A growing number of families in Lincolnshire are relying on baby banks for essential supplies as the cost-of-living crisis continues to mount. Local services in areas such as Market Rasen, Horncastle, and Grimsby are experiencing higher demand, with some anticipating a further increase during the summer school holidays.

According to the Baby Bank Alliance’s latest survey, 220,000 families across the UK accessed baby banks in 2024, up from 163,000 in 2023. Over 3.5 million items such as nappies, clothing, and cots were distributed last year, a 143% year-on-year rise.

The Market Rasen Baby Bank, which launched less than two years ago, reported that usage has quadrupled in just six months, with 76 families now regularly using the service across the town and surrounding villages.

The data reflect a broader trend of financial strain among working households, where both parents are often employed but still struggle to meet their monthly expenses. Rising nursery fees, up 10% on average following recent changes to employer taxation, have added to the burden, as reported by the National Day Nurseries Association.

Local businesses are helping fill the gap with donations, but organisers warn that the financial stress facing families is unlikely to ease anytime soon.

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North Lincolnshire Council has confirmed continued transport support for students in the 2025/26 academic year, allocating funding that will assist hundreds of post-16 learners travelling to schools and colleges more than three miles from home.

Mainstream students will receive a £362 travel grant per year, with additional contributions from educational institutions and families. The grant must be applied to public transport where available, but can be used for alternative options, such as private vehicles or the Wheels to Education scheme, when necessary.

For young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the council will provide tailored transport assistance, including independent travel training, personal transport budgets, and direct support where required.

This move positions North Lincolnshire as one of the more generous local authorities in the region, with an increase in transport allowances and revised policies to provide flexible options that align with varied student needs.

The funding package aims to remove barriers to education and training access while giving families more control over transport arrangements. The initiative is also intended to support long-term skills development and independence among SEND learners, aligning with broader goals to keep residents of all ages connected to education and local communities.

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The local community across Lincolnshire can show solidarity for everyone living with dementia by wearing an Alzheimer’s Society Forget Me Not badge in June. Alzheimer’s Society’s Forget Me Not Appeal will help to fund life-changing dementia support for people living with dementia today, and research that could mean a brighter future for people who may face it tomorrow. Dementia affects all of us and one in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime. Across Lincolnshire there are more than 19,500 people living with dementia. That’s why every Forget Me Not badge has its own meaning. Yours might be about your mum, dad or a dear friend. Alzheimer’s Society patron Dame Judi Dench is supporting the campaign. She said: “Every Forget Me Not badge has its own meaning. Having seen the impact of dementia first-hand, I’m sadly all too aware of how cruel and unforgiving this condition can be. Not only for the person affected, but their loved ones too. “This June, join Alzheimer’s Society and thousands of people across the country and wear your Forget Me Not – to support people living with dementia today and those who may face it tomorrow.” Where to get your Alzheimer’s Society Forget Me Not badge: alzheimers.org.uk/ForgetMeNotAppeal

Lincolnshire is set to introduce weekly food waste collections, in line with a UK-wide rollout scheduled to begin by 30 March 2026. The change represents a significant shift in local waste management, aiming to reduce landfill use and increase recycling rates.

Each household will be provided with a five-litre indoor caddy, a year’s supply of compostable liners, and a 23-litre kerbside bin for collection. Larger communal residences will receive a 140-litre wheelie bin, with additional capacity available for households with more than six occupants.

The Lincolnshire Waste Partnership, which coordinates waste services across the county, has confirmed that Lincoln will be among the areas ready to launch the service on time. However, disparities in council resources may affect implementation timelines elsewhere.

The shift comes amid wider trials across the UK and is expected to prompt operational changes in fleet management, logistics, and supplier procurement, particularly in sourcing compliant bins and liners. Local authorities have also acknowledged that unforeseen issues may arise during rollout, potentially requiring policy adjustments after the scheme is implemented.

The move aligns with government targets to standardise waste collection and improve environmental outcomes across the country.

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North East Lincolnshire has been recognised as one of the most improved areas for bus services across Yorkshire and Humberside, according to the latest National Highways and Transport Network report.

The report highlights significant strides in public transport within the borough, particularly in the accessibility of information and overall service quality. Infrastructure upgrades, including an increase in bus stops, improved reliability of electronic displays, more accessible boarding, and enhanced fare systems, have contributed to the region’s improved ranking.

Passenger numbers are also rising. In the last 12 months, nearly 200,000 additional concessionary journeys were recorded. These passes, available to eligible older adults and people with disabilities, allow for free bus travel across the borough until 11 p.m.

The public transport improvements come as Grimsby town centre undergoes major regeneration, including the development of the Community Diagnostic Centre and the revamped Top Town Market. The enhanced bus services are playing a key role in increasing accessibility to these redevelopments.

This recognition builds on previous findings, positioning North East Lincolnshire’s bus services ahead of larger urban centres such as Manchester and Liverpool, demonstrating that strategic investment and local partnerships, such as with operator Stagecoach, can yield measurable service improvements and ridership gains.

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Do you have time on your hands? Would you like to make a difference to patients’ lives? As the country starts a week-long celebration of the UK’s 14.2 million people who volunteer monthly, why not sign up to be part of the amazing United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity and give a few hours of your time and enthusiasm and make a real difference to the lives of patients and their families and the staff that take care of them? Charity volunteers can help in so many ways and offer as much or as little time as they like. Jo Burgess, from Lincoln, volunteers once a month and runs a monthly book stall in aid of the charity at Lincoln County Hospital. She has been a patient at the hospital for a number of years and became a volunteer for the charity as she wanted to give something back to say thank you for the care she receives. She said: “As a volunteer, you get to do lots of different things. The thing I enjoy about the bookstall is meeting people, staff and patients. Having my own bookstall combines my passion of books with meeting new faces.” For nearly 30 years, the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity has been supporting staff to deliver outstanding care to patients and their families and carers at Lincolnshire hospitals, from funding high-tech equipment to investing in pioneering research, from improvements to hospitals’ environments to support for staff welfare, the charity funds those extras that the NHS cannot provide. And as the charity continues to grow, there has never been a better time to get involved. Charity manager Ben Petts explained: “We’re a small team and cannot do it alone, we need volunteers to help us spread the word about what we do. There are lots of ways you could get involved including helping out at events, updating information about our work around our hospital sites and in the community, giving talks and replenishing our collections tins.”