Changes to the way significant decisions are taken involving transport, housing, skills and investment to benefit local people in Greater Lincolnshire have moved a step closer. In a historic moment, a document called the “Statutory Instrument”, required to form the new devolved Greater Lincolnshire County Combined Authority, has been laid in Parliament. It means the new devolved authority can go ahead, with a first meeting of a the new GLCCA expected to take place early in the new year. That will come before the first-ever Mayoral elections across Greater Lincolnshire in May. The process for candidates to stand to be the new Mayor are currently being worked through with more news on deadlines to stand and timetables due soon. In a joint statement welcoming this latest news, authority leaders, Cllr Martin Hill (Lincolnshire), Cllr Philip Jackson (North East Lincolnshire), and Cllr Rob Waltham (North Lincolnshire), said: “As we move into this final Parliamentary process, we look forward to the new year and a 2025 that brings with it a new dawn for us all here in Greater Lincolnshire. “The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority will give local decision makers the chance to shape our area’s future – building a stronger and more prosperous region for generations to come. With this will come better lifestyles of residents and wider opportunities for businesses.” Introduction of devolution and the GLCCA brings a total investment pot of £720m directly into Greater Lincolnshire over the next 30 years.  This includes an annual £24m Mayoral Investment Fund to invest in priority areas including jobs and skills; housing & highways, transport, business & infrastructure, and innovation and trade. There is also an initial capital funding pot of £28m including brownfield funding for individual schemes across Greater Lincolnshire. In North East Lincolnshire this will support the phase one development of a Grimsby Town Centre Transport Hub while in Lincolnshire a number of projects are already underway including road improvements to Old Roman Bank near Sandilands and drainage improvements at Kirkby on Bain. Upcoming projects include roundabout works at Nettleham and streetworks in Grantham, a business grant programme within the UK Food Valley in South Lincolnshire and a grant to Sleaford Moor Business Park for the next phase of this low carbon business park. In North Lincolnshire this will be used to unlock land in Scunthorpe, Brigg, and Barton-upon-Humber, enabling more homes to be built for older residents.

Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) is taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge to raise £90,000 in just one week! The charity needs to raise £45,000 in online donations to secure a match pot that will double the amount raised to make £90,000. All donations will support LNAA’s life-saving work, 24-hours-a-day, every day of the year. From 3-10 December all donations will be doubled. Money raised could go towards helping people like Malc who ended up lying in a ditch fighting for his life. The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance crew were soon by his side, giving life-saving treatments where he lay. He had suffered multiple traumatic injuries, and his survival was uncertain. Malc had numerous broken bones including his pelvis, spine and ribs. He had open fractures to his right leg, a shoulder injury, soft tissue damage and had internal bleeding. When the crew had lifted him onto level ground, they stabilised his pelvis and placed traction splints on both legs to reduce blood loss and provide protection. LNAA Dr Jake performed life-saving surgery at the roadside and Malc received three blood transfusions as Jake and paramedic Danielle fought to save his life. Once stable Malc was airlifted to the Major Trauma Unit at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, where a surgical team were waiting to operate on him. Malc said: “Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance is a team of wonderful people who go out and save lives at the roadside. I’ve needed that service; I’ve used that service and what a service it is.” Malc is still recovering from his injuries and life is very different for him, his wife, Kirsty and his nine-year-old son, Teddy. It is a slow healing process, but his legs are gradually getting stronger. Head of Community, Corporate and Events Fundraising, Rachel Wilson said: “It’s patients like Malc who need the care only our crew can provide – and quickly. He was potentially one of four patients that day, our daily mission average, to which the crew took the equivalent of an Emergency Department. “Whether at the beachside, on the roadside or in the countryside, our crews respond to emergencies of the most serious kind, providing medical interventions that can mean the difference between life and death. “Patients like Malc get the best care possible only because of the support we receive from people across Lincs & Notts and beyond. “Donations to our Christmas Challenge will be generously matched by our campaign pledgers including the Pilgrim Trust and our Community Champion The Reed Foundation, meaning your donation will have twice the impact! “But in order to access the £45,000 we have in the matching pot, we need to raise £45,000 in online donations. We hope everyone will give generously this year to help us reach our target and enable us to help keep our iconic helicopter flying and our critical care cars operational 24/7 as we move into the busy winter months.” How can you get involved? Visit https://www.ambucopter.org.uk/BigGive and make a donation from 12pm (midday) on #GivingTuesday (Tuesday, 3^rd December). The campaign will close at 12pm on Tuesday, 10th December.

