The Festival of Community in Grantham, on Saturday 19th October, will feature exhibitions, street performers and a community stage with local poets, choirs and singers.
Light show projections and interactive soundscape performances in the Market Place will accompany a showstopping community lantern parade.
Cllr Paul Stokes, Deputy Leader of South Kesteven District Council and Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “This is a free event for everyone and we are thrilled to welcome residents and visitors to celebrate with us in Grantham for the Festival of Community.
“It will be a busy day delving into the rich history that the town has as well as an opportunity to showcase the incredible community spirit that exists, demonstrated by the number of residents and community groups who came together to make the lanterns and decorations on display for the parade.
“The revitalised Grantham Market Place is the perfect backdrop to the celebrations, with the accessible open space ready to be used for the benefit of all our residents, businesses and visitors.”
Work to improve the commercial area and drive footfall to the businesses and market of the town was funded with part of the £4.1m Grantham Future High Street Fund awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
The festival’s daytime activities run from 10am until 2pm in the Market Place with the Pop-Up Exhibition Market. Local Grantham artists are invited to exhibit their artwork and chat with visitors about their artistic practice.
The Community Stage will showcase Grantham’s talented artists with performances until 2pm.
Grantham-inspired street entertainment to appeal to the whole family will be provided by local theatre companies Boondog Balladeers, Earth Bound Misfits, Artizani and Mishap Theatre.
The Balladeers will perform songs recalling conversations they had with the public during their summer shows while The Mishap Theatre’s Hairy Hikers will encourage audiences to explore the history of their hometowns.
“Our street entertainment will help visitors to really connect with the place they live and explore the history, the heritage and the community that exists today,” Cllr Stokes said.
Into the evening, the town will become illuminated with animated projections cast onto Lindpet House.
Celebrating the heritage and present-day community, Past, Present & Future is a collaboration with those living, working and visiting Grantham who have shared their memories of the town.
Visitors will have the chance to play with the spectacle of sound with The Fabuloso Organ, an interactive electronic instrument that enables the public to create their own soundscape.
The organ was created by sculptor and engineer Dave Cranmer from an old organ from the Sessions House in Spilsby.
The Punjabi Roots Academy will bring rhythmic celebration to the evening with a DJ set and Dhol drumming throughout the evening. The group will also lead the main event, a community parade, through the town.
The Community Parade will walk from Westgate to the Market Cross as a celebration of the heritage and community of Grantham today.
The parade will be embellished with lit lanterns and decorations, inspired by the Market Place’s past, created with support of Grantham Arts CIC during summer craft workshops with residents and local community groups.
Yarn bomb challenge was topping for Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance
As part of the 30th Anniversary celebrations, Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) challenged nifty knitters to create the largest yarn bomb ever seen to spread the word about its vital life-saving work. And what a sight it was!
Since May 2024, over 350 of helicopters have been spotted flying and landing in shops, parks, churches, offices, pubs and many other locations in communities across Lincs & Notts. They have been spotted as far away as The Wirral in Cheshire, on the ferry from Southampton to Isle of Wight and even in the cockpit of the Red Arrows!
LNAA’s Volunteer Manager, Kate Kerrigan said: “We have been blown away by the support, not only from the many of people who created these masterpieces but also from the hundreds of supporters who contacted us telling where they had been spotted.
“It has been truly fantastic to witness so many helicopters landing in so many different locations and every helicopter has played a part in raising awareness of the life-saving work that our pilots, doctors and paramedics do every day of the year.
“As a charity, LNAA receives no direct government funding for its operations and relies on the support of every community in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire to raise the £13million needed to operate 24 hours of the day, every day of the year.”
The helicopters will now disappear from their locations to be stored in their hangars and receive some tender loving care before they take to the skies once again during the charity’s Hello Yellow Week birthday celebrations in May 2025.
East Lindsey businesses warned about new ‘licence expiry’ scam
Businesses in the East Lindsey area of Lincolnshire are being alerted to a new scam being attempted in the area, where fraudsters posing as Council officials claim alcohol licences are about to expire.
