- A young adult with multiple sclerosis (MS) living independently previously received four homecare visits every day for personal care and other tasks.Using a smart speaker and video calling device have allowed him to keep in touch with his family; enabled them to check on his wellbeing; and increased both his and their confidence in his ability to live on his own. This meant that the number of care visits reduced from four to three per day, saving the county council £2,800 per year.
- A recently widowed older man was living away from his family who were worried about his ability to cope on his own. Sensors were arranged for around his home and a video call device was able to give his family confidence in his independence and safety. This helped avoid residential care, saving the individual and his family £23,780 per year and the council, who pay a 50% contribution, £23,000 per year.
County Council to plunge £1m into technology to help people live independently for longer
Lincolnshire County Council plans to invest £1m in digital technology to provide enhanced support to vulnerable residents and help them live independently for longer.
The technology enabled prevention and care approach has already shown that support staff can introduce care technology into conversations with people who need support.
This technology helps to keep them fit and healthy and prevent them needing other support, including hospital services. The council is pushing ahead with a £1m pilot to develop an enhanced service.
“Investment in technology support has shown it can have huge benefits for vulnerable people who want to live independently and it can also give their family and friends piece of mind,” said Councillor Mrs Wendy Bowkett, Executive Councillor for Adult Care and Public Health.
“But there’s an opportunity to do much more and shift technology from marginal use to mainstream. Not only will this provide effective support in the home for residents who need it, but using technology can reduce or avoid the need for more costly and limited face-to-face care services.”
The enhanced service will be available to people with eligible care needs in homecare, residential care and supported living. It includes equipment, sensors and apps that can help put people in control of their own lives.
Technology can play a vital part in helping to avoid or reduce other care services. The following examples saw support staff sourcing suitable kit using the person’s direct payment:
Levelling ‘Upp’ Louth with the arrival of ultrafast broadband!
Upp’s ‘Next Level Broadband’ is now live in Louth, bringing customers exceptional speeds, reliability, and leading levels of service.
Upp is a full-fibre broadband provider, expanding its independent, ultrafast network across Lincolnshire. The network is already up and running across the county – and the good news is that Louth is now live!
Upp has been rapidly expanding across the East of England, fast becoming the established alternative internet provider in Norfolk and Lincolnshire. Its very own network isn’t shared with other providers, guaranteeing its customers a faster, more reliable connection, reflected in its ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot rating of 4.9/5.
Most ‘fibre’ broadband providers use fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), which relies on copper wiring to make the final connection to the property, while Upp is proud to be rolling out a true, full fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. This level of fibre connectivity has already swept through major cities and Upp is ensuring that the people and businesses of Louth don’t get left behind.
Whilst building its own full-fibre network in Louth, Upp has also supported grassroots organisations along the way, including Louth Hockey Club, a sports team with over 160 members. Lesley Ward, the club’s chairman, said: “We’re delighted to have Upp join the club as a sponsor for next season. It was great to be approached and we really appreciate the sponsorship, which is vital to help the club grow.” The club currently has two ladies and two men’s teams playing in competitive leagues, featuring players aged 13 and above.
Upp’s B2C Campaign Manager, Mary Freeland said: “It’s fantastic to be supporting local groups in the areas we serve as we expand our network, and to offer our ‘Next Level Broadband’ to an increasing number of homes and businesses across the county. For years now, far too many have struggled with poor and inadequate internet, but it’s great to see the difference that Upp’s network is already making.”
Upp is committed to ensuring that levelling up becomes a reality for the residents of Louth, and with remote working here to stay, the full-fibre network couldn’t come at a better time. Broadband from Upp starts at just £26 per month for residential customers and there are no set-up or installation charges, and those who join Upp before September 13th will pay £0 for the first 6 months on any home broadband plan.
Upp has also recently launched its new BusinessEssentials tariff, perfect for small businesses and micro-enterprises with moderate internet usage.
To find out more and to see if Upp is available on your street, head to www.upp.com. To learn more about Louth Hockey Club, visit their website at: www.louthhockeyclub.co.uk.
