Plans to enhance Roval Drive in Immingham as an area for the community to enjoy are taking a step forward thanks to recent grant funding secured by North East Lincolnshire Council and Immingham Town Council.
The PlayZone, a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), will be situated on Roval Drive, on the land nearest to Coombs Brigg Primary Academy. The development, subject to planning permission, will include a 30 by 20 metre pitch, basketball hoops, benches, goals, fencing and LED floodlighting so the facility can be used all year round.
Funded by The Football Foundation, North East Lincolnshire Council and Immingham Town Council, the MUGA will provide all generations with somewhere they can enjoy, feel safe and be more active.
It will have emphasis on some ‘free to use’ community access booking slots. There will be an online booking system, ensuring fairness and safety, that will need to be used to make bookings for sessions. The PlayZone will also offer the opportunity for more formal sessions to be held, where groups can book for a fee.
In April, a PlayZone was opened on Grant Thorold Park in Grimsby, with a further PlayZone set to open at Kent Street in September. It’s hoped the Immingham facility will build on these improvements to local facilities.
“This is great news not only for Immingham, but also North East Lincolnshire,” said councillor Hayden Dawkins, portfolio holder for culture, heritage and visitor economy.
“These PlayZones give children and adults a chance to try a different sport perhaps, but it also encourages them to get outside and be more active.”
Councillor Margaret Cracknell, portfolio holder for children and education, added: “These pitches are a fantastic asset for the young people of this borough. Providing them with an active output is something we as a Council strongly believe in and this project is a clear example of how we’re committed to achieving that.”
Andy Hopkins, chief officer and town clerk at Immingham Town Council, added: “This will be a fabulous addition to aid sport development in Immingham, as well as being a safe place for groups to enjoy trying out new activities.
“We are really pleased that the Football Foundation has given the Town this opportunity and I would like to thank North East Lincolnshire Council officers that worked on the project.”
Basketball hoops, football pitch and floodlights to transform Immingham play park
A Streetcar Named Desire comes to Lincoln this October
Fantasy, imagination, realism and lies collide in Tennessee Williams’ enduring classic of American playwriting, A Streetcar Named Desire.
Brought to The Blue Room in Lincoln this October, and accompanied by a live band, a play often lauded as one of the best ever written will be staged by The Asylum Players and transport the audience to 1950s New Orleans. A world of beauty and fantastical culture, mixed with harsh realism and the brutality of forgotten dreams.
Blanche DuBois, fading southern belle, arrives at the home of her sister, Stella, and her animalistic husband Stanley, under a cloud of intrigue and deception. A short visit turns into weeks and then months.
Tensions flair in the hot southern climate. Lies trip from tongues as easily as liquor pours into glasses and the whisper of insanity flits through the humid Louisiana air. Will anyone escape? Do they want to? Can you actually be mad if the world is already insane?
Stephen Gillard, artistic director of The Blue Room and Asylum Players, said: “I absolutely love to take a piece as intense and claustrophobic as Streetcar and put it on The Blue Room stage. This is a hot, violent, close world that Williams has created.
“Blanche, Stanley and Stella are such iconic characters and we wanted to explore who actually is the “insane” member of that trio. The fantasist Blanche, with her lies and sordid past; the “realist” Stanley with his destructive temper and violent passions; or Stella the “pragmatist,” who tries to keep the peace without ever truly realising there’s a war being enacted and she’s already picked a side.
“The themes of sanity vs insanity, realism vs fantasy, truth vs lies, colliding through the characters of Blanche, Stanley and Stella.”
A Streetcar Named Desire is at The Blue Room, 16th – 18th & 23rd – 25th October 2025.
Firework extravaganza returns to The Renaissance at Kelham Hall
After three sell out events, the Newark Family Firework Show is set to return to the grounds of The Renaissance at Kelham Hall on Sunday 2 November, promising its biggest and most spectacular display yet.
The firework show has quickly become a beloved tradition, lighting up the night sky and bringing families together for a magical celebration. Last year’s event saw thousands of guests gather to enjoy a spectacular firework show set against the stunning backdrop of Kelham Hall.
With a vibrant atmosphere, festive food stalls, family fun entertainment, fire performers, globots and breathtaking fireworks, this event promises an incredible night out for the whole family.
Guests from previous years have praised the event, saying:
“10/10 really good! The tickets prices are well priced. Would go again.”
“Fireworks were great, all the family loved them.”
“The fireworks were absolutely brilliant, and I also loved that the music worked really well with them.”
Due to the success of last year’s event, it is strongly recommended booking your tickets early to avoid disappointment. This is a truly magical night that fills up fast!
Mark your calendars, gather your friends and family and get ready for a sparkling celebration you won’t forget.
For more information, or to book your tickets, please visit The Renaissance at Kelham Hall website – www.renaissance-kelham.com/newark-firework-show
Tourism strategy takes shape after closure of Destination Lincolnshire
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/NicolaCritical resource to save newborns from brain damage thanks to legacy gift
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.
Lincolnshire launches free careers website for adult learners
A new online platform has been created to support people in Lincolnshire with their next steps in education and work.
Careers.2aspire.org.uk is a free resource developed by Lincolnshire County Council, aimed at adults aged 19 and over. It brings together training opportunities, sector insights and careers advice in one place.
