Barrowby Scout Group are holding a Coffee and Cake event at the Scout Hut this Saturday 12 October 2019 starting at 11 am finishing at 3 pm.

It is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support

All are welcome.

Talash Hotels Group has put its hotel portfolio up for sale, bringing nine hotels to market, including one near Grantham.

The group, owned by brothers and business partners Sanjay and Ravi Kathuria, has appointed JLL to sell its nine regional hotels with a guide price of offers in excess of £29.5m.

The portfolio comprises a total of 661 bedrooms and all hotels will be offered free from management.

The hotels are primarily located in the Midlands and North West of England and include the Group’s flagship hotel, Stoke Rochford Hall near Grantham.

The former stately home was built by the Turnor family and has also been a teacher training college. It has 97 bedrooms.

Ravi Kathuria was speaking at yesterday’s Annual Hotel Conference in Manchester.

The brothers acquired their first hotel in 2007 and are now looking to focus on other business ventures following the sale.

Ravi Kathuria, CEO, Talash Hotels, comments: “The Talash Hotel Portfolio is a business that has been built up by myself and my brother Sanjay over the last 12 years and it has truly been a privilege to own such great hotels which have created an incredible journey.

“We have decided to continue to pursue our other business interests. Our hotels give an incoming buyer a value-add opportunity and are ready to be taken to the next platform to realise their full potential.”

Gavin Wright, director, JLL Hotels & Hospitality, said: “We are delighted to present to the market Talash Group’s portfolio of hotels. All nine properties provide an incoming purchaser a variety of asset management and significant value-add opportunities.

“With a value of circa £45,000 per bedroom for the portfolio we anticipate high levels of interest from a range of domestic and overseas investors.”

Lincolnshire’s Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership took home a clutch of prizes at this year’s ACoRP industry awards.

T he Grantham to Skegness Community Rail Partnership was set up in July 2005 and after a local newspaper competition to give the line a name, The Poacherline was chosen and officially launched, this reflects characteristics of the line in Lincolnshire.

Given the natural flows along it made sense to extend the Partnership to Nottingham. Nottinghamshire County Council was invited to join the partnership and became full members in 2007.

The awards recognise the unsung heroes of the community rail world for their hard work and dedication.

This year, the Poacher Line saw success in the following categories:

• Most Enhanced Station Buildings and Surroundings (winner) – For Bottesford Friendly Garden
• Photo and Video Competition (2^nd place) – For a video produced by students from St George’s Academy on the development of ‘The Wall’ in Skegness, which was turned into a piece of urban art.
• Small Project Award (3^rd place) – For working with the Rotary Club of Skegness to teach rail safety to primary schools, who then created artwork for the station. The project also saw the installation of a defibrillator at the station
• Outstanding Volunteer Contribution (3^rd place) – For Radcliffe on Trent adopter Phil Thomas.
• It’s Your Station – For the efforts of station adopters at Radcliffe (gold standard), Ancaster (silver standard) and Heckington (silver standard).

Kaye Robinson, Community Rail Partnership Officer, said “It’s great that so many of our projects have been recognised at this year’s awards.

“We’ve worked with some wonderful organisations, who have helped make a real difference to the Poacher Line, and their success deserves to be celebrated.

“Well done to all involved!”

For more on the Poacher Line, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/poacherline .

People across Lincolnshire can access free courses designed to encourage mental health self-care and awareness through the NHS led Lincolnshire Recovery College.

This year’s World Mental Health Day is Thursday 10 October, the theme is suicide prevention, and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) is promoting self-care as a part of their prevention work. This time of year is also the start of a new academic year, and the Lincolnshire Recovery College has launched their new prospectus for the autumn term.

The Recovery College helps people better self-manage their mental health challenges by using an educational based approach. It enables people to recognise and develop their personal resourcefulness in order to become experts in their self-care, make informed choices and do the things they want to in life.

The College, managed by LPFT, was set up in 2014 and runs courses across the county. Lincolnshire’s Recovery College is one of the few recovery colleges in the UK developing strong partnerships with further education colleges such as Boston, Grantham, Stamford and Lincoln College.

Courses include (but are not limited to):

·       Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)

·       Dreaming of a better sleep

·       Making myself heard

·       Stressed out?

·       Understanding psychosis

·       Feeling the fear (anxiety)

·       Bouncing back – mental health resilience

It is easy to sign up for a Recovery College course by going to www.lpft.nhs.uk/recovery-college and completing an online application form.