Classic Ibiza thrills largest-ever crowd at Burghley House
Classic Ibiza continued its eight-night summer tour at Burghley House on Saturday 29 July, with the 32-piece Urban Soul Orchestra leading a capacity Lincolnshire crowd on a magical journey of the very-best in Balearic-infused house music. Over 9,000 people of all ages attended the family-friendly show – Classic Ibiza’s largest-ever Burghley House audience.
Classic Ibiza’s Lisa Ward comments: “What a way to mark our return to the absolutely stunning grounds of Burghley House. Our musicians and crew were immense, but the biggest shout-out goes to our incredible Lincolnshire audience.
“They are the ones that bring the unique Classic Ibiza vibe and make the show so special. We’re already thinking about how to take Classic Ibiza to new heights next year, so stay tuned. See you next summer, folks!”
The concert began at 5.30 pm with a new Chill-Out DJ Set, as the crowd settled into the laidback vibe over their picnics. Former Pacha Ibiza resident, DJ Jose Luis then took control of the decks for his Latin House Set, which for the first time included a live jamming session with members of USO. Next up, USO and Miss Mavrik took centre stage for the Sundowner Set, performing these iconic tracks:
Poppiholla (Chicane), Inner City Life (Goldie), Touch Me (Rui Da Silva), Rhythm of The Night (Corona), What Is Love (Haddaway), Turn Around (Phats and Small), The Man With The Red Face (Laurent Garnier), For An Angel (Paul van Dyke), Blind Faith (Chase & Status), Sun Is Shining (Bob Marley vs. Funkstar De Luxe), Red Alert (Basement Jaxx), Blackwater (Octave One), Sky (Sonique) and Theme from S’Express (S’Express).
USO took a break during Miss Mavrik’s Deep House DJ Set, a mix of classic and fresh Ibiza floor-fillers. They were then reunited on stage for the Dance Set, packed with these house anthems, accompanied by a spectacular laser show:
Yeke Yeke (Hardfloor Mix) (Mory Kante), Pump Up The Jam (Technotronic), Everybody’s Free (Rozalla), Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Baby D), Castles in the Sky (Ian van Dahl), Better Off Alone (Alice Deejay), ResuRection (PPK), Seven Days and One Week (BBE), Sandstorm (Darude), Adagio for Strings (Tiësto), We Come 1, God Is a DJ, Insomnia (Faithless), (I Wanna Give You) Devotion (Nomad), Push The Feeling On (Nightcrawlers), Dreamer (Livin’ Joy), Toca’s Miracle (Fragma), Waiting All Night (Rudimental), Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) (C&C Music Factory), King Of My Castle (Wamdue Project), Need You 100% (Duke Dumont), On A Ragga Tip (SL2), Silence (Delerium, Tiësto), Heaven (DJ Sammy), Summer (Calvin Harris) and Freed From Desire (Gala).
With the crowd chanting for more, USO and Miss Mavrik returned for an encore of three Classic Ibiza favourites: Out Of Space (The Prodigy), Hey Boy Hey Girl and Galvanize (The Chemical Bothers). When the show came to a close at 11pm, USO had performed 15 completely new orchestrations in a set of over 40 house classics.
Classic Ibiza at Burghley House is proud to support East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. The show will return to the venue on Saturday 27 July 2024, with concertgoers able to register for tickets here before they go on general release in the Autumn.
Image credit: David Evans Photography
Tourism brings record £95m economic benefit to Boston
A new report by Global Tourism Solutions has highlighted the record-breaking benefits of tourism in Boston, with over £95m of economic impact in 2022 alone.
The findings showed the £95.13m of investment from tourists to be the highest since the data was first recorded in 2011, up from £70.96m in 2021.
In terms of visitors, the report found that 1.3m people visited Boston during 2022, up from 1.09m the previous year, with 210,000 staying in the Borough and over a million visiting for the day.
Shopping and enjoying the local hospitality were the two most popular activities, with almost £26m spent in the Borough’s shops and over £20m in its cafes, restaurants, and bars.
There were also 1,044 tourism-related jobs across Boston for the year, a 27% increase from 2021 and showing nearly a full recovery to the pre-pandemic levels of employment in the sector.