A spokesman for the Licensing Officers of South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership said: “The scam involves individuals falsely claiming that your Alcohol Premises Licence is running out or expiring. This is incorrect, as alcohol licences do not expire or run out. Any annual licence fees due will be handled by the Council through the usual annual invoice/reminder process.
“These fraudsters can seem very convincing, sometimes having accurate information such as the fee amount or the names of real Council staff. If you’re ever in doubt about someone claiming to be from the Council, contact your local council directly to verify their identity.
“We are committed to protecting our local businesses from fraudulent activities. Please remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour to ensure the safety and integrity of our community.”
If you believe you’ve been targeted by this scam or have any relevant information, please report the incident to the Licensing Team at your local council, Lincolnshire Police on 101, and Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
County Council demands answers from National Grid about pylon plan costs
National Grid is being pressured by Lincolnshire County Council’s legal department to share the data used to justify its claim that 400 pylons running through Lincolnshire are cheaper than seabed cabling.
The council believes the costing for the Grid’s proposal for pylons and substations across 80 miles of productive farmland between Grimsby and Walpole are fundamentally flawed.
Officers have already requested official costings twice and have been ignored by the Grid, which has cited commercial sensitivities.
The council, which is supportive of the need to route offshore renewables to UK communities to achieve net zero, believes the Grid’s ‘value for money’ claims may be flawed on the following grounds:
- They are deliberately using out of date costings to justify pylons over seabed cabling.
- They are ignoring indirect costs like the compensation they would need to pay to land and property owners, the extra infrastructure needed to allow for the maintenance of the network and the compensation that councils would claim for loss of tourism.
- They have not considered other alternatives like investing in existing pylon networks to boost their capacity.
Sandringham Christmas Craft, Food & Gift Fair returns
Late November heralds the return of the annual Christmas Craft, Food & Gift Fair at Sandringham (Friday, Saturday & Sunday November 15th – 17th 10am – 5pm).
There is a fabulous show in store for you with all the old favourites with new attractions and features.
One of the leading attractions at this year’s event is the return of live ice carving, after an absence of 5 years. Some of the popular carvings were Santa’s Sleigh and the Post Box for delivery of letters to Santa’s Workshop.
Set in the centre of the event is the new Christmas Village, where log cabins will house selected Craftsmen, Food producers, vendors and attractions. The central food court within this village area will have numerous Meet & Greet street entertainers, music and great street food to create a lively Christmastime environment.
Moving further around the fair there is the Craft Village, a major display area with well over 100 Craftsmen, Artists & Designers displaying, demonstrating and selling a multitude of hand-crafted items and gifts.
Keep walking and you arrive at Food Glorious Food; synonymous to Christmas is Food & Drink, such an important aspect of everyone’s Christmas enjoyment.
Equally the Food Halls provide a fabulous array of food and drink from both regional and national producers which are bound to make your taste buds tingle, then pick up some menu ideas from chefs on stage to complete your enjoyment.
Still talking about food, why not try some of the great Street Food on offer whilst relaxing to live music in the adjacent food court; a little chance to rest your feet.
Lots more gifts and ideas abound in the various gift marquees and arcades that interlink the main show areas, many of the exhibitors being drawn from Country Fair exhibitors, so if you missed them earlier in the year, you have a second chance to catch your favourite stands.
Enjoy all the fun of the fair at the Sandringham Christmas Craft, Food & Gift Fair.
It’s Christmas time and they say Christmas it for children, and there is plenty of entertainment with Santa’s Magic Show, various puppet shows, Jesters, mischievous Elves
and much more. Travel on the Christmas Land Train or decorate a biscuit in the children’s activity tent, then just join in all the fun of the fair.
Enjoy the nice lively atmosphere that is created around the event with a wide range of live music including Jazz, Blues, Christmas songs by the Swingtime Sweethearts, Brass Bands,
One Man Bands and of course a Singing Santa.
So eat, drink and be merry at the Sandringham Christmas Craft, Food & Gift Fair.
