The historic trawler Ross Tiger is reopening to the public again on Tuesday 28 March after months of vital deck works. The scheme, which started last September, included removing the rotten timber deck to reveal the steel deck below which was then inspected, grit blasted and painted. Some of the timber was able to be removed for conservation and will return to the museum’s collection. Once these works had taken place, to allow the ship to safely reopen to the public, a walkway had to be installed to allow visitor tours to resume. This has now been completed, and, following the green light from health and safety officers, Ross Tiger will soon officially be back open. Louise Bowen, collections officer at Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre, said: “We are delighted to have completed these vital works. Removal of the decaying timber has provided the assurance that the steel decking below is in a sound condition. “This is a testament to the shipbuilding engineers at Cochrane and Sons of Selby, whose skill and craftmanship has stood the test of time for over 65 years. Painting the steelwork underneath and laying a new temporary walkway means we can welcome visitors back onboard and begin planning for the next phase of conservation work on our historic trawler.” David Ornsby, operations manager at the centre, added: “The Ross Tiger is a cherished part of Grimsby’s fishing heritage and has been much missed by visitors to the museum during these works. We know that our visiting schools and general public will be delighted to have the ship available again. The team, which recently won a Welcome Accolade from VisitEngland, will be back aboard and bringing the ship to life for visitors again. Although the temporary walkway will look different until a new timber deck can be funded, we can feel happier that the weather deck of the ship is much better protected and preserved.” Various contractors have been involved in the major renovation project and North East Lincolnshire Council, along with Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre and Equans, would like to thank them: Beckett Rankine Marine Consulting Engineers, Coopers Painting Contractors Grimsby, R & N Services, York Archaeology, Bacon Engineering Ltd and Hurst Conservation.

The new video features doctors, paramedics and pilots responding to missions across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire together with patient Bradley, 8. Last year, LNAA was tasked to 1,620 incidents, over 130 more than in 2021. The charity receives no direct funding from the Government and yet they are tasked with delivering this emergency service to increasingly more people each year. In 2022 it cost £8million to keep the helicopter flying and the critical care cars operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week and with increased costs and increased demand this figure will increase in 2023. Chief Executive Officer, Karen Jobling said: “We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the support of people across the communities of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Everyone who donates to us owns a little part of us and without that help we would not be able to be by the side of patients like Bradley who was airlifted to hospital following a limb-threatening incident a year ago.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4u7r8izKC8

Oversized, with too much nicotine, or sold to children; vapes become the new battleground for Lincolnshire Trading Standards. In a report due to go before the council’s Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee on 21 March, the service reveals that of the 5,417 unsafe products removed from the market between April and December last year, 5,062 were non-compliant vapes. Non-compliant vapes include those exceeding the legal nicotine content, and the delivery dose (referred to as a ‘puff’). As a rule, disposable vapes should have around 600 puffs, so they comply with the legal limits on size. Amongst those seized by Trading Standards are vapes advertised as containing up to 10,000 puffs – more than 16 times the limit. Using intelligence gathered from officers, partner organisations and members of the public, Lincolnshire Trading Standards inspects premises thought to be selling illegal vapes and seizes them, pending investigation. To help advise businesses of the legislation around vapes, Lincolnshire Trading Standards has sent letters to over 100 premises across the county. They provided guidance on how to check that products comply in terms of nicotine capacity, tank size and number of puffs. They also reminded traders that such products cannot be sold to under-18s. The underage sales of vapes is an area of growing concern for Trading Standards services across the country. In Lincolnshire, 35 per cent of the intelligence received around underage sales is now about the sale of vapes specifically. The service carries out underage test purchases at premises across the county, and roughly one in five results in the underage volunteers being sold vapes. The county council also has a dedicated officer who delivers workshops to schools around smoking and alcohol. A new workshop has been developed, specifically around the use of vapes, and this has already been delivered to over 4,000 pupils. Mark Keal, Head of Lincolnshire Trading Standards, said: “The popularity of disposable vapes has exploded over the last 18 months, and we have seen a lot of shops cashing in on the new craze. “Many of the businesses now selling vapes haven’t sold nicotine products before, and we’ve gone to great lengths to advise businesses on the regulations around them, to help them comply with the law. What we’re seeing now is more unscrupulous businesses knowingly selling oversized, non-compliant vapes. “Many of the shops where we find illegal cigarettes, we’re now also finding illegal vapes. However, whereas the dodgy cigarettes are hidden away behind the counter, in a back room, or in some elaborate hide, illegal vapes are often brazenly displayed at the counter, making them seem legitimate to the average customer. “The growing trend of young people vaping for the first time is also concerning. Whilst shops are clearly consistent in asking for ID when selling cigarettes and alcohol, there seems to be a more slack attitude when it comes to vapes and that’s something we’re working hard to address through education and enforcement. “Research may show that vaping is much less harmful than smoking cigarettes, but the health message remains that if you have never smoked, you should not take up vaping.”