Councillor Sarah Sharpe, portfolio holder for Culture at Boston Borough Council, said: “It is great to see visitors coming back and enjoying what Boston has to offer again after the pandemic, especially enjoying some of the fantastic local independent shops, restaurants and traders we are lucky to have.
“We want to continue to highlight some of the unique heritage, recreation, shopping and hospitality attractions we have as a Borough, and to make sure we put Boston on the map as a great place to live, work and visit.”
Councillor Dale Broughton, deputy leader at Boston Borough Council, said: “This new report is really positive in showing an increasing interest in visiting Boston, and we want to use this as a foundation to continue to build on moving forwards.
“In the last few weeks alone we have seen great support for the May Fair, Classic Car Show, Teenage Market and Boston Bike Night, and with more large events planned, including around Christmas, I hope to see more and more people continue to come and enjoy.”
Teenage Market coming to Spalding and Crowland this August
The Teenage Market is coming to Spalding on Tuesday 15 August and Crowland on Friday 18 August (between the hours of 9am – 2pm and 9am – 1pm respectively), giving young traders and performers from the local area a unique opportunity to showcase their creative products and talents for free.
The Teenage Market is a fast-growing nationwide initiative set up by teenage brothers Joe and Tom Barratt in Stockport, aiming to transform town and city centres across the country, utilising the creativity of young people.
Supporters of The Teenage Market include businessman Theo Paphitis, designer Wayne Hemingway and retail guru Mary Portas, who have described the initiative as being “innovative and inspiring.”
The energy, diversity and vibrancy of the young people who take part in Teenage Markets is helping to breathe life back into high streets, town centres and market areas all across the country, with events now being run in over 25 locations.
Getting involved could not be simpler. Simply create your trader or performer profile on the Teenage Market website and then apply to take part in the Spalding and/or Crowland Teenage Market this August.
After you’ve applied to take part, the organisers will be in touch to let you know if you have been allocated a free stall or performance slot.
Councillor Tracey Carter, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Communities and Operational Housing, said: “I am very pleased that as a Council we’re able to help bring this national initiative to South Holland, giving a boost to our existing market traders, while also crucially supporting the next generation of young, talented entrepreneurs from the local area by giving them a platform to showcase their products and talents for free.
“I’d like to personally encourage our local residents in Spalding, Crowland and elsewhere around the District to get out to the Teenage Markets next month and support what our fantastic entrepreneurs have to offer.”
Co-creator of The Teenage Market, Joe Barratt, said: “The Teenage Market really is the key to identifying a new generation of market traders by making young people an active part of our town centres.
“We are delighted that Spalding and Crowland will give young people a free platform to get their businesses off the ground and showcase their creative talents.
“I’d encourage any creative young person to get involved with The Teenage Market as there are so many positive opportunities that can come out of it.”
Are you a person with a passion? Councils want to hear from you
People with a passion for local culture, arts and heritage, are being sought to help councils in the south and east of Lincolnshire to help form a new strategic member board to help shape the sub-region’s arts and cultural sector.
The 16-strong board will be made up of skilled, experienced, and motivated members looking to be at the forefront of leading cultural change and helping to create a more vibrant and dynamic arts, culture and heritage offer in South & East Lincolnshire.
One of the key roles of the volunteer board will be to lead on the Partnership’s three-year National Portfolio Organisation programme, a £2million Arts Council England funded programme to support art, culture, heritage and creativity across the whole of the Partnership area, providing meaningful opportunities and programming for residents, developing the sector and helping to build our arts, culture and heritage capacity.
All board members will also have a responsibility to champion the Boston and East Lindsey Cultural Framework, while also supporting its future development and expansion into South Holland.
Councillor Sarah Sharpe, portfolio holder for Culture at Boston Borough Council, said: “Through our cultural framework and national portfolio organisation funding we have a fantastic opportunity to bring opportunities around culture, arts, heritage and events and the enormous and varied benefits they bring right to the hearts of our local communities in Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland.
“To achieve this, it is vital we have a strong member board with a diverse range of experiences, ideas and voices from across the Partnership area and the arts, culture and heritage fields, to help make these ambitious plans a reality, and to ensure that we feel the most possible impact of this funding for our residents, local health and wellbeing, tourism, economy and much more.”
