AN international day highlighting the bravery of meningitis survivors and those whose lives have been changed forever through losing someone to the disease is being backed by Meningitis Now, the UK’s leading meningitis charity.

World Meningitis Day (Wednesday 24 April), an initiative of the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO), focuses on ‘Life After Meningitis’.

Meningitis Now Chief Executive Dr Tom Nutt, said: “We know that life after meningitis is tough for many people and we want to use World Meningitis Day to showcase the bravery of meningitis survivors and those who have lost a loved one.

“Through our supporters telling their stories, raising awareness of the signs and symptoms and increasing vaccine knowledge, we can raise the profile of this devastating disease and help to reduce its impact for future generations.”

There are an estimated 22 cases of meningitis each day across the UK. The disease can strike in hours, but the after-effects, including deafness, limb loss and brain damage, can last a lifetime. Those who lose a loved one to the disease have their lives changed forever.

“On World Meningitis Day, as on every other day, we are here to help and support those who need us.” Tom added.

The charity is keen to use World Meningitis Day to promote its range of support services, including its recently-launched Rebuilding Futures Fund, which provides financial, practical and emotional support for people of all ages affected by meningitis.

“We’re not about quick fixes; we’re here to provide tailored support with long-term impact, that will really help people and families to rebuild their lives after meningitis,” Tom said.

“We’re proud to provide this unique, life-changing support – the only meningitis organisation to do so in the UK.”

Other charity support activity includes its popular Family Days – regional fun days out for families affected by meningitis – and the Believe & Achieve programme especially for young people.

Meningitis Now is also launching its first Facebook fundraiser on World Meningitis Day to help fundraise for that support and calling on the public to contribute if they’re able to and make a difference for those impacted by meningitis in the future. Visit www.MeningitisNow.org for more details.

If you have been affected by meningitis or would like more information, visit www.meningitisnow.org or contact the Meningitis Now helpline on 0808 80 10 388 or helpline@meningitisnow.org

Meningitis Now is working towards a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need.

It does this by funding research into vaccines and prevention, raising awareness so people know what to look for and what action to take if they suspect meningitis and rebuilding futures by providing dedicated support to people living with the impact of the disease.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors for Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust will take place in public on Tuesday, 30 April 2019 at 9.00am at the Trust’s Headquarters, St George’s, Long Leys Road, Lincoln, LN1 1FS.

Once again, the Board will receive important feedback on patient experience of services.  A report from the Interim Chief Executive will be received, in addition to a performance report, setting out the Trust’s progress against the key performance targets it has to meet for quality, activity and finance.

The Board will also receive a report from the Trust’s Interim Director of Nursing, AHPs and Quality on inpatient safe staffing and the Medical Director will present a report on learning from deaths.  Board members will carry out a quarterly review of the Board Assurance Framework and consider approval of the Trust’s annual declarations for 2018/19, for submission to NHS Improvement (the Regulator for NHS trusts).  

Paul Devlin, Trust Chair, said:  “Our board meetings give people a chance to find out more about the work of the Trust and the services we provide for the community of Lincolnshire. The public are very welcome to attend and listen to the discussions and to submit questions to us at the beginning of the meeting if they wish.”

This meeting is open to members of the public and interested parties. To register your interest in attending the meeting and/or to table a question, please contact Karen Scott on 01522 309175, or email karen.scott@lpft.nhs.uk.  

A ring Margaret Thatcher wore the day she became the UK’s first female Prime Minister in 1979 is among a haul of personal possessions that will be auctioned next month.

Christie’s auction house is holding an online sale of personal items to mark the 40th anniversary of her election.

A bracelet worn while meeting Nelson Mandela, clothes and signature handbags will also be sold.

Christie’s estimated the 170 lots could sell from between £100 to £15,000.

It is the third Christie’s auction of the belongings of Mrs Thatcher, who was born in Grantham and died of a stroke in 2013.

The 18-carat gold and amethyst ring that she was photographed wearing when she arrived at 10 Downing Street, on 4 May 1979, is expected to sell for between £1,200 and £1,800.

Mrs Thatcher’s radical and sometimes confrontational approach defined her 11-year period at No 10 and her rejection of consensus politics made her a divisive figure.

Other items in the sale include a diamond-set gilt Cartier pen in its box and an Asprey handbag, which has a lizard skin exterior.

Adrian Hume-Sayer, of Christie’s, said the auction offered collectors, admirers and enthusiasts “one last chance to bid for a memento of ‘The Iron Lady'”.

The sale is to open for bidding between 2 and 9 May.