Adults £14, Over 65’s £13, Children £5.
The Overtones bring Ultimate Christmas Party to Scunthorpe with highly anticipated Good Times Christmas Tour
After the success of 2023’s sell-out tour, the UK’s number one vocal harmony group The Overtones are bringing back the Good Times Christmas Tour for 2024. The multi-platinum selling group will spread the Christmas spirit across the UK with their highly anticipated annual tour, visiting Scunthorpe’s Baths Hall on Sunday 10th November.
The tour promises to be a non-stop party from start to finish, featuring original fan favourites such as Gambling Man through to classic songs by artists such as The Drifters, Stevie Wonder, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. In addition to these crowd-pleasing hits, audiences can expect festive favourites and some never seen before, brand-new tracks.
In 2024, the prolific music group will also be joined by Tom Ball. Returning as a guest for The Overtones on their Good Times Christmas Tour, Tom gained global acclaim as a finalist & runner up on Britain’s Got Talent ’22 and America’s Got Talent All Stars in 2023. Now, with over 85 million views online, sell out shows and recently scoring a No5 in the Official UK Independent Albums Chart, Tom returns with his spine-tingling performances as The Overtones Good Times Christmas Tour Special Guest.
The band said: “We’re beyond excited to be heading back out on our ‘Good Times’ tour! After the incredible reaction we had after last year’s tour we thought we’d keep to the ‘Good Times’ theme. It’s all about the feel-good vibes and happy times with family and friends! We’re equally as thrilled to be releasing ‘Ladies Night’ to coincide with the tour announcement! It’s a timeless classic and one we’re so happy to be sending out to our fans and new followers alike.”
The four-piece group, consisting of Mark Franks, Darren Everest, Jay James and Mike Crawshaw, is best known for exquisite vocals, incredible harmonies, perfectly timed dance moves and distinctive style.
Blending their perfect mix of originality and classic nostalgia, The Overtones feel-good, show-stopping performances have led to over a decade of success in which the in-demand group has achieved five Top 10 albums, 11 sell-out UK tours with their latest album ‘10’ also becoming the group’s very first UK Number 1 on the Official UK Independent Album Chart.
Lincoln clinicians return from providing lifesaving training to hospital staff in Sri Lanka
Three clinicians who swapped the wards at Lincoln County Hospital for providing lifesaving training to hospital staff in Sri Lanka, have now returned.
Consultant Cardiologist David O’Brien, Consultant Cardiologist Dinal Taleyratne and Lead Resuscitation Practitioner Monique Loveday provided training around advanced life support and cardiac arrest management.
Dr Taleyratne was born in Sri Lanka and has always wanted to return and give something back to the country of his birth. He spent a year planning the trip which took place last month.
He said: “We supported doctors by instructing on a local European Resuscitation Council Advanced Life Support course, in addition to training staff on a bespoke ‘train-the-trainer’ course which we helped to develop and shared our knowledge on specific areas of emergency cardiac care.
“The trip was a great success and we received an extremely warm welcome. Everyone was so accommodating and grateful that we had given up our time to travel and share our expertise with them.”
The trip was funded by the trio outside of NHS budgets. They spent 14 hours a day training and then gave up some of their evenings to lecture at events.
During their trip, they managed to train 24 doctors and nurses from across the country on the train the trainer course who are now able to go back to their local hospitals and train their colleagues. They also trained an additional 48 doctors and nurses in advanced life support techniques.
The team from Lincolnshire also delivered a lecture to the College of Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists of Sri Lanka, attended by a representative from the Ministry of Health, focusing on the management of out of hospital cardiac arrest and resuscitation education in NHS hospitals.
The three colleagues say they learned so much from the trip. Monique said: “All three of us have a real passion around training, education and sharing knowledge and expertise. We were all inspired by the value that is placed on education and training in the country.
“I learned so much from the team in Sri Lanka, they have a unique support system that starts prior to any training which really helped to make sure the candidates were well prepared. We hit a few stumbling blocks along the way, but the team worked beautifully together to ensure the course was a success. The candidates and faculty alike were so grateful for the opportunity to attend in person.”
