Fire crews from Grantham and Newark were called out to Long Bennington at 1am this morning.

They used a hose reel jet to extinguish a caravan fire in Valley Lane.

Lincolnshire Police would like to make you aware of fraud circulating in Lincolnshire at this time.

This offence involves victims being told to purchase high value goods or to withdraw large amounts of cash to hand over to a police officer who will visit their address to collect it at a later time.

The fraudsters allege the goods or the money are counterfeit items or that their bank account has been compromised and they need to transfer to money to a safe account or withdraw it for collection by a police Officer.

Please be aware that the Police would never ask anyone to do this. 

You receive a call from a bogus officer stating you are under investigation and need to transfer or withdraw money from your account.


Call is made stating the person is owned money by their bank but need to make a payment to receive it direct.

Police are asking people to make their elderly family members aware of these fraud methods and to raise as much awareness as possible.  If you have any elderly neighbours, consider printing off this alert and posting a copy through their door.

If you would like to report anything of this nature to authorities, please call us on 101 or report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

From Friday 22 to Sunday 24 February, the MineVention team will be running a series of Minecraft-themed activity sessions at The Collection in Lincoln.

Paul Mason, visitor experience manager, said: “You’ll be able to take part in MineVention’s famous Build Battles, and see how you fair against 19 other Minecraft enthusiasts in their exclusive Scavenger Hunt Tournaments.

“There will also be some fun and games in our auditorium with a quiz and a few challenges too.

“MineVention is aimed at anyone that has a passion for Minecraft, and we can’t wait to welcome you!

“It’s sure to be a popular half-term event, so do book early to avoid missing out.”

Tickets cost £10 for children (aged 5 to 17) and £5 for adults (aged 18 and above). Children under 4 are free. Please be aware that all children 14 and under must be accompanied by a paying adult (aged 18 and above)

For further details, and to book your place, visit www.thecollectionmuseum.com . Alternatively, tickets can be booked in person at The Collection or by calling 01522 782040.

Session times:

Friday 22 February  11am-2pm & 3pm-6pm

Saturday 23 February11am-2pm & 3pm-6pm

Sunday 24 February10am-1pm & 2pm-5pm

On Monday 14th January GGCS are having they first parents and carers meet up .All parents and carers of a disabled child are welcome.

The first meet up will be at the Tollemache pub in Grantham 1-3 pm .

We will then be arranging monthly meet ups ,different days and times ,breakfast, lunch etc to accommodate everyone.GDCS trustees look forward seeing everyone.

If you require any further information please contact the trustees via Facebook and search GDCS information page or message us on Twitter @GDCS18 or e mail granthamdisabledchildrensociety@hotmail.com

Click on picture below for details

A record year: Belvoir beats assisted acquisitions target for 2018

 

Retained firefighters from Grantham got an early morning call this morning, when the were summoned to alarms sounding in a property on Sandon Close, Grantham, just after 6am.

There was no fire, smoke from a cigarette activated the alarms.

Rosemary Crescent, off Denton Avenue, was closed to traffic following a single vehicle collision this morning.

AA van collided with a telephone post just after 8.30am

The road was closed as it required attendance from both fire services and BT to ensure it was safe.

Although reopened to traffic, work continues.

Anti-No Deal MP facing deselection bid

The A1 is closedsouth of Grantham, with queueing traffic and congestion,  due to accident, which spread over both sides on A1 Great North Road northbound between A606 (Rutland Water Turn Off) and A151 (Colsterworth Services Junction).

The southbound carriageway between A607 (Harlaxton / Melton Mowbray Turn Off) and A606 (Rutland Water Turn Off) is closed.

Congestion to A43 (Wothorpe / Easton Hill Turn-off).

Congestion to Marston Turn-off.

Traffic is running slowly through Grantham. This is leading to more congestion, especially in the Gonerby/North Parade areas.

The driver of the tanker is being assessed but not believed to have suffered serious injury. The vehicle was carrying a hazardous chemical.

Inspector Mark Gee said: “The truck has got 23 tonnes of sulphuric acid in it, however it is fully intact, there are no leaks what-so-ever from the vehicle. The main issue was the worry that it could leak but it hasn’t at the moment and we do not believe that it will do.

“The problem we are going to have is that we are going to need to recover the vehicle and that could take some time with specialist equipment being needed to complete the recovery.

“So at the moment we expect the road to remain closed for some time this morning and may go into this afternoon.

“There are no injuries to the driver as far as I am aware. The driver was trapped initially but managed to get himself out.”

The road has now been reopened.