Paul Durrant from Grimsby heads to Poland for his first sprint race of the season as a member of Team GB at the end of the month. He’ll be competing in the first of three planned athletics events this year, culminating in the European Master Athletics Championships in Italy in September. He took up sprinting in 2021. “I’d concentrated mainly on half marathons and 10ks but decided to join the local sprint team and get some proper coaching,” he said. “I’d always harboured a desire to represent Great Britain, and through the Master Athletics I have found my opportunity. I’m thoroughly looking forward to these events and hopefully my efforts will inspire others.” Associated British Ports, where he works as a Property Manager, has sponsored his Great Britain running kit, Simon Bird, Regional Director for the Humber ports said: “We’re delighted to be supporting our colleague Paul in his quest for Team GB and we’ll be cheering him on.” The World Masters Athletics Championships will be held from 27 to 29 March in Torun, Poland, and Paul is entered in the 60m indoor sprint for his age group. He will also be competing at the European Master Athletics Games (100m) in Finland, and the European Master Athletics Championship (100m) in Italy.

North East Lincolnshire Council plans to spend £800,000 on improving almost 30 of its play parks so more children can stay safe, active and enjoy playing outdoors. The most pressing works are repairs to existing equipment, followed by a fresh supply of spare parts and finally new and replacement equipment and surfaces all of which will be undertaken in the next 18 months. Plans to refurbish and upgrade some of the borough’s existing play parks were first announced in June 2021 with the works estimated to take three years to complete. Since then, the Council has carried out public consultation to ask people where they’d like to see play parks improved and a procurement exercise to identify suppliers and contractors to carry out the work. Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “Most people love their local parks and play areas and we are working hard to improve them so more children can enjoy playing outdoors. “We want more children to have the facilities where they can be safe, active and enjoy playing outdoors. “It’s more than 10 years since we’ve seen this level of investment in our play parks and I’m looking forward to seeing the works get underway soon.” The play parks earmarked for repair and refurbishment include:

1. Ainslie Street
2. Albion Street
3. Alden Close
4. Bradley Woods
5. Butt Lane
6. Capes Recreation Ground
7. Carver Road
8. Duke of York Gardens
9. Grant Thorold Park
10. Haverstoe Park
11. Kingston Gardens
12. Mount Pleasant
13. Musical Garden, King’s Road
14. Neville Turner Way
15. Nunsthorpe Recreation Ground
16. People’s Park
17. Pilgrims Mount
18. Quantock Park
19. Rose & Crown
20. School Walk
21. Sidney Park
22. Sixhills Street
23. Sussex Rec
24. St Christopher’s Playing Field
25. Sussex Recreation Ground
26. Sutherland Park
27. Weelsby Woods
28. Wingate Parade

 