The Partnership welcomes applications from people from relevant organisations and at a senior level with a desire to create the most wide-ranging diversity of members as possible. An observer group will also be created to provide further local depth to the discussions. Further to the 16 main members, there will also be an opportunity for three young people to be represented and observe and participate with the Board.
Board members will be asked to meet in person at least four times a year within the Partnership area. They should be able to input and guide new projects and link in to other organisations, both locally and nationally, to make the ideas a reality.
More details can be found at https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/ACENPO, and for an informal discussion on the Board please contact the Place team on Samantha.Phillips@e-lindsey.gov.uk.
Freckleface Home Fragrance opens in Lincoln
Freckleface Home Fragrance is opening the doors of its fifth store on Friday 28 July 2023. The Freckleface team will be there to welcome customers into store to browse their large range of luxury home fragrance products and experience their gorgeous scents firsthand.
Freckleface have four other stores in Stamford, Cambridge and in York, so they are delighted to be opening in Lincoln too.
The store is situated on Sincil Street, is a 5 minute walk from the train station, and visitors can use discount code LINCS10 in store. The store will be open daily and will be packed with Freckleface’s award winning pick and mix wax melts, as well as beautifully fragranced reed diffusers, candles, fragrance oils and homewares. The Sincil Street store will also stock Freckleface’s RHS range of products, which only launched in July.
Noah Carlile-Swift, co-owner of Freckleface, said: “We are so excited to open our store in Lincoln. It’s one of our biggest stores and will stock a whole host of home fragrance products and homewares. We can’t wait to welcome customers to the store from Friday.”
“We already have stores in Stamford, Cambridge and York, and we’re delighted to add a second Lincoln store to the Freckleface family,” added Tara Carlile-Swift, co-owner of Freckleface.
Lincolnshire’s JDM Food Group merges with US firm
Lincolnshire-based JDM Food Group (JDM) and US-based Henry Broch Foods (HBF) are set to merge, creating a new parent company, Jardins and Broch.
JDM, headquartered in Bicker, is an innovator in value-added vegetables, sauces, dips and purees to the retail, manufacturing, recipe box and foodservice markets. HBF, with headquarters in Waukegan, Illinois, is a prominent spice, dry-blending and co-packing company, specializing in tailored formulations and seasonings.
Jardins and Broch brings together two market leading ingredients companies and will create a team of international flavour experts across both wet and dry products. The newly formed partnership is an industry leading player with significant production capacity, complementary R&D capabilities and worldwide supply chain networks.
The two companies will continue to operate independently in their home markets and will now be backed by the expert knowledge and skills from the other party to grow a global presence. Aisling Kemp will remain CEO of JDM and Greg Antonetti will continue to lead as CEO of HBF, with both taking an active role in the integration, growth, and future success of the combined group.
Aisling Kemp, CEO of JDM, said: “The combined expertise and knowledge within the two companies creates a flavour powerhouse with global ambitions. Working with the team at HBF who share our strong ethics, values and focus on sustainability is incredibly exciting.
“Trends in this market are ever changing and we are now better able to develop solutions with our culinary teams that deliver on flavour, health, and functionality to ensure we evolve alongside consumer demand.
“Working with Sunridge the last 2 years has been transformational. Their investment has allowed us to accelerate our product capabilities and channel growth. We believe the partnership with HBF will cement that work and create long term sustainable growth as a true ingredients innovator.”
Greg Antonetti, CEO of HBF, said: “This partnership will be a win for our customers, suppliers, team members and other partners. Our aim has always been to build a leading value-added ingredients business and alongside our long serving and dedicated team members, we have worked tirelessly towards this goal.
“We are thrilled to bring JDM’s capabilities, especially in wet ingredients to our customers in North America. The JDM team brings unparalleled expertise, strong production and innovation capabilities, and the ability to serve a wide range of customers across the UK and beyond.”
Jardins and Broch is backed by London-based Sunridge Partners (Sunridge), a private investment group committed to creating leaders in food, beverage, and agribusiness.
Philipp Saumweber, managing partner of Sunridge, said: “Since partnering with JDM in 2021, we have invested considerably in building a word-class ingredients team, expanding our operations, and improving capabilities.
