Lincoln-based behaviour change agency Social Change has raised a total of £1,351 for the Alzheimer’s Society during their recent Memory Walk at Boultham Park in Lincoln.
The fundraising event saw over 150 people, of all ages and abilities, walk the 1.6km route across Boultham Park, with participants contributing to a whopping 209,900 total step-count!
Sponsored by Lincoln City Council, Johnson and Smith Ltd, Boultham Park, and Glenholme Healthcare, all donations raised from the fundraiser will go directly to the Alzheimer’s Society, supporting people living with dementia across Lincolnshire and beyond.
The team at Social Change recently invited Alice Grewcock, community fundraiser at Alzheimer’s Society, to their Lincoln office, to collect the giant £1,351 cheque raised from the event.
Kate Lee, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We are so pleased to have Social Change bring such energy and enthusiasm to Alzheimer’s Society and immensely proud of what they have achieved with their brilliant Memory Walk. Their fantastic sum of £1,351 will make a significant difference to the lives of those affected by dementia, providing both immediate help and hope for the future.”
Penny Howard, from Glenholme Healthcare, echoes the value of the charity’s work. She said: “We gain so much advice from the Alzheimer’s Society in support of the delivery of our activities within our communities. The Memory Walk has been a great opportunity to give something back to help their work continue. The day was so well attended and we’re really pleased to hear how much has been raised.”
Alison Howard, director of Growth and Innovation at Social Change, said: “We recently welcomed Kate Lee, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society, on our podcast, Tea with the Changemakers, and this got the team talking.
“We discovered that the majority of us have a relative with Alzheimer’s, and we wanted to do something to support people who are living with it, and their families. After discovering that our closest Alzheimer’s Society organised Memory Walk was in Nottingham, we decided to host our own, and the rest is history.”
Lincolnshire Co-op has appointed Alison Hands, currently Managing Director at Wilkos, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Alison is set to join the society in April 2023.
She brings over 33 years’ experience in a diverse mix of retail environments, including Marks and Spencer, The Body Shop, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Boots Opticians. She is currently Managing Director at Wilkos, having previously been trading director and commercial execution director.
Current CEO Ursula Lidbetter announced her retirement in March this year after 37 years with Lincolnshire Co-op, 18 of those as its Chief Executive. She will retire at the end of December.
Chief financial officer Steve Galjaard, who has been with Lincolnshire Co-op for 21 years, will become Acting Chief Executive Officer alongside his current role, ensuring a smooth transition for the society’s 2,900 colleagues.
Chair David Cowell said: “Under Ursula’s expert leadership, our society has flourished. She’s overseen our busy programme of work throughout 2022 and will be retiring leaving Lincolnshire Co-op in a great position for the future.
“We welcome Alison to the society with the knowledge she will continue this good work and help us move forward. She brings a wealth of experience and insight, as well as a deep understanding of bricks and mortar retail and what that means to customers. She’s also passionate about our purpose and values.
“I’d like to thank Ursula, my fellow Board of Directors, the Senior Leadership Team and our colleagues for supporting this process.”
Chief Executive Officer Ursula Lidbetter said: “I’ve served the society for nearly a quarter of our 161 years. Now feels the right time to pass the baton on.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how Lincolnshire Co-op develops under Alison’s leadership, working alongside the great team we have in place.”
Alison Hands said: “I’m honoured to be joining this values-driven organisation, which continues to build on its success, whilst delivering its purpose to make life better in communities.
“I’m excited to be charged with leading the society through the next phase of its development, as we collectively tackle the challenges of the current external environment.”
HSH Coldstores has been awarded a £5m government grant as part of the Seafood Infrastructure Fund. The grant is to support the construction of a new £30m state-of-the-art coldstore and distribution hub to support the seafood industry in Grimsby.
Local cold store capacity in Grimsby is near fully utilised, and this has created a bottleneck for the local seafood processing industry’s growth.
The new coldstore will store around 30,000 pallets, opening up opportunity for growth and increasing competitiveness for the local seafood processing sector. The facility will also provide cost-effective single pallet distribution anywhere in the UK, supporting small businesses.
Sustainability will be at the heart of the construction: the building will have 30% lower energy consumption compared to other coldstores in Grimsby, achieve BREEAM Very Good standard and make use of local suppliers during construction where possible. The new facility will also create over 60 full-time high-quality jobs in the local community.
This year, Cleethorpes will be illuminating its Christmas tree on St Peter’s Avenue on Friday 2 December. The Christmas tree has been sponsored by Parkway Cinema and characters from their forthcoming Panto, Pinocchio, will be attending for you to meet plus music and entertainment.