Service Development Lead, Kathryn Hopkins explained that it’s not just people with a mental health diagnosis who can benefit from the courses.

“Our ethos is hope, control and opportunity. Our courses are designed to promote understanding and help to improve people’s wellbeing; supporting people to live well in their communities. The Recovery College is open to anyone over the age of 16; if you live with mental ill health, know someone who does or just want to find out more about mental health, then we can help. We have a great range of courses from how to manage stress better, to understanding mental health resilience.” she explained.

“Hosting the courses in an academic setting rather than in an NHS building helps reduce the stigma of mental health problems, and allows people to attend as a student to focus on their personal recovery.”

“We encourage people to learn more about how they can look after their own mental wellbeing and inspire students to live a fulfilled life regardless of any ongoing symptoms they may experience.”

“You can simply apply online or give us a call, and you could join us on a course the same day.”

A former student of the College said: “I now feel more able to talk openly, free from judgement.”

To find out more information, or to enquire about the Recovery College, please contact recoverycollege@lpft.nhs.uk or go to www.lpft.nhs.uk/recovery-college.

David Holland funeral directors are currently arranging with Chris at Roll & Scroll to place the final memorial bench on St. Peters Hill.

The bench is a unique design and is going to be dedicated to the emergency services (those who have served and continue to serve).

The event is taking place at 10.30am on Wednesday 23^rd October.

The public is invited to attend

We have just received confirmation from central Government that we will receive funding for 50 extra police officers in Lincolnshire as part of the national uplift.

Early in his tenure Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he was allocating funding that would be dedicated to getting an extra 20,000 police officers onto the streets of England and Wales. Since that announcement Chief Officers and PCC Marc Jones have been working hard and discussing the policing position in Lincolnshire direct and in person with various MPs to ensure they understand the challenges around policing in this county.

Temporary Chief Constable Jason Harwin said: “We now know that there are 6,000 police officers being dedicated to local policing and we will be allocated 50 of those.

“The news is good. We will have an extra 50 police officers here in Lincolnshire by the end of March 2021 and that is an improvement on where we thought we would be. Our financial challenges and the deficit we face means that we had to plan for reduction in numbers through people leaving and retiring, and by controlling recruitment, to make sure our budget was balanced. We now know that picture isn’t quite so bleak thanks to the government funding for extra police officers.

“Any extra officers on the streets of Lincolnshire will further improve policing in this county and the extra 50 are welcome. We are the lowest funded police force in England and Wales yet we continue to police Lincolnshire to an excellent standard and deliver the best possible service to residents of this county, but it puts every member of our workforce under substantial pressure.

“We have various initiatives in force aimed to try and ‘treat’ the symptoms of that pressure, such as our Wellbeing programme, but what will really help people is that some of that pressure is removed in the first place. Extra people will help.

“However, we still face financial challenges and while the uplift for Lincolnshire is welcome we know that it will not solve the deficit we face in coming years. In financial terms, this means a gap of £6.7m next year. We will continue to fight for fair funding in Lincolnshire and we will continue to make efforts to understand, change and evolve so we make sure our resources are put in the places where most needed to best protect and serve the people of Lincolnshire.”

Ooh la la – Grantham’s popular French market is returning from 9am to 5pm this Saturday (12 October).

Visitors can make a full day of it, with French-themed food, fashion, crafts, music, cheeses and pastries available in the Market Place.

Why not try a freshly prepared traditional French croissant or crepe; tasty French cheeses and baguettes, or even a tartiflette – a famous cheese, bacon and potato dish from the French Alps?

From the south-west of France go for cuisses de canard – ready-to-cook tinned duck that just needs potatoes and vegetables adding – while a lighter option could be dry sausages and olives.

South Kesteven District Council Cabinet Member for Growth, Cllr Helen Goral, said: “The French market gives residents and visitors alike a great opportunity to sample the delights from our friends across the Channel.

“It will run alongside the traditional Saturday market and provide an added attraction for shoppers and visitors.”

The traders are part of the France At Home organisation and cross the Channel every week to offer a wide range of top quality products at markets across the UK.

Other goods include freshly baked bread, olives and dried fruits, handbags, jewellery, soaps and much more.