Building Resilience in Communities (BRIC) is supporting communities once again by responding to a call for help from Louth charity Neighbour’s Kitchen. The Louth-based charity was running low on stock but continues to trust its ethos: “It’s better to give everything to those in need NOW because tomorrow is a battle when you are struggling.” BRIC, which is based in Gainsborough, helped out by arranging food donations from a school and a local supermarket. Neighbour’s Kitchen is based around supporting neighbours. The charity was born out of the first lockdown in March 2020 with a mission to offer hot, nutritious food to the vulnerable every day. Paul Hugill, Founder of Neighbours Kitchen said: “Our mission is to feed our community hot, nutritious food daily, gifted to the most vulnerable. We try to make people realise that what they are going through is a temporary thing and in a few months later they will be the ones that donating back to the charity. This is how we are building a stronger world. “Sometimes we have to call for help from our local community when we’re low on stock, and just as the number of requests for support was at critical earlier this year point Jo-Anne from BRIC turned up with bags of food collected from local organisations.” Jo-Anne Tolley, a Support Co-ordinator at BRIC, responded to a call for help from the charity. She organised a food collection by a combination of donations from North Somercotes Primary School and people donating at the local Co-op. The primary school also held a non-uniform day where the students brought an item of food instead of money. Jo-Anne said: “I responded to this call because I see the impact of rising living costs on local families. We all need a helping hand with something at some point. “This proves that when we work together, beautiful things happen. It is beneficial for local services to work collaboratively and raise awareness of the support available in communities.” BRIC is a locally focused charity supporting vulnerable children and their families in Lincolnshire. A support organisation with an amazing team and a big heart, it has changed the lives of many children and their families by providing emotional support and practical help.

Lincolnshire-based equine welfare charity Bransby Horses are offering a novel way to support them. Buying one of their Gift Cards With a Difference means supporters can donate to them on behalf of someone else. Maria Thompson said: “We know things are tough right now and just want to let our supporters know they can buy a gift of warmth, food or medical treatment for any of our residents – as a gift card to mark a special occasion such as birthdays and anniversaries. “It means they can donate to us on behalf of someone they know would appreciate the gesture.” Buying a Bransby Horses Gift Card with a Difference is a great way to help horses like Gerald. He was found by worried members of the public collapsed in a ditch with maggots and lice all over his legs. Rescued by near-by RSPCA centre he was then signed him over to Bransby Horses for the long term specialist care he needed. At only two-years-old it was touch and go. As well as advanced liver disease and severe dental problems he also needed a blood transfusion. Bransby Horses External Welfare Manager Rachel Jenkinson said: “Despite his issues Gerald showed a real determination to get better. His conditions were difficult to treat as he had multiple issues but despite being close to death – he pulled through on more than one occasion. “He’s a lovely pony and the team who work with him are very fond of him.” Gerald’s case highlights the long-term investment required to fully care for horses and ponies in need and every gift card purchased helps fund their care. Call 01427 788 464 or visit BransbyHorses.co.uk/gcwad

Work is due to start on site at Riverhead in Grimsby next week (Monday 20 March) to create a new open space in the centre of town. Since the hoardings went up, the main contractors have been secured, and the build programme finalised. Additionally, work has been going on behind the hoardings to remove old trees, clear out old pipework and cables, and prepare the site for the start of the works. In the coming months, the existing square will be completely re-remodelled, funded as one of the projects included in the Town Deal, the money for which was secured in 2020 and is ringfenced for specific projects. The scheme will see the existing area changed to incorporate a lot more green-space and planting, as well as providing new seating, lighting, security and a flexible event space with improved infrastructure to support future events and activities. There will also be space for outdoor café seating at the entrance to Freshney Place. Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, said: “This scheme will create a much more pleasant area for our residents and businesses and encourage more people to use the town centre. It’s part of our wider town centre ambitions that will also see, subject to planning permission, the western end of Freshney Place remodelled to introduce more leisure activities to the area. “It’s vital for our borough that we look at Grimsby Town Centre with a real determination to attract families and people of all ages, so we can bring vibrancy back and make it a place where people want to visit at all times of the day.” The new designs, approved at the Council’s Cabinet meeting in November, were drawn up by Arup Landscape Design, and incorporated input from local people, including children and young people, from recent consultations and engagement, in terms of what they want to see in the area. The works on Riverhead are being managed by Equans on behalf of the Council and will hopefully be complete by the end of the year.