Local groups, charities, businesses, schools and more can apply to North Kesteven District Council for either a single specimen tree, or packs of five or more fruit trees, plus planting packs and advice. Under the Coronation Living Heritage Fund, granted to the District Council to mark the King’s Coronation, community orchards are set to be established around North Kesteven. Applicants can request one or more packs of five fruit trees, including Lincolnshire heritage species, to be planted together in a place that is accessible to the public (as a minimum accessible for harvesting the fruit). “These orchards will provide a resource for the communities that host them going forward, as well as a boon for wildlife and biodiversity,” said Council Leader Councillor Richard Wright. “And by including some Lincolnshire heritage species, people will be able to reinforce and enjoy some living history right on their doorsteps.” The second offer is for 50 individual specimen trees to be planted throughout the district to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of North Kesteven District Council which was established by order of Parliament in 1974. The specific trees planted will vary depending on the preferences of the local community and the suitability of the site, with a list of available trees placed on the Council’s website and advice on offer. Councillor Wright continued: “The formation of NKDC had a great impact on the area in 1974 and our teams – many of whom were born and raised locally, or live within the district – have a proud heritage of supporting our ‘district of flourishing communities’. We want to continue that action, and these commemorative trees are just a small symbol of that commitment. “We’d love to see the trees planted far and wide around North Kesteven, and hope that they will offer pleasure to the communities that host them, as well as boosting biodiversity and making a contribution towards capturing carbon from the atmosphere.” Anyone can apply for a tree, provided it will be planted in a place where the community can enjoy it for generations to come. This could include businesses, schools, village halls, pubs, village greens and amenity land, churches and other similar locations. The closing date for applications is 12:00 noon on Friday 20 December, but applications will close sooner if capacity is reached. All planting should take place this winter, before April 2025. Interested parties should visit www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/communitytrees for more information and to apply, or contact 01529 414155 and ask for the Climate Change team (orchards) or Partnerships team (individual trees). Email enquiries can also be sent to climate_change@n-kesteven.gov.uk regarding the orchards and partnershipsteam@n-kesteven.gov.uk for individual trees.   Image credit: North Kesteven District Council

A Lincolnshire man who has spent two years walking the entire coast of mainland Britain in his quest to raise £100,000 for charity has marked journey’s end with an open letter of thanks to a boy he met in a Welsh village a year ago.

Freemason Chris Jones, who lives near Woodhall Spa, said: “It was November last year when this young man in his Minecraft top ran after me in the street in a village near Conwy to give me a pound coin. I wanted him to know how grateful I was for his donation. I felt he deserved to know that he had helped me towards my fundraising target of £100,000 to support the charity that saved my life when I was contemplating suicide, and can do the same thing for others every day, thanks to the generosity of people like him.

“It was a rainy horrible morning, and as I crossed the street this young chap was running up behind me. When I looked around to work out why he was alone in the street in his PJ’s, there was a group of faces in the upstairs window of a house waving at us. His mum, and I guess his siblings… That really moved me; I was so far from home and this little fella had obviously seen me walking up the road from his window… Incredible, people… especially young people…

“His donation was one of seven pound coins given to me by children on my travels, all of which have been given to the Freemasons’ charity the MCF. The charity put me in touch with a counselling service when I was at my lowest ebb, and thanks to them I’m here today.

“I walked the entire coastline of Britain to raise awareness of mental health issues and to raise money. I didn’t know at the outset what target to set, so I decided to shoot for the moon and aim for £100,000.

“I’ll be home for Christmas, by which time I shall have raised a significant proportion of that, and I hope to be able to get the remainder by writing a book about my journey ‘On The Edge’. I called it that because I was ‘on the edge’ of suicide, and on the edge of the country, navigating by keeping the sound of the sea in my right ear.”

Chris started his walk in Skegness on New Year’s Day 2023, since when he’s has walked almost 6,300 miles, worn out six pairs of boots, carried a 35kg pack throughout his journey, slept indoors in beds when they were offered, and wild camped when they weren’t. The ceremonial ‘end’ of the walk will be marked with a return to Skegness Masonic Hall on December 14th.

He said the conversations he’d had on his travels had highlighted the extent of the struggles so many people were having with their mental health. “If you’re struggling, you first step must be to ask for help,” he said. “There’s no shame in that, and it will turn your life around, just as it has mine.”

Lincolnshire County Council believes it’s being short-changed by more than £100m a year due to the Government’s funding formula, and is extremely concerned at the additional financial pressure caused by the removal of the £9m Rural Services Grant.