For the second year running, in association with the Grantham Lions, Yorkshire Bank, Grantham are collecting your old spectacles to pass on to those in the third world with whom eye care is not available or affordable.

The bank will be collecting glasses through the month of October.

Simply call into branch and pop them in the box located on the right near the Lion.

Bank opening hours are Monday – Friday 9.15am – 4.30 pm, Saturday 9.15am – 4.00pm

Air quality concerns for Colsterworth development dispelled

Based at Alma Park, Grantham, Yes Please! is celebrating its first month of business!

Launched 2^nd September 2019, Yes Please! was born of two basic principles; to provide the most unique, practical but fun products and a premier service- making life as easy as possible for our customers.

Yes Please! is comprised of a small team in the heart of Grantham, with all colleagues working to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Their expert and esteemed Buyer & Commercial Manager, Katy Fahy comes equipped with over 10 years’ experience in buying gifts, working for the likes of Harrods and attaining a wealth of knowledge in her industry, she has utilised all of her skills to create an inspiring cornucopia of problem solvers, gift ideas, products and treats, all specifically chosen for their quality and aesthetic to compliment the contemporary home.

After the success of their first catalogue, Yes Please! have no intentions of stopping momentum, with a new fantastically festive edition being released in November, just in time for Christmas! Featuring over 60 new products, you’ll be spoilt for choice with hundreds of unique gift ideas for everyone in your life- from the green-fingered to the foodies, animal lovers to gadget gathers and a wonderful selection of stocking fillers; this edition is guaranteed to have something for everyone.

With a catalogue being released every two months and an ever-growing online presence, the Yes Please! team strive to ensure they always have what you need, when you need it.

From the unusual to the essential, they’ve got you covered! Find them online at www.yespleaseuk.com, request a catalogue or even go visit the team at the Festive Gift Fair- Birmingham NEC, 14^th-17^th November!”

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice is delighted to be hosting a number of Coffee Mornings at its Hospice sites this Autumn.

Lincoln, Tuesday 8^th October – St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice is inviting local supporters to join them at one of their forthcoming Coffee Mornings.

The following Coffee Morning is taking place:

• Thursday 10^th October – Grantham Day Therapy Centre, 86 Barrowby Road, NG31 8AF.

It is opene  10am – 12pm and are is free to attend. In addition to delicious homemade cakes, there will be a selection of activities along with St Barnabas Christmas cards and stock.

If you can’t make this date, why not pop along to one of the Hospice’s weekly Community Coffee Mornings take place at the Grantham Day Therapy Centre every Monday (10am – 12pm)

Caroline Swindin, Corporate & Community Lead for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:  “It is always lovely to see our buildings bustling with visitors and everyone is very welcome. We will have our popular cake and tombola stall as well as other activities taking place.

“These Coffee Mornings provide a great opportunity for members of the public to come and have a look around their local Hospice facility and find out what hospice care means to so many in our communities.

“Guests can indulge in a slice of cake and a hot drink whilst relaxing, browsing stalls and trying their luck on the tombola.”

For more information, contact the St Barnabas Fundraising team on 01522 540 300 or email fundraising@stbarnabashospice.co.uk.

Hospital doctors and nurses from the children’s diabetes team have put down their stethoscopes and mucked in and to take a group of children to Rand Farm Park.

The children’s diabetes team from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust have just returned to their clinics after taking 19 children from Lincoln, Sleaford, Boston, Skegness and Grantham to the farm near Wragby.

The annual residential trip saw the youngsters, aged between seven and 10 years old, help out by feeding the animals, mucking out the pens and learning how to look after the animals. They also got to spend the night away from home in the care of the children’s diabetes doctors and nurses.

For William it was his third time taking part in the residential. He said: “It’s been brilliant. I have met lots of other children with diabetes and I have loved looking after the animals. We also got to make sausages which we are going to have for our breakfast. Yum!”

Team Leader for the diabetes nurse team, Helen Warhurst, said many of the children may not have been able to come if it wasn’t for a generous donation from the Sleaford and District Lioness Club.

Helen said: “The children have had a fantastic time. Many of them don’t know any other children their age that are living with diabetes and having to manage their condition every day. By coming away together it is a great way for them to make new friends and realise that they are not alone.

“For lots of these children it is the first time they have stayed away from home overnight, which is a big milestone for them and their parents as well. It really helps to build their confidence and also a little independence.