The website focuses on industries central to the county, including the visitor economy, agriculture and agri-tech, health and social care, construction, manufacturing and engineering, and the public sector.
Features include a tool that matches skills and interests to potential jobs, details of qualifications required for different roles, and guidance on where training can be accessed locally. The site also highlights the benefits of working in each sector, supported by testimonials from people already in those industries.
Resources are provided not only for learners but also for teachers, advisers, carers and parents, helping them guide others through their options.
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/Jacob LundMilitary heritage to go on display at Caythorpe Gala
Taking place on Saturday (6th September), Caythorpe Gala will have a special new feature – a marquee displaying the district’s dramatic Airborne forces heritage.
Exhibits will illustrate how British, American and Polish paratroopers gathered in South Kesteven to train and embark from local airfields for the key milestones of D-Day and Arnhem.
The marquee is organised by South Kesteven District Council as part of its Soldiers from the Sky project – made possible by Lottery players.
Exhibits include RAF Barkston Heath, from where American 9th Troop Carrier Command aircraft carried troops and equipment to Europe.
Another exhibit from former RAF North Witham tells how elite US Pathfinder troops were first into D-Day invasion action on 5 June 1944, landing in occupied France to lay markers and hold landing zones for the incoming airborne invasion.
Other memorabilia include Operation Doomsday, when British airborne troops flew from Barkston Heath to accept the German surrender in Norway and an American mid-air training collision overhead Carlton Scroop killing decorated US veterans.
Caythorpe Gala is supported by 216 Signals Parachute Regiment as part of its annual village reunion. Airborne Signallers were based in Caythorpe in 1944 and there is a memorial to them in St Vincent’s Church.
Cllr Bridget Ley, SKDC Armed Forces Champion, said: “St Vincent’s Church and Caythorpe village have a special and lasting resonance with airborne forces, and we are delighted to support the village Gala with our heritage marquee.
“Our project is telling largely untold stories of an amazing episode in the district’s military history and this is a great opportunity to demonstrate that heritage in a very special location.”
Grimsby Horizon Youth Zone reaches construction milestone ahead of autumn completion
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 19th 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.
Skills Bootcamps return with free training across Lincolnshire and Rutland
A new round of Skills Bootcamps has opened for applications in Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland, offering free training in sectors facing strong demand.
The programme, funded by a £5m Department for Education grant and delivered by Lincolnshire County Council, provides short, flexible courses for adults aged 19 and over. Eligible applicants include those who are unemployed, self-employed or looking to change jobs.
Training is available in areas such as digital skills, health and care, agriculture, education, construction, HGV driving, hospitality, leadership and management, manufacturing, business improvement and engineering. Courses typically run for 60 hours or more and cover Levels 2 to 5.
Employers can also access the scheme to upskill staff, with a small contribution required. Businesses have the option to commission bespoke training to address specific skills shortages and can interview graduates from the programme.
More than 2,000 people have already completed previous bootcamps, with many gaining new roles, taking on additional responsibilities or moving into permanent contracts.
The current phase builds on that success, with learners able to apply now for courses designed to align local talent with employer needs.
Image credit: Lincolnshire County CouncilGarden tea party hits £10,000 milestone for Marie Curie
After a decade of opening her garden gates to the community, fundraiser Maggie Lindley of Goulceby, Louth, has hosted her 10th and final annual Garden Tea Party in aid of Marie Curie.
Determined to reach a personal goal of £10,000 raised in 10 years, Maggie went all out this summer with a joyful celebration featuring a live band, quiz, guess the cake weight competition, raffle with a mountain of prizes, homemade bakes, plant and cucumber sales.
Homemade cakes were generously donated by residents, some of whom entered a baking competition held ahead of the tea party. Others baked simply to ensure there was a wide enough selection to keep guests happy.
Thanks to Maggie, the tireless efforts of her husband, Roger and the support of her merry band of volunteers – made up of family and friends – she raised £2,163.09 this year, bringing her grand total to £10,574.64.
This incredible fundraising achievement has helped fund 1,366 hours of Marie Curie nursing care, providing vital night-time support for people living with terminal illness in their own homes. These hours allow Marie Curie nurses to deliver emergency pain relief, manage symptoms, and offer compassionate care when families need it most – during the quiet hours of the night when help can feel furthest away.
Maggie Lindley said: “The garden tea parties have succeeded in bringing our local community together, each of the ten years fundraising for Marie Curie. Here in Goulceby there hasn’t ever been anyone telling me about any personal experience linked to Marie Curie, but support for our work is always given generously.
“Thus, the target amount was set, and people excelled themselves. I don’t think I ever thought it would be a good way to go out on a high, more just helping to consolidate what we already know; if you put plenty of effort in, you usually get rewarded.”
Lauren Alexander, senior community fundraiser for Marie Curie in Lincolnshire, added: “Maggie’s dedication over the past 10 years has been nothing short of inspiring. Her garden tea parties have become a cherished tradition in the community, and the funds she’s raised have made a real and lasting impact on the lives of people across Lincolnshire. We are so grateful to Maggie and Roger for their kindness, creativity, and unwavering support.”
For more information about Maggie’s fundraising or to learn how you can support Marie Curie, contact local community fundraiser Lauren on 07525 801531 or lauren.alexander@mariecurie.org.uk