• More news from Lincolnshire

POLICE are appealing for communities to report suspicious activity at churches following a series of lead thefts.  Over the last 6 weeks, 10 churches have reported thefts.  These occurred in Tallington, Swinstead, Navenby, Eagle, North Scarle, Haconby, Stoke Rochford, Skillington, North Witham and Hough on the Hill.

This type of theft can cost churches tens of thousands of pounds and can mean that rainwater gets into a church and damages the interior.

Police are asking for the support of local residents and especially people who live close enough to be able to see their church.  The message from officers is please report any suspicious activity and if you notice unusual vehicles or behaviour in the vicinity of a church please call 101 quoting ‘Operation Brompton 2’.

Descriptions and vehicle registration numbers are extremely helpful, but never put yourself at any risk.

Sally Picker from Lincolnshire Police’s Crime Prevention Team, adds: “Sometimes it is difficult to see that lead is missing and unfortunately some churches only notice when it has rained. 

“There are however some key things to look out for and residents can play a big part in helping us prevent these crimes .

“If you do live near a church and hear dull thudding noises, it could be lead being dropped from the church roof. 

“Another giveaway that lead has been stripped from a roof is if you see divots in the grass around a church or on gravel pathways.  If you spot either of these signs, please call us on 101 immediately.

“There are measures that can be taken to significantly reduce the vulnerability of our beautiful churches and our Crime Reduction Tactical Advisors are available to visit and make recommendations.  Please call me on 07867936487 or email sally.picker@lincs.pnn.police.uk for further advice.”

Measures which could be taken to increase security include:

• Installing a roof alarm;
• Making sure that gates cannot be lifted from their hinges, and ensure they are locked at night;
• Keeping trees well pruned, with branches taken up to around 2.5m to help with natural surveillance;
• Making regular checks of the roof;
• Securing wheelie bins so they cannot be used to drag lead to a vehicle 
• Ensuring any tools and machinery in outbuildings are securely locked and properly marked;
• Taking professional advice about lighting for the church and churchyard 
• Cutting back foliage around church doors.

Anyone with information about the lead thefts should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101.  If a crime is in progress, call 999.  You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555111.

Looking for a convenient and cost-effective way to recycle your garden waste?

Then look no further than the South Kesteven District Council garden waste collection service.

So far almost 26,500 households have signed up for SKDC to collect their garden waste for composting.

It’s not too late to join the scheme. Over 400 new garden waste bins have been distributed so far this year, and you can sign up at any point.
As garden maintenance increases over the summer months, this service saves you time, money and hassle disposing of your garden waste, with no need for trips to the tip or the chance of messing up your car with bags of garden waste.

And now it’s easier than ever to join by paying online through direct debit, and you’ll save money into the bargain.

New members pay just the one-off annual fee which included green bin collection every fortnight (monthly in winter) and there is no limit on the number of garden waste bins you can buy.

You can even take it with you if you move within the district and notify us of your change of address.

Simply visit www.southkesteven.gov.uk/greenbin to join the scheme.

Shot05 – The showhome at The Oaks

Homehunters in Lincolnshire are invited to Lovell Homes’ exclusive family fun day on Saturday 20^th April at its The Oaks development in Greylees, near South Rauceby, from 11am until 4pm, where a brand new four-bedroom showhome is officially being launched.

Parents can come and view the beautiful homes available and enjoy a gin on Lovell whilst children will be entertained by the free face painter, ice cream, goody bags, cupcakes and the chance to win an exclusive prize in the Lovell Homes drawing competition.

The Oaks, located on Murrayfield Avenue, is a selection of 35 two, three and four-bedroom homes, perfect for all types of purchaser.

Shot21 – The showhome at The Oaks

Throughout the day, visitors will be able to take a look around the wonderful showhomes and view the true quality of a Lovell Home first hand, whilst experiencing the friendly development and its beautiful surroundings.

It is not just families that are able to visit this event; all potential home hunters searching for their dream home in the Sleaford area are invited to come and see the development and enjoy a day with Lovell Homes.

Toni Boden, regional sales manager at Lovell Homes said: “We are so excited about the homes at The Oaks and to be launching our brand new Cotterdale style showhome.

“Anyone who is interested in purchasing one of these beautiful homes is welcome to come and visit the development for the opening of the showhome, and enjoy an ice cream, a gin or even have their face painted!

“We have already received a lot of interest in these beautifully designed homes, so with the opening of the new showhome we anticipate the development to be even more popular. I would advise anyone interested to come and visit us for the open day to avoid missing out on one of these desirable homes.”

Shot27 – The showhome at The Oaks

The Oaks is situated in the picturesque village of Greylees, located on the outskirts of Sleaford, just off the A15. There are many local amenities including a primary school, shop and Sleaford Golf Course.