“None of this would have been possible without the generous support of the Sleaford and District Lioness Club. We cannot thank them enough.”

Paediatric Consultant Dr Tanya Naydeva-Grigorova added: “It has been really lovely to watch them come out of their shells, making new friends and realising that they are not the only ones their age with the same condition. This experience has been more valuable to them than almost anything we can teach them about their diabetes.”

Registered between 30 September – 4 October 2019

You can click on the following link to view the forms and plans of any planning application.

http://www.southkesteven.gov.uk/planningsearch

S19/1470 Denton Approval of details in relation to Condition No.3 (ironstone and pantiles) of S18/1768 (Demoltion of oak framed extension and erection of new side and rear extensions) at Corner Cottage 132 Main Street Denton NG32 1JR; Applicant: Mr Vickers Mount Pleasant Farmhouse, Wymondham LE14 2BN

S19/1691 Denton  Non material Amendment to S18/1768 (Demoltion of oak framed extension and erection of new side and rear extensions) Amendments include windows and doors to be metal PPC in lieu of timber to the proposed rear extension only; Applicant:Mr S VickersCorner Cottage Main Street Denton NG32 1JR

S19/1516 Hanby Conversion of barn to two dwelling houses; Applicant: Mrs H A Dodds, J F Dodds and Sons, The Grange Hanby NG33 4HE

S19/1628 Dunsby :Approval of details reserved by Condition 3 (protected species) of p/p S18/2225 (conversion of barn to bed and breakfast, replacement roof, new doors and windows and internal alterations); Applicant: Mrs H Atkinson Dunsby House Fen Road Dunsby PE10 0UH

S19/1634 Grantham Internal reconfiguration to 8-bed (10 occupants) HMO, to include 8 en-suite bathrooms, 8 kitchenettes, full rewire, re-plumb / heating, windows / doors, internal insulation, fire / heat / emergency lighting systems. Work completed in Feb 19 as signed-off by EMBC per Completion Certificate dated 22 Feb 19. SKDC issued HMO licence 1 Jul 2019. At 36-38 Glinton House Bridge End Road Grantham NG31 6JH; Applicant:Anthony Hilton-BaileyWalnut Cottage Kilvington NG13 9PD

S19/1746 Harlaxton Crown raise 7 lowest branches on 1 x Scots Pine tree and remove dead wood; Applicant: Richard Walker 12 Manor Drive Harlaxton NG32 1HU

S19/1649 Marston Erection of dwelling, incorporating existing single storey barn/stable building, and formation of access to adjoining paddock on land Adjacent To Dovehouse Barkston Road Marston NG32 2HN; Applicant: Mr S Webb Building Development Services 9 Southwell Close Grantham NG31 8PL

S19/1660 Great Gonerby Creation of new vehicular access off classified road with, new boundary wall, stone pillars and electric swan neck gates; Applicant: Mr Mike Gaunt 59 Belton Lane Great Gonerby NG31 8NA

S19/1663 Londonthorpe  Alterations to listed building, Belmont Tower.  Applicant:National Trust Old School House 8 Main Rd Grantham NG32 2LW Bellmount Tower At The Terminus Of Bellmount Avenue, Belton Park Estate

S19/1754 Ancaster To retain a solid recovered fuel open storage area (PL/1047/19); Applicant: Mr Simon Pattison New Earth Solutions (West) Ltd, High Dike Ancaster NG32 3PY

S19/1670 Billingborough Willow (T1) – Reduce crown by 3 – 3.5m in height, leaving lower branches. Maple (T2) – Crown lift to 2m above water at  The New Springwells Practice Spring Wells Billingborough NG34 0QQ ; Applicant: Mrs Woodhead Chapel Road, Billingorough.

S19/1675 Grantham Replacement garage with garden room, and hobby room; Applicant: Mr C Webster 82 Kenilworth Road Grantham NG31 9TX

S19/1677 Grantham Erection of detached garage, two storey extension to side and single storey extension to rear; Applicant: Mr Karl Cooper 32 Westerdale Road Grantham NG31 8EL

S19/1709 Colsterworth Reserved matters (appearance, landscaping, layout, scale) for the erection of five dwellings pursuant to S18/2337 at Woodyard At Rear Of 13-17 Stamford Road Colsterworth NG33 5JD; Applicant: Mr Jonathan Gibbison, Hereward Homes Limited, The Old Barn, 27B Crocket Lane, Empingham LE15 8PW

A special bus stop is providing dementia patients with a ‘safe place’ to sit while waiting in A&E, helping to keep them calm and stop them from wandering.

