’s International Dog Day than to meet seven new Old English Sheepdogs born to Olivia, the current ‘face of Dulux’, who lives in Lincoln?
The current Dulux dog has had two dogs and five bitches, who are now six weeks old, and making their first public appearance.
Photographed at home in our county, the puppies could be the future faces of Dulux ads in years to come, and have been described as “loveable bundles of irresistible cuteness that exude a unique charm” by the Dulux team.
Despite the public’s fondness for the iconic Old English Sheepdog, the pups’ arrival comes as the breed remains on the Kennel Club’s ‘at watch’ list, due to continued falling numbers in puppy registrations, which were down by 12% – from 377 in 2021 to 333 – in 2022, with 2023 figures expected to follow suit.
The Old English Sheepdog first appearing in a Dulux advert in 1961 – and the arrival of Olivia’s latest litter is set to give fresh hope to the breed.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director and Colour Expert at Dulux said: “The Old English Sheepdog has been the famous face of the brand for over 60 years now. As proud sponsors of the Old English Sheepdog Rescue & Welfare Fund, we’re delighted to be able to finally share the exciting news of the irresistible puppy additions to the Dulux family. The pups are stars in their own right, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them in the years to come.”
To celebrate the exciting new arrivals, Dulux is giving seven entrants a chance to win a coveted Dulux Dog toy. To be in with a chance of winning, keep an eye on Dulux’s Instagram page – @duluxuk – for the giveaway post to enter.
Boston play areas get £150,000 of new equipment
New equipment installations in Boston play areas are now complete.
In June 2023 Boston Town Area Committee (BTAC) agreed that £150,000 of play area improvements could go ahead following recommendations for improvement which were put forward after a tour of the BTAC-funded open spaces and play areas.
The new equipment can be found in children’s play areas at Central Park, Woodville Road, St John’s and Garfits Lane.
Woodville Road sees the previous pirate ship replaced after it was destroyed by a fire back in September 2022. The improvements to Central Park includes new surfaced areas, picnic benches and tables, a large horse springer, new water lilies with four way springers and a little mermaid, ugly duckling and castle playground framed unit.
Then at St Johns Park you will find a new large three-piece pirate ship complete with climbing net. The strong themed ship inspires dramatic play, and the variation of climbing, gliding and sliding attracts play on end, year after year. At Garfit’s Lane Park you will see two new concrete table tennis tables with tarmac bases.
Councillor Andy Izard, Portfolio Holder for Communities (Place) inc Parks and Open Spaces, said: “These additional pieces of modern play equipment were chosen taking into account what is missing for our local children and families and adding to the facilities alongside the already popular Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGA), Skate Parks, basketball areas and much more and designed to be inclusive for all.
“It is wonderful to see these well used parks get upgrades and already are being enjoyed by families from across the borough as well as visitors to our town.”
Councillor Barrie Pierpoint, chairman of BTAC, said: “I am thrilled that we were able to secure funding and install new playground equipment and upgrades which I am sure will make a positive impact to local communities and visitors of Boston.”
Chair of Boston Big Local, Richard Tory, said: “On the completion of the work at St John’s play area, we have now funded a piece of play equipment in every play area in the Boston Big Local. We are so proud of this achievement and, as we have now entered our final year, this latest play equipment is the crown on top for us.”
All works were funded by Boston Town Area Committee, Boston Borough Council, Boston Big Local and local charity Local Hope.
Sharpshooter bang on target raising funds for the NHS
An annual clay pigeon shooting event has been set up by a patient as his way of saying thank you to the hospital team who saved his life.
Back in January, Alan Pearce, 67, from Irby in North East Lincolnshire, woke up in the middle of the night suffering from what he thought was indigestion. He felt better in the morning and on his way to work at Hillside Sporting Targets in Claxby, he picked up some anti-indigestion medication. When he started to feel unwell again he called NHS111 to ask for advice on whether he could take the anti-indigestion tablets with his diabetes medication.
Alan said: “The person on the end of the phone told me they thought I might have had a heart attack in the night and might be having another one as we spoke over the phone. I couldn’t believe it.
“Before I knew it I was being cared for by a paramedic and an ambulance crew. They were amazing. They got me to the Lincolnshire Heart Centre at Lincoln County Hospital and within half an hour of arriving I had had stents fitted and was on my way to recovery. I felt so much better straight away.
“The service I received was first class and is the only reason that I am still here today.”
Alan organised a brilliant afternoon of clay pigeon shooting and managed to raise £800 as a way of saying thank you.
Alan added: “The care I received from the Lincolnshire Heart Centre was out of this world. Thanks to them I can now spend more time with my two boys and watch my five grandchildren grow up. I owe them so much.
“We had a great day raising money for the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity and are already planning our event for next year and aiming high. I would like to thank Irelands Farm Machinery, E-Quip (Rasen) Ltd and my sister Maureen Nicholls for donating raffle prizes, as well as Forest Lodge Guns from Wragby for sponsoring all of the trophies.”
Alan is also helping the Lincolnshire Heart Centre Team to help raise awareness about the increased risk people with diabetes have of suffering a heart attack. He was one of the many patients involved in the newly developed joint speciality cardio-diabetes clinic that has been set up to optimise the management of patients with heart attack from cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Consultant Interventional Cardiologist and Cardiovascular Research Programme Director, Professor Kelvin Lee said: “It is brilliant to see Alan feeling so much better. Not only is he helping with our research, but the fact he is also raising money to help others in our care is inspirational. We will use the money he has raised to help with the cardiovascular research that we are running here in Lincolnshire; we can put this to very good use to buy equipment to further improve the communication channels between our research nurses and patients.”
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity Fundraiser, Gary Burr, added: “Every penny raised by Alan will be used to directly support patients and staff in our hospitals. Donations like this really do make a difference, but the biggest reward of all is seeing Alan fit and well.”
Image shows: Alan Pearce presenting a cheque to Professor Kelvin Lee and other colleagues from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
Closure of Young’s Seafood factory in Grimsby confirmed
Over 200 jobs are set to be lost after Young’s Seafood confirmed the closure of a Grimsby factory.
Plans were revealed in June to stop production at its Marsden Road site and move what remains to its other Grimsby factory on Humberstone Road and a Scottish site.
At the time the owner of Young’s, Sofina Foods Europe, said the factory was “no longer financially sustainable,” according to BBC reports.
Staff and unions were set to be consulted before a formal decision on the closure. Now, however, the business has said it has been unable to find a viable solution.
Production at the site will be scaled back and cease in late October 2023.
Some new roles are expected to be created at the Humberstone Road site in Grimsby and in Scotland at Fraserburgh.