The first patients have been welcomed to the new £15 million Skegness Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC). The facility on Old Wainfleet Road opened last week, bringing a number of NHS diagnostic services to the town for the first time, including state-of-the art CT and MRI scanners, echocardiograms and dental X-ray. Community diagnostic centres offer a range of elective (planned) diagnostic services, away from main hospital sites, providing easier and quicker access to tests, potentially closer to patients’ homes. Each centre in Lincolnshire is being designed to consider the specific health needs of the local community. Other services available at Skegness CDC include non-obstetric ultrasound and a range of physiological testing, such as blood tests for adults and children over the age of five, standard ECGs and 24-hour blood pressure testing. Blood testing for chemotherapy patients will also be available, in the first step to develop a chemotherapy service from the site. Bernard North, from Sutton on Sea, was one of the first patients to use the new CDC in Skegness, attending for a CT scan. He said: “My GP asked me where I wanted to go for my appointment, and initially I asked for Louth. Then I was telephoned and offered the chance to come to Skegness. My wife Rosalyn and I didn’t realise this facility was here and thought it might be a mobile scanner, but this was fantastic. “I would 100% recommend it. I’ve been looked after so well by the health service.” Approximately £42 million has been invested in community diagnostic centres in Lincolnshire during 2024, which also includes a £5 million expansion at Grantham in March 2024 and a £23 million new modular-built facility in Lincoln. Professor Karen Dunderdale, Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals Group Chief Executive, said: “We believe this to be the most significant NHS investment in Skegness in recent years and we are very proud to be delivering new diagnostic services that we know will make a huge difference to the local community. “The CDC will offer more choice and convenience to help reduce travel for patients, while increasing the number of appointments to help bring down waiting times for diagnostic tests. “We have already seen great success in the Lincolnshire CDC programme as a whole, with more than 118,000 tests delivered to patients since it began in November 2021 and the creation of approximately 140 clinical and non-clinical job roles. “This has been made possible thanks to developments like this with better partnership working across NHS services, including with local primary care providers.” Skegness CDC has been built on land owned by Skegness-based leisure operator Teen Spirit Limited. Managing Director Scott Sinclair said: “Teen Spirit Limited is delighted to be working in collaboration with the NHS to bring a much-needed facility to local residents of Skegness and those in surrounding areas. “The opening of Skegness Community Diagnostic Centre will be a quantum leap forward in meeting the health needs of local residents, speeding up access and alleviating the burden of travel to access essential diagnostic services. “On a personal note, my four-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer in December and during treatment in Nottingham we met a family from Skegness who travelled long distances for care. I am sure having more local opportunities to receive diagnostic testing will make such a difference to others in a similar position.” The dual contract for construction of both Skegness and Lincoln CDCs has been delivered by Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) specialist MTX Contracts Ltd. MTX Managing Director David Hartley said: “We are privileged to partner the Trust to deliver new community diagnostic facilities that will have such a huge impact on waiting lists and deliver a significant improvement in patient care. “This contract is one of several won by MTX to build CDCs across the UK. Employing MMC enables MTX to deliver fully compliant high quality facilities for NHS Trusts faster, safer, greener and more cost effectively, compared with conventional building techniques.”   Image credit: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

The South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership has pledged its commitment to playing its part in keeping the marine environment and our coastal waters clean and healthy. The Motion for the Ocean is primarily backed by the Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group (LGA Coastal SIG) and recognises that ‘our ocean and climate are in a state of emergency.’ Over thirty councils across England have made pledges in support of the Motion since its introduction in 2021. By supporting the Motion for the Ocean, the Partnership recognises that local government play a vital role in supporting the health and productivity of our oceans, and that the communities the Partnership serves in South Holland, Boston and East Lindsey are on the frontline for managing the crisis the ocean is in. The LGA Coastal SIG highlights that the oceans are often left out from the climate action plans of many local authorities and aims to raise awareness for this and cause change – partly by attaining the support of local councils. The South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership has made seven pledges, which have been signed by Cllr Craig Leyland, Leader of East Lindsey District Council, Cllr Anne Dorrian, Leader of Boston Borough Council, and Cllr Nick Worth, Leader of South Holland District Council. In a joint statement, Cllr Craig Leyland, Leader of East Lindsey District Council, Cllr Anne Dorrian, Leader of Boston Borough Council, and Cllr Nick Worth, Leader of South Holland District Council, said: “We are proud to be supporting the Motion for the Ocean, and recognise the importance of keeping our coastal waters healthy for years to come. “The South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership will ensure our pledges are followed up on as part of our ongoing commitment to support the environment and reduce the impact of climate change. We anticipate that our hard work will make a lasting difference for our local landscape and communities. “With our seven pledges and heightened concern for the prosperity of the ocean, we are confident that the Partnership is taking a positive step forward.” The pledges include:

1. Review within 12 months the actions and projects that have been undertaken to promote ocean recovery in South and East Lincolnshire and understand further opportunities that may exist alongside the resources required to do more.
2. Consider the implications for ocean recovery in strategic decisions, plans, procurement and approaches to decisions by the Partnership Councils, primarily in planning/planning policy, regeneration, skills and economic policy, aligning with climate change mitigation and adaptation requirements.
3. Ensure that the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Greater Lincolnshire strives to support ocean recovery both through supporting healthier coastal waters and inland watercourses.
4. Work with partner agencies such as Anglian Water, the Environment Agency, Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project, developers, and others to explore ways to improve the water quality of our rivers and coastal waters benefitting nature and residents alike.
5. Work with partners and relevant authorities to promote and support ocean literacy across South and East Lincolnshire, including ensuring all pupils are given the opportunity to experience the ocean first-hand before leaving primary school and promote sustainable and equitable access to the ocean, through physical and digital experiences for all residents.
6. Promote marine citizenship through all appropriate means, including through supporting staff to attend awareness raising volunteering events such as beach cleans or habitat creation/management activities to raise awareness and understanding of our problems facing the marine environment through a ‘source to sea’ approach.
7. Write to the Government asking them to put the ocean into net recovery by 2030, following expert guidance.

  Pic: Stock.adobe.com/Brian Jackson