Lincolnshire Coop is investing £200k in body cameras to help protect staff at all of its 99 food stores and 44 pharmacies. The cameras are being supplied after a successful trial at four locations, including Birchwood Pharmacy in Lincoln’s Jasmin Road. Pharmacy Service Assistant Minnie Grainger said the body cameras increased the team’s sense of security. “You can see customers taking notice of the body cameras and any that were thinking about getting abusive thought twice about it after seeing them. It helps both colleagues and our other customers enjoy the safety that we all deserve,” she said. “We have so many regulars that come in and bring a smile to our faces, and it really is a minority who act in an abusive way but it’s good to have the cameras to give us extra security.” At Sincil Street Food Store in the centre of Lincoln Manager Sarah Hutt said the cameras were a welcome addition to the other security measures they have in store. “It makes us feel more confident as we know the body cameras may help defuse incidents,” she said. “We enjoy working in retail and providing the best service we can to our customers but the impact of those who act in an unacceptable way can make the job difficult for myself and the team. We’re grateful to our regulars and all the other customers who use our store and treat us with respect and kindness.” The company’s Security Manager Mark Foulds said: “We have had positive feedback from four trial sites with colleagues telling us the body cameras helped them to feel more confident and secure. “The cameras are front-facing so show the customer what the colleague sees, which we believe may help with de-escalating incidents or make people think twice about what they are doing and how they are treating our colleagues. “They also record both video and audio which we can share with relevant authorities when we believe a crime has taken place.” Mr Foulds said that incidents vary and can include abusive and foul language, threats against colleagues or their families and in some cases, physical attacks. “The vast majority of our customers are polite and respectful, but there are a minority whose actions are unacceptable,” he said. “This not only impacts on our colleagues – who are simply trying to provide the best service they can to our communities – but it can also impact on our other customers, who can find these incidents distressing and who don’t want to see our colleagues treated in that way.” Mr Foulds said that age-related sales refusals and shoplifting are two particular flashpoints. “Our teams have a responsibility to enforce the legal requirements around age-related sales for products like cigarettes, vapes and alcohol but regularly face abuse and threats from customers when asked for ID, or when a sale is refused,” he said. “We have also seen a 37% rise in shoplifting in the past year, which is another trigger.” The society, which operates in Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and surrounding counties, has seen a 245% increase in incidents of threats and abuse to colleagues in the past five years. In the last year, there has been 127 incidents reported in food stores and 23 in pharmacies. There are a range of other security measures in place in Lincolnshire Co-op outlets. These include security guards in some locations, CCTV monitored by central service desk, and personal attack alarms.

Bellway East Midlands has started construction work on two new developments at Handley Chase in Sleaford. Detailed plans for 393 homes within the new neighbourhood taking shape on the southern edge of the town were approved by North Kesteven District Council earlier this year. Bellway is building 204 homes at Quarrington Edge at Handley Chase, while Ashberry Homes – part of the Bellway Group – is building 189 homes at neighbouring Daedalus Park at Handley Chase. 31 of the homes will be provided as affordable homes for local people, available through low-cost rent or shared ownership. Steve Smith, Sales Director for Bellway East Midlands, said: “With work now underway on these two developments, which will bring nearly 400 much-needed new homes to Sleaford, we are looking forward to releasing the first homes for sale in March. “The mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes across the two developments has been carefully designed to provide the types of properties needed within the local area, while the affordable housing will give local people the opportunity to secure a high-quality place to live within the local community. “The new homes will be energy-efficient and feature solar PV panels and electric vehicle charging points. The properties will also benefit from Google Nest technology, with a smart thermostat to help people reduce their energy bills.” The two developments are part of the wider Handley Chase neighbourhood. Outline plans for 1,450 homes, a primary school, care home, local centre, public open space, sports pitches and allotments were approved in 2015, with work already underway on other land parcels within the scheme. Steve said: “We are proud to be part of the wider Handley Chase project which will not only deliver new homes to Sleaford but will also bring with it a host of new community facilities which will benefit the town as whole. “Our two developments – which lie to the east of Stumps Cross Hill and comprise the southernmost parcels of the Handley Chase scheme – will also feature green landscaping designed to ensure they will blend in with the surrounding natural environment. “We will retain existing trees and hedgerows wherever possible and carry out a new planting programme, creating ponds within the public open space and new habitats for local wildlife.”   Image credit: Bellway

