New solution helping those in need in Grimsby welcomes first residents
A new council complex for people without homes and facing difficulties in supporting themselves to live independently, has welcomed its first residents.
North East Lincolnshire Council has taken a long-term lease on Swan House – a 29-apartment building in New Haven Terrace, Grimsby. Developed and refurbished privately, the building was empty when the council stepped in.
A welcome alternative to putting those who are eligible for statutory homelessness assistance in bed and breakfast or other alternative and expensive accommodation, clients are offered recently-furnished smart one and two-bed apartments within the secure complex.
Once there, residents have fully fitted kitchens and appliances, such as washing machines, that enable them to live safely and do their own cooking and washing. They are also responsible for their own cleaning and managing their budgets to pay bills.
Importantly, support is also available from the council and its partners to help those who may have issues with money, benefits, or health and wellbeing. Round-the-clock housing management, and external and internal CCTV also ensures security.
The authority’s Leader, Cllr Philip Jackson, who also has responsibility for housing, welcomed the initiative as a blueprint for the future.
“We were very excited at the idea of Swan House when we approved it at Cabinet last year, and now having seen it in person, it brings the idea to life. This facility will have such a positive impact on the lives of the most vulnerable people in our borough.”
Image courtesy of North East Lincolnshire Council
New mini-orchards to be planted across South Kesteven
New mini-orchards will be planted thanks to a Coronation Living Heritage grant awarded to South Kesteven District Council.
The Council is hoping to plant up to 31 new orchards next winter using money from a fund created to celebrate the King’s Coronation.
Parish councils and community groups can apply for up to £1,500 to plant at least five fruit trees on publicly accessible sites, plus protective spirals and canes, information signage and protective fencing if required.
Parent/teacher associations with public accessible space can also apply, and planting could be particularly popular for schools with an Eco Schools Green Flag Award.
Cllrs Patsy Ellis and Rhys Baker, who share SKDC Cabinet responsibilities for Environment and Waste, said: “It’s great news, and we are looking forward to seeing these new orchards in flower all over the district as a living reminder of the accession of King Charles lll.
“Orchards deliver on so many counts, from the organic fruit they provide to engaging the community, not to mention helping us to withstand climate change, help carbon sequestration and filtering of pollution.”
The choice of fruit trees is down to local preferences, but successful applicants will need to outline plans for aftercare of the orchard to ensure it is maintained permanently.
There are two funding rounds for groups and organisations to bid into with closing dates of 28th June and 27th September 2024. Planting is expected to start in November, with all projects to be finished, complete with dedication services, by the end of March 2025.
Image: Stock.adobe.com/gpointstudio
Steve McQueen’s Great Escape motorbike to be on show at the IBCC
Steve McQueen’s iconic motorbike from ‘The Great Escape’ is being loaned to the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln for the 80th anniversary of the escape attempt on which the film is based.
The 1963 film recounts the daring escape attempt of 76 allied airmen POWs from the German prison camp Stalag Luft III on 24 March 1944. All but three of the escapees were recaptured and 50 of the airmen were summarily executed. Of these, 28 were members of Bomber Command and are remembered on the IBCC’s Memorial walls.
To pay tribute to those men, on Sunday 19 May the IBCC is hosting its annual InSpire Ride2024, a charity fundraising event that welcomes hundreds of bikers every year.
One of the most iconic scenes in the ‘The Great Escape’ – and in cinema as a whole – is Steve McQeen jumping a 12ft high wall of barbed wire on a Triumph TR6 650 Special. This year, the IBCC has announced the same Triumph used in this scene has been loaned to InSpire Ride2024 to commemorate the escape’s 80th anniversary.
Nicky van der Drift, chief executive of the IBCC, said: “The Great Escape film is a classic piece of cinema that brings to life and has immortalised the incredible feat of bravery, hardship, and determination in the face of adversity, that the POWs of Stalag Luft III endured.
“For the escape’s 80th anniversary, we’re thrilled to have Steve McQueen’s motorbike on display for our visitors to come and take photos with. However, we’ll also have plenty else on the day to remember, recognise, and reconcile the sacrifice of those who lost their lives.
“All proceeds from InSpire Ride2024 will go directly back into funding the IBCC’s heritage preservation, education and outreach programmes, and we’re grateful for your support.”
To find out more about the InSpire Ride2024, visit its website here: https://internationalbcc.co.uk/about-ibcc/news/events/inspireride2024-the-great-escape-at-80/