“We are very much looking forward to working with like-minded friends at HBF and jointly executing on group investment and growth plans to build a leading international ingredients and flavour formulation company.”
Lincolnshire horticultural experts secure multi-million-pound refinancing package for growth
Lincolnshire horticultural experts, Bridge Farm Group, is set to enter a new phase of growth after securing a multi-million-pound refinancing package.
Bridge Farm, based in Spalding, produces ornamental plants and cut flowers. The business grows more than 70 million plants and flowers each year in 60-acres of low-carbon, water-efficient and biomass-heated glasshouses. The business sells to UK-wide supermarket and DIY retailers.
In addition to its horticultural operations, Bridge Farm’s specialist bioscience division is a leader in plant research and development. The business’s team of experts are focused on the identification, cultivation, and extraction of high value functional and active molecules from plants.
Established in 1988, Bridge Farm has an annual turnover of £30 million and has a workforce of 160 employees.
To support Bridge Farm’s growth ambitions, the FRP Corporate Finance Debt Advisory team, led by partner Tom Cox and manager Rory Denison, ran a competitive debt raising process to identify a financing partner to support the next phase of its growth plans having recently completed investment in a new Bioscience facility.
Having secured two fully credit backed offers to refinance the group, FRP subsequently supported management in the detailed negotiation of terms to completion of the financing.
The multi-million-pound refinancing package will support Bridge Farm’s ongoing expansion and enable it to continue to consistently produce its range of plants and cut flowers at scale while also penetrating the market for plant-derived extracts and molecules.
Tom Cox, partner at FRP Corporate Finance, said: “This refinancing facility provides much greater flexibility to Bridge Farm in its new financing arrangements and has reduced its cost of capital.
“The transaction successfully delivers more favourable terms to the business, whilst also providing the group with additional capital to help deliver the ambitious growth plans within its bioscience operations.”
Louise Motala, Managing Director at Bridge Farm Group, said: “This deal represents another key milestone for Bridge Farm as we continue to expand and build value in the business.
“It is essential that we continue to invest to maintain our expertise in both horticulture and bioscience and this new facility affords us greater flexibility to explore wider routes to growth.
“The advice and support we received from FRP’s Debt Advisory team was outstanding and their expertise ensured a smooth transaction from start to finish.”
Village’s hopes for new play area take significant step forward
A village’s hopes for a new play area have taken a significant step forward, as South Holland District Council and The Moultons Parish Council announced plans for a new 50-year lease of suitable lands at Moulton Park.
The District Council made the decision to lease a third of an acre piece of land to the Parish Council following a desire from local councillors and residents to see the space made available for public use and to create a safe and accessible outdoor space for children in the village.
Under the proposal a section of the Park (14,520 sq ft) would be made available to the Parish Council on an initial 50-year long lease for a peppercorn rent, where the Councils would then work together to attain planning permission for a play area.
Both councils are working towards finalising plans as soon as possible to allow work to get underway without any further delays.
Now that an agreement has been reached with the parish council, South Holland District Council feel they can now move forward with wider investigations as to next steps for the rest of the site.
Councillor Henry Bingham, portfolio holder for Assets and Strategic Planning, said: “I am really pleased that we have been able to come to this agreement with the parish council, and look forward to the delivery of a play park for the residents of Moulton.
“As a council we want to help however we can, to deliver our residents with quality and safe spaces to play, relax or just get outdoors, and I am looking forward to seeing this project progress.”
Councillor Anthony Casson, portfolio holder for Public Protection and ward member for Moulton, Weston and Cowbit, said: “It’s great to see this long-held ambition for a new play area in Moulton come another step closer to happening, which I have been hearing from our residents and advocating for over several years now.
“I’m pleased that we have been able to work closely between the two councils to get these newest plans together, that I am optimistic will provide us with quality new facilities to enjoy quickly and effectively.”
Councillor Geoffrey Cooper, Chairman of The Moultons Parish Council, said: “I’m delighted that we have reached an agreement with the District Council, and are another step closer to providing this much-wanted play area to our residents and visitors to Moulton.”