For information on the homes available at the development, please call 01529 664 371 or visit https://www.lovell.co.uk/developments/the-oaks-greylees/.

Two SKDC members returned unopposed

Two wards in the South Kesteven District Council elections will be uncontested when voters go to the polls on Thursday 2 May.

The number of nominated candidates did not exceed the number of seats in the Aveland and Dole Wood wards.

Residents of Aslackby and Laughton, Dowsby, Dunsby, Haconby and Stainfield, Rippingale, Braceborough and Wilsthorpe, and Thurlby will not be voting as neither district or parish elections are contested.

The deadline is approaching to apply for a proxy vote. Application forms can be downloaded at www.yourvotematters.co.uk/how-do-i-vote

Proxy vote applications cannot be submitted online and must be signed and returned to the Electoral Registration Officer, South Kesteven District Council, Council Offices, St Peter’s Hill, Grantham NG31 6PZ and be received by 5pm on Wednesday 24 April.

Signed copies can also be sent by email to elections@southkesteven.gov.uk

More information is available from SKDC’s elections team on 01476 406080 or by emailing elections@southkesteven.gov.uk

560 cats abandoned in Lincolnshire last year alone

Registered nurses are being invited to come and find out about working in a busy hospital emergency department.

A recruitment day at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston is looking to attract a new cohort of nursing staff to its emergency and urgent care unit, which comprises an A&E, 24 bay integrated assessment centre (IAC) for both medical and surgical patients and a new acute medical short stay ward.

The ‘drop-in’ style event will take place on Thursday 2 May, with a number of qualified nursing roles available to apply for on the day.

Matron for Urgent and Emergency Care at Pilgrim, Maxine Skinner, said it’s a great time to come on board with the friendly team at Pilgrim.

“We are looking for registered nurses at both bands 5 and 6, depending on experience, to join our urgent and emergency care unit team,” said Maxine.

“If you’re looking for a new challenge in your nursing career we would love for you to join the journey we have started to help us create a new and improved service that will provide excellent care for the community.

“As a Trust we have faced a number of challenges over the years, but recent changes to the way our urgent and emergency care pathways operate at Pilgrim, means that now there is a brilliant opportunity to help re-shape our services.

“We held a nursing recruitment day last year and it was a really popular event, with people queuing out the door to find out what roles we had. So get there early and find out what we can offer you.”  

Interviews will be available on the day, so prospective candidates are asked to bring along copies of their qualifications and ID documentation so they can be checked by HR staff.

The recruitment event will run from 10am to 2pm in the conference hall inside the medical education centre at Pilgrim hospital. A range of senior nurses will also be on hand to chat to for advice and guidance.

For more information on the types of roles available please contact Maxine on 07920 541456.

For more information please contact the ULHT communications team on 01522 573986.

British oaks from some of the UK’s most famous estates could contribute towards the rebuilding of Notre Dame cathedral, following an offer from members of Historic Houses, the association for independently owned historic homes and gardens.

So far more than one hundred donor estates, including Belvoir Castle, Hutton-in-the-Forest, Scone Palace, Castle Howard, Holkham Hall, Powderham Castle, and Firle Place (named after the Anglo-Saxon word for ‘oak woodland’), have volunteered valuable trees, planted for timber centuries ago, as a gift from the UK to France for the restoration of the iconic landmark’s roof, destroyed by fire earlier this week. 

It’s not the first time Britain’s great houses have rallied round to help with major heritage restoration project. After the devastating York Minster fire in 1984 more than forty Historic Houses member places pledged eighty oak trees for the reconstruction efforts, joining donations from the Queen and the Prince of Wales.

Given that the construction of the original roof in the twelfth century is estimated to have required 1,300 mature oaks, the donors are well aware that their contribution could only provide a fraction of what’s needed, but they hope the gesture will inspire others.J

The Duke of Rutland, who first suggested the idea to his fellow members, said: “Anyone who lives in an old building knows there’s something special about the way it was built and the materials used.

“The trees in the original roof at Notre Dame probably started growing over a thousand years ago.

“We’re able to donate replacements because my great-great-grandfather had the foresight to plant trees that would only be valuable long after he died. And in turn we’ll replant every tree we fell – someone will need them for something in another few hundred years.

“It’s a reminder of how important it is to both look after and renew our heritage resources. In our business you have to plan in centuries, not years.”

The trees, from sustainable forestry and already destined for use as commercial timber, are estimated to have a combined market value of well over £100,000. But the donors are keen to emphasise that the timbers used in buildings like Notre Dame are about something that money alone can’t buy.

One lane of the A1 near Grantham is closed and queueing traffic due to accident on the southbound at Little Ponton.

This is affecting traffic travelling between Grantham and Peterborough.