Professor O’Brien is professor of medical education at the School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, and is also Vice-Dean at the Lincoln Medical School. He has worked as an interventional cardiologist in United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 16 years where he was former Clinical Director for Cardiology, opening the Lincolnshire Heart Centre at the Trust in 2013. He has been teaching Advanced Life Support (ALS) for 25 years and has been an ALS course medical director for 15 years.
He said: “It was a real privilege to be able to share our knowledge and also learn from others. It was great to make so many connections and we have since heard that one of the doctors we worked with on the course has now applied for a job in our Trust.”
It was the first time Professor O’Brien and Monique had visited Sri Lanka, so once all of the training was completed all three colleagues spent some time exploring the country at their own expense. They went on safari, met elephants, visited temples, observed the stunning landscapes and said they got to experience true local hospitality from the people of Sri Lanka.
Professor O’Brien added: “I truly believe that education is a powerful tool and a wonderful gift and one which we often take for granted. It was great to have the opportunity to offer the benefit of our combined years of experience to another country that currently just does not have the same infrastructure and financial resource to support teaching and training of these vital skills, as we are fortunate enough to have in the UK.
“I feel so privileged to have been able work on this project as part of such a fantastic team, and also with such dedicated colleagues in Sri Lanka. It has reaffirmed to me that wherever you are in the world, clinicians all have the same common goal; that of improving outcomes for their patients.”
Image: The clinicians providing training in Sri Lanka. Credit: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Care home set for Lincolnshire village following land sale
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold a development site in Nettleham, Lincolnshire, which benefits from planning permission for a 65-bedroom care home.
Care home developer, Frontier Estates, secured the planning consent for a ‘specialist 65-bedroom dementia care home’ development scheme (Use Class C2) inclusive of 100 per cent en suite bathrooms and accommodated over 2.5 storeys. The site sits on a circa 1.4-acre plot in the Lincolnshire village of Nettleham.
Following a sales process with Jordan Rundle and Sara Hartill at Christie & Co, it has been purchased by care provider, Country Court, which plans to complete construction in 2026.
Matt Croger, Land Director at Frontier Estates, said: “Nettleham is an attractive village with good transport links to Lincoln that doesn’t currently have any care facilities. Through the planning process and with the positive feedback from local residents and businesses, Frontier and the Council both recognised that this would be a great scheme appreciated by the community.
“Country Court is an excellent operator with an exciting development pipeline who we look forward to working closely with. Frontier is very pleased to have passed the scheme in Nettleham on to them and looks forward to it being a hub of the community once built.”
Al-Karim Kachra, Co-CEO at Country Court Care, said: “We’re pleased to secure an excellent site and expand our presence in Lincoln and surrounding areas. We hope to be on-site by the end of Q1 2025 with a view to opening in late 2026.”
Jordan Rundle, Director – Healthcare Investment & Development at Christie & Co, said: “Nettleham presents a superb opportunity for a newbuild care home, underpinned by strong affluence indicators for the area.
“The site itself benefits from a highly prominent roadside location and will provide the local community with a state-of-the-art care facility. Following several other planning approvals this year, Frontier Estates has secured another excellent consent in what continues to be a challenging planning environment.
“With a significant presence in the region already, Country Court Care will be exceptionally placed to deliver outstanding care for the growing need of Lincolnshire’s elderly demographic.”
The development site was sold for an undisclosed price.
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/Kzenon
Improvement works begin at Grantham park
Work is underway to create improved facilities for families in Grantham’s Beeden Park.
Installation of over 30 new play features has been funded by a £100,000 grant from FCC Communities Foundation.
The play area near Beechcroft Road in Grantham will benefit from upgrades totalling over £126,000 including additional funding of £5,000 from the Rotary Club of Grantham.
The overall figure also includes £21,570 of investment by South Kesteven District Council to improve the facilities at the park.
Cllr Paul Stokes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “Having high-quality outdoor spaces to play is vital for the younger generation and helps families to make the most out of being active in their local area.