When a cardiac arrest strikes, it can happen anytime, anywhere, and to anyone. In those critical moments, swift action can mean the difference between life and death. Tragically, fewer than 1 in 10 people survive a cardiac arrest that happens outside of a hospital. This is why raising awareness of CPR and community response is so vital—and why Lincolnshire-based charity LIVES is on a mission to make its communities safer. Last December alone, LIVES volunteers responded to over 200 medical emergencies across Lincolnshire, with 16 of these calls involving children. On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day, LIVES responders attended 16 patients, providing critical care in situations ranging from cardiac arrests to breathing difficulties. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is a life-saving skill that anyone can learn. It buys precious time, keeping blood and oxygen flowing to vital organs until professional help arrives. When paired with the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), it can significantly improve the chances of survival for cardiac arrest victims. In rural areas like Lincolnshire, where ambulance response times can be longer due to distance, organisations like LIVES play a crucial role in bridging the gap. LIVES volunteers are trained Community First Responders who attend 999 calls, often arriving within minutes to begin life-saving care. LIVES recently released a short film, “No Night Is Silent,” to illustrate the vital role of community first responders. The film tells the story of a young girl who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest on Christmas Day. A LIVES responder answers the 999 call and performs CPR and defibrillation, giving her a chance at survival. Watch and Vote in The Smiley Charity Film Awards here – https://www.lives.org.uk/no-night-is-silent/ “This Christmas, we want to remind everyone how important it is to be prepared,” says Max Imbornone, Senior Communications and Engagement Officer at LIVES. “The ability to perform CPR and use a defibrillator can save lives. Our volunteers work tirelessly year-round to make Lincolnshire a safer place, and their dedication is especially evident over the festive season. Emergencies don’t stop for Christmas.” This festive season, LIVES encourages everyone to take a moment to learn or refresh their CPR skills. If you’ve ever wondered how to help in a life-threatening emergency, now is the time to act. Knowing what to do could save a loved one’s life. To support LIVES or learn more about their life-saving work, visit their website. Together, we can create safer communities and give every patient the chance they deserve—because no night should be silent when someone’s life is at stake.

The Fenland Group of the Riding for the Disabled Association has been supported in its mission to give riding lessons to disabled children thanks to a donation of £500 from Freemasons of the Alexandra Lodge at Long Sutton. More than 40 years of commitment by volunteers and donors have meant the charity has taught more than 1,000 children to ride, says the Group’s Chair Paul Brett. “The group is not a riding school. We do not own our own ponies or facilities, and everything we do is enabled by the generosity of our volunteers and supporters.  Over the past 40 years the group has taught well in excess of 1,000 children to ride, and this donation will help the group to continue to provide the children with their riding sessions.  We are extremely grateful to member of the Alexandra Lodge for their generosity.” The Fenland Group of the RDA was created in 1981 by Elizabeth Dixon-Spain and Jane Carter, who wanted to give disabled children the opportunity to share in the joy of riding.  The group gives children from The Tulip Academy in Spalding free riding lessons each week during the spring, summer and autumn terms. From those early days Liz and many others are still very actively involved with the group more than 40 years later.   The group is a registered charity, and relies solely on its volunteers and donations to keep running.   Currently there are about 30 volunteers who regularly give up their Wednesday mornings to help, and some of them also bring their ponies for the children to ride. In the picture Alexandra Lodge Master Richard Diggle and his predecessor Chris Woodrow presented the cheque to Paul Brett watched by founder Liz Dixon-Spain and volunteers Andrea Brett, Sara Woodrow, Ginny Gray, Fiona Ralling, and Jane Goodger – together with ponies Cashew and Molly. The Freemasons’ Provincial Charity Steward Paul Ellis said: “There are 76 Freemasons’ Lodges in Lincolnshire, each of which gives £500 to the good cause of its choice from a central ‘pot’ called the New Provincial Benevolent Fund, meaning £38,000 is given every year to enhance the quality of life in our communities.”

Plans to close Grimsby’s Post Office as part of the list of 115 directly owned branches being considered for potential closure, the Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Councillor Philip Jackson, has written directly to the Government’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade to ask for his support to keep it open. “This is something that we feel really strongly about, and wanted to get to the highest authorities as soon as possible,” said Cllr Jackson. “Along with significant funding from the Government and other agencies, along with work being done by our partners, we are in the midst of delivering a once in a generation town centre regeneration programme. “The Post Office is at heart of Grimsby town centre, and our plans, and those of our partners, particularly for Freshney Place and the Community Diagnostics Centre within it and the housing development at Garth Lane, will bring significant additional footfall to the town centre in the coming years. “To consider closure of the Post Office at this point would be a damaging and backwards step, particularly when our residents are starting to see visible signs of positive and impactful change on the high street. “We will continue to petition Government to keep the Post Office open in the town centre, to try to make sure that we keep the best facilities here for our residents and businesses.”