The £1m-plus restoration of Grantham’s Wyndham Park is in the running for a prestigious award.

South Kesteven District Council’s Heritage Lottery-funded project to restore the park to its former glory has been shortlisted in the Heritage Project of the Year category in the Greater Lincolnshire and Construction and Property Awards 2019.

The work on the First World War memorial park was carried out on behalf of the council by Robert Woodhead Ltd.

Improvements have included:

• Construction of a visitor centre with public toilets and reception facilities
• Refurbishment of the Memorial Arch, shelter and model boat lake
• Refurbishment of the former ticket office and creation of dedicated meeting space for volunteers
• Interpretation boards that highlight items of historical and ecological importance
• Seating, signage, CCTV security cameras and lighting
• Soft landscaping of trees and plants

The restoration has been a joint venture between the HLF, SKDC and the Wyndham Park Forum.

Thousands attended a Dawn of a New Era event in September that marked completion of the work.

SKDC’s Cabinet Member for Retail and Visitor Economy, Cllr Nick Robins, said: “This major project drew on the original design intent for Wyndham Park to be Grantham’s World War One memorial park.

“Making the shortlist is recognition of all the hard work by council staff, park volunteers and Robert Woodhead Ltd that resulted in an amazing transformation.

“It was appropriate that the project was completed in the 100^th anniversary year of the end of World War One and everyone involved should be extremely proud of what has been achieved.

“The aim now is to attract more than a million visitors a year. Many people have great memories of time spent in the park and many more can now create their own.”

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony hosted by Homes Under The Hammer star Martin Roberts at Double Tree by Hilton in Lincoln on 5 February.

InvestSK, South Kesteven District Council’s economic growth and regeneration company, will host its next networking business breakfast event in Stamford later this month.

Taking place on Wednesday 30 January from 8am to 9.30am, the event is a great chance to network with local businesses, find out the latest news and opportunities from across the district and get an update on the work InvestSK is doing to boost economic growth across South Kesteven.

The quarterly networking event will be held in the brand new Digital Skills Centre at New College Stamford with college Principal, Janet Meenaghan, attending as InvestSK’s guest speaker. Janet will talk about the College’s new digital services and training programmes that have been designed with and for local businesses, as well as showcasing the College’s wider range of employer programmes including apprenticeships and specialist commercial training.

Councillor Matthew Lee, the Leader of South Kesteven District Council and Chairman of InvestSK, will provide a welcome address followed by a business briefing outlining the district’s latest economic intelligence from InvestSK’s CEO, Steve Bowyer.

Steve Bowyer, chief executive of InvestSK, said: “Since we launched our series of Business Breakfasts last May, they’ve been growing in popularity and now regularly attract around 80 delegates. These are great, free networking events which we rotate around the district so we can meet a wide range of companies and I’m looking forward to welcoming lots of local business people to our next one in Stamford.”

Places for the InvestSK Business Breakfast are free but limited, so delegates are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. To register, please visit: www.investsk.co.uk/events

As of 1^st December 2018, Lincolnshire Community Foundation now manages the Responders to Warmth scheme which offers practical interventions such as oil filled radiators, heated over blankets, hot water bottles etc. to those who need help to keep warm during the Winter months.  The Scheme runs from December to March and the Responders to Warmth helpline (0845 6064566) is open from Tuesday to Thursday inclusive.  The Team are also able to signpost to other agencies who may be able to offer financial support with the cost of boiler repairs or replacement etc.

The Foundation continues to respond quickly and provide support to those people left vulnerable as a result of having inadequate, or no form of heating, during the Winter.

Referrals can be made easily via the helpline number and applicants only need answer some very simple questions to see if they are eligible to receive support and, as a result, keep warm.  We are also happy to receive referrals from local agencies, support workers etc. on behalf of their client/service user.

Since December 2018, we have helped various families and individuals across the County to keep warm, for example: Cheryl (aged 35) runs a family and struggles to pay for the cost of electric storage heating at her property. She is on Income Support and has multiple medical issues. We were able to keep Cheryl and her family warm this Christmas by providing her family with oil-filled radiators, heated mattress toppers and electric blankets; Francis (aged 88) lives on his own. His heating system is waiting to be replaced after breaking down. He is in poor health and has mobility difficulties which are worsened by cold weather. Francis requested and was provided with an oil-filled radiator and electric over blanket.

To assist with the cost of future support, the Foundation would like to invite those who receive the Winter Fuel Payment, but are financially stable, to donate this to us and we will ensure it helps others, less fortunate, to keep warm in future years.