Alongside the event, an evening Christmas Makers Market will take place at St Peter’s church hall featuring local makers and artists. Open 4.30pm to 7.30pm with visits from Santa.
There will be a road closure from 4.00pm to 7.00pm on St Peter’s Avenue between Albert Road and the roundabout at Cambridge Street/Mill Road.
At 5pm outside St Peter’s Church, join the fun and sing along with your favourite ‘Ice Queen’, ‘Snow Princess’ and friends, at 5.15pm – why not meet them, have photographs taken and ask them to sign autographs, all for free. Cheeky Charlie the Elf will be performing his favourite Christmas tunes from 5.15pm.
Parkway Cinema’s panto cast of Pinocchio will be in attendance for the countdown to the official tree lighting. The lights will be illuminated by the cast at approximately 6.15pm.
Themed stilt walkers will be in attendance for more fun photo opportunities, and you may bump into some ‘cheeky elves’.
The RNLI will be in attendance and collecting for charity with Stormy Stan and Rookie Reindeer. They will also be publicising their festive Reindeer Run which takes place in Cleethorpes on Sunday 4 December.
Selected businesses on Sea View Street will open subsequently for late night shopping on the evening.
Charities will be under increased strain this winter as a new poll of 67,000 people shows two in five UK residents are more likely to depend on charities during the cost of living crisis.
More than a third of residents in Lincolnshire (34%) that took part in the research (717) have admitted they are more likely than ever before to have to call on help from a charity. While in contrast 34% said they are likely to reduce the amount they donate to charity due to the increasing costs they’re facing on their energy bills.
While people may be planning to give less money, 31% of residents have said they’re more likely to volunteer their time instead. Three in five (62%) are more likely to support a local charity rather than a national or international one with almost 50% of residents choosing frontline charities supporting those most in need due to the cost-of-living crisis.
The findings come as the UK’s largest network of food banks, The Trussell Trust, announced it had distributed a record number of food parcels between April and September this year, with one in five individuals referred to The Trussell Trust now coming from working households.
With charities facing increased pressure, Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards is giving away £120,000 as part of its annual 12 Days of Giving Christmas campaign. Residents are encouraged to nominate a charity online at www.movementforgood.com using the online form. The first draw takes place on December 1st and the last on December 16th with 10 charities drawn every day. Nominations are open until Thursday 15th December.
Winners are drawn at random and the more times a charity is nominated the more chance it has of being selected.
Mark Hews, group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said: “It’s perhaps no surprise that people intend to cut back on their charitable giving at this time, and it is clear that charities need help more than ever. Our annual £1 million Movement for Good Awards have helped thousands of charities across the UK and we’re asking people to take a few minutes of their time to nominate a cause they especially care about.
“Out of some five million companies in the UK, Benefact Group is the fourth largest corporate donor and has an ambition to be the biggest. As a Group of financial service businesses, uniquely owned by a charity, all available profits go to good causes, and the more our loyal customers support us to grow, the more the Group can give. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do and, together, we can help many good causes to continue their love and support for those who need it most in these difficult times.”
This year in June, 250 £1,000 awards were donated. A further 250 £1,000 awards were awarded in September followed by £500,000 of larger grants in October.
A special draw was recently launched to coincide with COP27, giving five environmental charities £5,000 each – a further £25,000 in funding.
Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.
A Scunthorpe-based mouth and foot painting artist has had two of his paintings chosen to be sold as Christmas cards this year.
Jon Clayton’s designs, called ‘Christmas Tree Delivery’ and ‘The Nativity’, will be sold in the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) collection, a major honour for MFPA artists.
‘The Nativity’ by Jon Clayton
The MFPA is a partnership of over 800 artists with disabilities who create stunning artistic designs using just their mouths and feet. Christmas cards and products are made by the MFPA each year, the sales of which afford the artists financial independence, whilst giving representation to and empowering the disabled community.
You can shop Jon’s cards as well as other Christmas cards and products designed by the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists at: www.mfpa.co.uk‘Christmas Tree Delivery’ by Jon Clayton
After lunch on 23 June 1978 Jon Clayton was returning to his work as an apprentice mechanic when he was involved in a motorbike accident. Jon broke his neck in the accident, rendering him paralysed in all four limbs. He spent a year in the Spinal Unit of Wakefield Hospital where the Occupational Therapists suggested that he try painting but, put off by early attempts, Jon gave up on the idea.