“I am delighted that we are once again working in partnership with FCC Communities Foundation to refurbish the space at Beeden Park and introduce some fantastic equipment which will make a huge difference to families in the local community.
“I would also like to thank the Rotary Club of Grantham for their generous donation along with Cllr Steven Cunnington who has worked tirelessly with the project team to bring this to fruition.
“We look forward to seeing families enjoy the space once it has re-opened later in the autumn.”
The new park will include equipment for children aged 2 years and over, a special social area for teenagers, and outdoor gym equipment.
The equipment, which is being installed by Wicksteed, has been designed with accessibility in mind, providing both sensory experiences and space to accommodate wheelchairs.
FCC Communities Foundation is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund.
Penny Horne, FCC Communities Foundation grant manager, says: “It’s always nice to see something we have funded start to take shape.
“We’re delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile project and look forward to it benefitting lots of children and young families within the local area very soon.”
Image courtesy of South Kesteven District Council
Palace Fund awarded to support young people pursuing a career in the arts
The Palace Theatre has awarded its latest Our Past Your Future Fund grants to four local young people pursuing a career in the arts.
The Fund was set up in 2020 as a legacy scheme to mark the Theatre’s 100th birthday. To honour a centenary at the heart of Newark, the Palace team wanted to help ensure that culture would continue to thrive in the local area by supporting young residents aged 16 to 25 with their creative career ambitions.
This year, the Theatre received 15 applications covering a wide range of disciplines, from ballet to sound recording, musical theatre, choreography and fashion design.
Tommy-Lee Storr was awarded the main prize of £1500. He will be using the money to support his BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre at the prestigious Emil Dale Academy. Tommy-Lee has already made a strong impact in Newark’s art scene, taking part in Newark Amateur Operatic Society’s productions from age 11 onwards, training at the local Elaine Varney School of Dance and, more recently, leading classes himself at Studio29 and supporting Market Place events with Newark Town Council.
Carys Coulton-Jones, Business Manager for Heritage and Culture at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “We were truly impressed with Tommy-Lee’s interview where his passion really shone through. He made it clear that he wants to continue giving back to the community and inspiring future generations which is exactly what the Our Past, Your Future Fund is all about. I wish him all the best in his studies and his sparkling career! Break a leg!”
Further secondary grants were awarded to Harvey Woodward, Sophie Brown and Isobel Cropper who will be studying ballet at the Academy of Northern Ballet, Leeds, Location Sound at the National Film and Television School and musical theatre at Lincoln University respectively.
Councillor Rowan Cozens, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and the Arts at the District Council, said: “The number and variety of applications this year were really encouraging and are evidence of the talent and passion that our local area produces. I’m delighted to see the Palace Theatre continuing to champion the arts in Newark and Sherwood and I encourage everyone to support their local theatre so that this brilliant Fund can continue for many years.”
Palace Principal Sponsors Tallents Solicitors are partners in the project and the company’s Senior Partner Alistair Millar said: “Tallents Solicitors had already been practicing in Newark for 150 years when the Palace Theatre was established in 1920 and it’s been incredible to see how it has become just an important part of the Newark community we all live in. For over 100 years now, the Palace Theatre has had an exceptional pedigree in both welcoming, encouraging and inspiring emerging and upcoming creative talent in our market town.
“With our continuing support, we are delighted to be able to help the Palace Theatre Newark reach out to the local community and support those seeking to become involved in the wonderful world of theatre and performing arts. This year, the selection of a winner was made even harder by the exceptional range of talents shown by the applicants. We are delighted that Tommy-Lee will now be able to pursue his dream of a musical theatre degree with the help of the Our Past Your Future Fund.”
The team at the Palace Theatre are next looking forward to the national tour of Blood Brothers visiting their stage from 22 to 26 October and then will be gearing up for the festive fun of panto season for this year’s seasonal spectacular Aladdin.
Image: Our Past Your Future Fund recipient Tommy-Lee Storr in this year’s production of Evita by Newark Amateur Operatic Society 