The idea for the replica bus stop came from Healthcare Support Worker, Di Swinburn, who works in the department at Lincoln County Hospital. She had heard about similar projects where bus stops were used in nursing homes and hospitals.

Di said: “Because of the population we serve, we have been seeing and treating more and more older patients, many living with dementia.

“This department is a hive of activity, whatever the time of day, and understandably it can be overwhelming for some of our patients. When dementia patients become confused and agitated they tend to wander and will often look for something which looks familiar. Research shows that a bus stop is just that.

“Many dementia patients reminisce and remember times gone by, perhaps when they used to use buses. Therefore it is a familiar memory and somewhere where they are happy to sit and wait.”

Following an appeal, Stagecoach East Midlands generously offered to supply a replica bus stop sign, timetable and a map.

Matt Cranwell, Managing Director, Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “We are delighted to be working with United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, where we have been approached to provide even more replica bus stops to aid therapy for those people living with dementia.  

“Initiatives such as this can make a real difference to people suffering with dementia and bring some comfort and purpose to those patients who visit the A&E department at Lincoln.

“We have a strong health and well-being ethic as a company and want to extend that into the communities that we serve, by showing our support and responding to these requests. We are very grateful to the hospital for getting in touch, so we could make this possible.”

A&E Sister, Elaine Turrell, added: “We cannot thank Stagecoach enough, they were simply amazing and came to our aid. Di has worked so hard on this and the brilliant news is that the bus stop is already being used by our patients and is really making a difference.

“It is a safe place for patients to sit and watch what is happening in the department. We have also ordered some new seating via our charitable funds which will finish off the area nicely.”

The organisation that encourages businesses in South Kesteven to recruit apprentices is setting a good example by taking on an apprentice of its own.

Helen Ward (18) has joined InvestSK as an apprentice office assistant and will support the economic development company at its office in Grantham while studying for an NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration at Grantham College.

“We’re delighted to welcome Helen to the team,” said Steve Bowyer, Chief Executive at InvestSK. “She’s really grasped the opportunity with both hands and I’m pleased to say we’re already seeing the benefits of recruiting an apprentice – the new skill set that Helen brings is really valuable.

“We’re practising what we preach. Part of our remit is to help businesses grow by promoting apprenticeships in South Kesteven, and what better way to do that than by taking on an apprentice of our own? Apprenticeships can be a great way for a business to grow their own talent in a way that makes commercial sense.”

InvestSK is keen to hear from businesses who are thinking about taking on an apprentice but who might not know exactly how to go about it.

“Apprenticeships can be a bit of a mystery for small and medium-sized enterprises in our area,” Steve continued. “Businesses see the benefits but sometimes they find it hard to get the information they need about how funding works or what process is involved.

“Our role is to bridge that gap, put businesses in touch with training providers and strengthen the network of training organisations across South Kesteven.

Amy Clark joined InvestSK in July as Business and Skills Officer and since then has been working with local companies to understand their training needs and promote the benefits of taking on apprentices.

“In the short time since I joined InvestSK, I’ve met a large number of businesses all expressing their interest in taking on an apprentice,” Amy said. “There’s certainly a demand out there so now we need to make sure local training providers can meet that need.”

Recruiting an apprentice brings benefits for both the apprentice and the business: 81 per cent of customers say they would prefer to buy from a company that employs apprentices.

Helen says she’s enjoying her first experience of the working world. “I’m still learning the ropes but so far I’ve been involved in raising purchase orders and processing invoices, arranging meetings and providing administration support to the wider team.

“After I left school I had the option of going to university, but it wasn’t the route I wanted to take. I preferred to get straight into work, continue my training and actually earn some money!”

If your business is considering taking on an apprentice, or if you have a skills need that an apprentice might be able to fill, get in touch with Amy by calling 01476 406122 or emailing amy.clark@investsk.co.uk.

Pop along to the Meres Leisure Centre, Trent Road, on Friday 11th October between 16:00hrs and 19:00hrs where Grantham Police will be bike marking

Two appliances from Grantham fire station attended a collision on the A52 Somerby Hill, Grantham, at 1am this morning.

Holmatro cutting gear was used to release one casualty.