However, a Christmas gift of a ‘painting-by-numbers’ set gave him another chance to try mouth painting again. This simple painting was an important turning point, and from it he continued to experiment with other mediums and taught himself to draw and paint using his mouth.
Jon Clayton
He was given a book about the lives and art works of a very special group of artists who belong to the MFPA. After reading this book and comparing their work to his own, he put the book away. Some years later, by chance, Jon came upon an article in a magazine about the MFPA and he was encouraged to submit some paintings to the Association for evaluation, and was accepted as a student member in 1998.
Jon paints in his purpose-built studio in the garden of his home. With his specialised art equipment he likes to paint landscapes and is inspired to design and paint pictures with people and animals.
Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and Engineering UTC North Lincolnshire have launched a brand-new facility at the college, that will inspire the next generation of STEM leaders in the region.
Holly Mumby-Croft, MP for Scunthorpe, cut the ribbon at the recent opening of the facility, with pupils from local schools, and representatives from North Lincolnshire Council, Greater Lincolnshire LEP and industry touring the centre.
Generation Net Zero was created with ORE Catapult funding to ensure school children from Northern Lincolnshire can access high quality STEM teaching in their formative years. Crucially, the facility will also provide a space for businesses across the Humber and Lincolnshire to inspire young people as they think about their future careers.
Ben George, general manager of the Humber region at ORE Catapult, said: “ORE Catapult works closely with schools, colleges, and universities throughout the UK to promote STEM subjects and activities, ensuring that all pupils can be inspired by the opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and maths.
“Generation Net Zero is a perfect example of that positive impact in action as it will provide excellent STEM learning opportunities for the engineers of the future, inspiring them to consider how we build a better, more sustainable world and protect the planet.”
Anesta McCullagh, principal at Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire, said: “We are excited to launch this partnership project with ORE Catapult which brings together primary and secondary education with industry in one hub. Businesses from across the Humber and Lincolnshire will now be able to deliver inspirational workshops alongside our Student STEM Leaders.
“Thanks to this sponsorship from ORE Catapult, the students using the facility will learn about renewables, carbon capture and decarbonisation. As our future leaders, it is vitally important that we develop their creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills now to enable them to change the future for everybody.”
The name ‘Generation Net Zero’ was created by students at the technical college to reflect that school pupils using the facility now and in the near future will be the leaders driving technology, innovation and science in 2050, when our Net Zero targets are to be met.
People are being invited to find out more about the multi-million-pound investment plans for Skegness and Mablethorpe at two events taking place this December.
The Connected Coast Town Deal Board is set to host its first ever AGM and Exhibition events which will provide people with the opportunity to learn more about the transformational projects that are being delivered for both towns and that are set to bring far-reaching and significant benefits.
The plans, which include a new ‘economic game changer’ learning facility for Skegness and Mablethorpe’s flagship Campus for Future Living project, are being made possible thanks to the Government Town Deal funding as well as match investment. In 2021, Skegness secured £24.5m and Mablethorpe £23.9m in Town Deal funding.
Now, people can hear about the plans and progress to date at the AGM and Exhibition events which will be held 3pm-5pm on Thursday 8th December at U@E, Embassy Theatre, Skegness, and 3pm-5pm on Thursday 15th December at the Dunes Complex, Mablethorpe.
At both events, there will be an opportunity to find out about the plans and see visuals for the projects, that also include Skegness Foreshore and the Colonnade at Sutton on Sea, as well as Town Centre improvements in both towns. The Connected Coast annual reports for Skegness and Mablethorpe for the last year will be presented at the events.
Chris Baron, chair of Connected Coast Town Deal Board, said: “Through this huge investment, we have a once in a generation opportunity to bring significant improvements for both Skegness and Mablethorpe.
“Together with our partners, we are progressing well with the projects, and in the coming months and years we are set to see real change happening on the ground.
“The investments and projects will maximise Skegness and Mablethorpe’s potential, and will benefit both local people and visitors to our area alike. We are really looking forward to both these events, and we hope that people can join us and find out more about the exciting plans for our connected coast.”
Councillor Craig Leyland, leader of East Lindsey District Council, said: “Through collaboration, major projects are soon to be delivered on the Lincolnshire coast which will bring improvements, new opportunities and support the health and wellbeing of our residents across East Lindsey.
“It is a very exciting time as many of these projects head to the delivery phase and I hope as many people as possible will attend the AGM and exhibition events to see for themselves the benefits these projects will bring to the district.”
Anyone wishing to attend can book their place by emailing Connected.Coast@e-lindsey.gov.uk or by calling 01507 854402.