To apply to Responders to Warmth, or to donate your Winter Fuel Payment, please call us on 0845 6065466.

From Tuesday, the road between the Guildhall and the Tollemache Inn, St Peter’s Hill, will be closed for a year.

This is due to development work by SKDC.,

This applies to the east side only between 39 metres & 58 metres south of Edith Smith Way junction

The oder is only in place from 6am to Midnight Monday to Friday

And from 8am to 1pm Saturday & Sunday

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue is highlighting fire stations in the county where more on-call firefighters are needed. Currently, some fire appliances are unavailable at certain times when there are not enough firefighters to staff them.

As part of national on-call firefighter recruitment week, the top 5 stations currently in need are:

–       Brant Broughton

–       Skegness

–       Grantham

–       Waddington

–       Wragby

On average in England, 30% of firefighters are ‘on-call’ rather than ‘wholetime’ firefighters. In Lincolnshire however, this figure is around 67%.

Station Manager for Organisational Development, Andy Dixon, said:”Although there are other fire stations that need on-call firefighters, these are the stations currently most in need.

“On-call firefighters respond to a range of fire and rescue call-outs, and often help carry out prevention work in their local communities. Full training is provided initially, and on an ongoing basis, so no previous experience is required.

“Being an on-call firefighter means people become part of a close-knit team, gain a range of new skills and can earn extra money around existing jobs and commitments. Importantly though, they are also making a real difference within their community.”

For more information about being an on call firefighter, please visitwww.lincolnshire.gov.uk/oncall , call 0800 3580 204 or email recruitment@lincoln.fire-uk.org

NHS Improvement has confirmed the appointment of Elaine Baylis as Chair of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT).

Elaine has been interim Chair of the Trust since January 2018, but she has now been made permanent Chair of the Trust until 31^st December 2021.

She also continues in her role as Chair of Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, running alongside her role at ULHT.

Elaine has over 30 years’ experience working in the public sector in Lincolnshire. With a background in policing, her career in the force culminated in the role of assistant chief constable with accountability for service delivery.

An experienced strategic commander with particular interest in responding to emergencies, in 2005 Elaine was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service.

Elaine was previously a director and trustee of Urban Challenge Lincoln, an organisation that delivers a range of services to the community and voluntary sector, and since 2005 has held a similar post at Lincolnshire Action Trust, an organisation that aims to improve the skills and employability of offenders and prisoners.

She was also the independent chair of the Lincolnshire Adults Safeguarding Board from 2012 to 2016 and has been chair of LCHS since April 2015.

Elaine is currently chair of the Lincolnshire Co-ordinating Board, which includes chief executives and chairs of NHS organisations in the county and provides oversight of the local health and care system, as well as the implementation of Lincolnshire’s Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP).

Elaine said she is delighted that she will be able to continue her work with the Trust, providing continuity of management for staff, stakeholders and the public of Lincolnshire.

“I have enjoyed the last year as Chair of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, and in spite of the many challenges faced by the Trust I believe that we can continue to build upon the improvements that are being made. I have met some very dedicated and caring members of staff and volunteers and also gained an insight into the experience of patients. I am looking forward to working closely with the Board to take further quality and safety improvements forward, and to maintain our focus on delivering excellence in rural healthcare to the people of Lincolnshire.”

Non-executive appointments to NHS Trusts made by NHS Improvement and are subject to the Governance Code for Public Appointments.  NHS Improvement ensure that all appointments to NHS trust boards throughout England are made in a way that is open, transparent and fair to candidates.  NHS Improvement routinely publishes information about all the appointments it makes on its website.

Elaine will continue to receive remuneration of £40,000 per annum. She has not declared any political activity in the last five years.

Grantham swimmer Freya Colbert starts the new year in style as a national junior champion after a storming week at Swim England’s winter short course championships.

Despite still being 14 and swimming in a 15 and under age category Freya won gold in the 800 freestyle, 400 freestyle and 400IM, silver in the 200 IM and 100 freestyle and bronze in the open 4×100 free relay at the prestigious competition held just before Christmas at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

The KGGS pupil,  who is one of Britain’s brightest young swimming stars,  trains six days a week with Nottingham’s performance squad Nova Centurion.

She said: “I am really happy with my results. I’ve had to train hard to get back into full swing after the summer break and a slow start. Getting medals is great but I’m even more happy with the times I achieved. They are a benchmark for myself and something that I can control rather than medals which depend on others.

“Getting to share the podium with some big names such as Holly Hibbott who is a European champion and Commonwealth silver medallist was amazing.”

Freya now has her sights set on the British Championships in March.