A vital step in the transformation of Grimsby’s St James’ Square has been completed, with local company the E-Factor purchasing St James’ House.
The former office building has been bought by the E-Factor Group, which has plans to bring the building back to life using a £1.5m slice of Towns Fund money along with significant private investment.
The move provides a major boost for the Square and will pave the way for the building to be completely renovated and transformed into a business hub exclusively for local businesses.
Mark Webb, Managing Director of E-Factor, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that we can now plough on with our plans to develop this building and provide quality business accommodation for a variety of local businesses and entrepreneurs right in the town centre.
“There will also be space for business events and small conferences, all aimed at supporting local business people. This is a significant investment for our company, but we are determined to continue to be part of the positive story of growth in this area.
“We recognise that this building has been empty for some time and with our investment, supported by the Towns Fund, we are confident we can bring it back to life.
“We are an independent limited company, but every bit of our profits are reinvested in supporting the huge contribution local business owners and entrepreneurs make to this town.
“E-Factor will once again be providing wrap around business support, easy in easy out terms and all the guidance we can give to help create and grow successful local businesses. The more people who do business in the town centre, the better it will be for shops and restaurants also located there.”
North East Lincolnshire Council’s Cabinet approved a business case to help renovate the building last year with the use of Town Deal money. Whilst not putting any council cash into the scheme, authority approval was needed to enable the release of Government monies.
North East Lincolnshire Council leader, Cllr Philip Jackson, said: “The success of the Wilkin Chapman building on Cartergate and the redevelopment of St James’ Square, a key heritage asset in the town, meant that the next step was to deal with St James’ House in a way that can increase footfall in the town centre and provide benefit to other local businesses.
“I’m delighted E-Factor has taken this building on to bring a new dimension to St James’ Square, a fantastic heritage asset in our town centre. We are extremely pleased to support this scheme.”
Confirmation of the building’s new future has delighted those who have worked hard in the background to progress plans. This includes the Church’s representative body, the PCC (the Parochial Church Council) – the former owners of the building.
Fr Chris Hewitt, Vicar of Grimsby Minster and Chairman of the PCC, said: “St James’ House was built in the early 1970s and for many years provided offices and meeting space in the town centre for a variety of organisations including the council, the BBC and it also provided accommodation for the Parish office.
“More recently the building became surplus to requirements and over the last few years a number of alternative options were investigated, which unfortunately did not proceed. We took the decision to appoint Scotts Property to dispose of the building and they received a number of expressions of interest.
“We carefully considered these, not only from a financial perspective, but also with regard to the presence of Grimsby Minster and our social investment in St James’ Square and the surrounding area. The proposal from E-Factor provided the best fit and we are delighted to have sold the property to them. We look forward to seeing it play an important role in the future of St James’ Square and the town centre.”
Lawrence Brown, Managing Partner at property agents Scotts, explained: “We’ve been working with the PCC and the Minster, together with other agencies, for several years to try to bring forward various alternative uses for the building. We’ve considered residential conversions, offices, medical related uses, art galleries and cultural space together with retail and restaurant units.
“We’ve been so close on several occasions – most recently immediately prior to the lockdown at the start of the pandemic, but, as everyone knows, this changed everything. All of this work had taken place ‘behind the scenes’ and when we were instructed, by the PCC, to openly market the property we received lots of interest from a range of different people.
“After careful consideration the offer from E-Factor met the objectives of the PCC most closely and we can now look forward to seeing a refurbished building in the heart of the town centre.”
E-Factor Group Ltd (E-Factor), have been both developing and managing a portfolio of commercial properties around North East Lincolnshire for more than 12 years.
A new weight limit will be introduced in six rural communities across the Ferry ward in a bid to minimise the disruption caused by HGV traffic.
The 7.5 tonne limit, which will come into effect on 30 November 2022, follows a consultation and detailed conversations with residents.
By diverting HGVs along more major routes, it is hoped the level of freight traffic passing through Ulceby, Thornton Curtis, Wooton, Burnham, Croxton and Kirmington will reduce.
Cllr Richard Hannigan, deputy leader, North Lincolnshire Council, welcomed the plans. He said: “We have been working closely with residents to find a practical solution to the traffic issues some people living in our rural communities have been experiencing.
“These efforts have included initiating a freight strategy review, talking to hauliers, changing speed limits, erecting speed indicator signs, prioritising re-surfacing work and more.
“I am hopeful this new weight limit, which restricts those HGVs that are not unloading goods from passing through these villages, will further reduce disruption and improve the lives of residents.”
The weight limit will be trialled for an initial 18-month period and monitored by the council.
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