Marathon effort sees mother, daughter duo raise funds for charity

Star of the Harry Potter, Star Wars films Warwick Davis visited Doddington Hall on Friday to officially launch St Barnabas Hospice’s beautiful collection of handcrafted dragonflies in the gardens this month.

Designed by Doddington Hall’s head gardener, Jordan Wallhead, more than 1,000 dragonflies are on display on the Croquet Lawn, through the peaceful walled gardens. Each of these dragonflies has been dedicated by a St Barnabas supporter in memory of a loved one. Supporters will be able to place these dragonflies in their own gardens once the display has finished.

Warwick, who has been a patron of the hospice since 2017 said: “I get a lot of requests from different charities to become patron, but St Barnabas really stood out to me. I’ve visited one of their hospices here in Lincolnshire and the work they do is brilliant.

“There’s a misunderstanding that hospices such as St Barnabas are funded, but the reality is that they have to raise their own funds to survive. End of life care should really exist as part of the health service, but sadly it doesn’t so I’m pleased to be able to help causes like this.

“The dragonfly display at Doddington Hall is beautiful and the importance really comes home when you realise that each one represents a loved one that’s no longer with us. It’s also amazing that each one is helping the hospice with funding.”

Teams at St Barnabas Hospice, Doddington Hall and Lincoln College worked in installing the dragonflies to bring the display to life. Members of the public will be able to visit the display from Saturday 12th to Friday 25th September, 10am to 4pm. 

Visitors will be able to spend a quiet moment reflecting in the peaceful surroundings, follow an interactive lily pad story trail around the display, get support from members of the St Barnabas Wellbeing team and learn more about the significance of the dragonflies. There will also be the opportunity for children to take part in craft sessions on certain days.

The safety of visitors to the display is paramount, meaning members of the public can only visit if they have made a booking on the Doddington Hall website. The display is included in general garden admission of £7.50 for adults, £3.50 for children and £19 for a family. Supporters who have dedicated a dragonfly in memory of a loved one can get in free with a guest but will still need to book a day to visit online.

Sam Waterer, Individual Giving Fundraiser at St Barnabas Hospice said, “I want to thank Doddington Hall for being so amazing to work with on this project. This is our first event since the coronavirus pandemic began and we can’t wait to welcome our supporters back and give them a truly unique experience.

“As well as being able to visit the display during the day, we are also running several Twilight Tours as the sun sets over the gardens. A special thanks must go to Howell Thomas and the team at Lincoln College for helping us bring the display to life at this magical time of day.”

Twilight Tours will take place on Wednesday 16th, Friday 18th and Friday 25th September. The dragonflies will be lit beautifully as a St Barnabas tour guide takes supporters through a short walk of the gardens. Attendees will learn the significance of the dragonfly to the Hospice and why it was chosen for this year’s display. The tour will conclude at the Croquet Lawn so supporters can enjoy the full display and take a moment to remember loved ones. Bereavement counsellors will be on hand for those in need of support and live music will play.

The tours cost just £10 per adult and £5 per child and places must be booked on the St Barnabas website in advance to ensure the event remains compliant with current government guidelines. Visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/events to book onto a tour.

Claire Birch, who runs the Doddington Hall estate alongside her husband James, said, “If I were to dedicate a dragonfly to somebody it would be for my mother. I know the Hospice was very helpful when she was dying back in 2006 and she fought and worked so incredibly hard for Doddington all her adult life. It will be very apt for me to be remembering her here. She left the place in an amazing state for us and her legacy was extraordinary.”

To date, more than £80,000 has been raised for St Barnabas Hospice from people dedicating a dragonfly in memory of a loved one. This is open to anyone, not just those whose loved one has experienced hospice care. To view more information and dedicate a dragonfly, visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/dragonfly 

Coronavirus safety measures:

St Barnabas has worked with the team at Doddington Hall to create a safe environment for the outdoor display, implementing social distancing and keeping groups to six or less. We have limited visitor numbers and have essential online booking to make the experience as safe as possible for our supporters. We ask that if you are planning to visit the display you are respectful of social distancing, be patient and follow our one-way system.

We are waiting for further Government guidelines in regards to outdoor displays which may impact the Twilight Tours and the collection days. If you have booked a Twilight Tour, or your collection slot from Doddington Hall, we will be emailing you with any changes.

There was a two-vehicle collision in Princess Drive, Grantham yesterday , when one vehicle collided with a park car.

Thankfully no injuries.

Sgt Dan McCormack reports negative breath test and drug wipe.

“Driver to be interviewed at a later date regarding manner of driving.

This year’s Annual Public Meeting (APM) of United Lincolnshire Hospitals is going online! It’s open to everyone – we would love you to be there! Our first virtual APM, in line with social distancing rules, will be held on Friday 25 September 2020 from 10.15am until 11.15am   We hope that going online will allow more people to get involved. Feel free to dip in and out of the meeting. You’ll be able to find out more about the work of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, and our challenges and achievements, during 2019/20, including how we are responding to COVID-19. There will also be a chance to ask questions of the Trust’s leadership. You can join the event from anywhere, on any device – PC, smartphone or tablet – using a Chrome or Edge browser or through the Microsoft Teams app.  Access to the APM will be via a web link, which will be shared with you prior to the event by email. Attendees will need to pre-register their place, using the Survey Monkey link below. Please note registration will close at midday on Thursday 24 September. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/759MVB7 Everyone’s attendance will be warmly welcomed. Questions You can submit a question in advance through the survey monkey registration or you can ask questions live during the APM using the Q&A facility. Questions will be taken in the order in which they were received, should we run out of time we will publish responses to remaining questions to our website within one week of the meeting.

Lincolnshire Co-op receives major employment award

At St Wulfram’s Church for this Harvest Thanksgiving we are asking if you will donate to WaterAid so that villages like Vatuvou in the island nation of Timor Leste in Southeast Asia can get a reliable source of clean water.

Here you will find a donation money box that you can print, cut out and stick together to collect your coins in.  Perhaps keep it somewhere in sight and make a pledge, for example – every time you spend a penny donate one to WaterAid? 

The Harvest service will take place at 9:30am on Sunday, 27 September.  Please bring along your money box with you to the service or you can make an online donation here.

Along with WaterAid we will of course accept donations for Grantham Foodbank.  The best way that we can do that for them is for you to make a donation here.  

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We are joining many others across the country in supporting WaterAid’s Harvest Appeal, helping transform lives in some of the poorest communities around the world.

The funds raised will help WaterAid bring clean drinking water to communities like Vatuvou so that people can stay healthy and will be able to safeguard their harvests.

WaterAid’s Harvest Appeal will help people like 57-year-old grandmother, Felisberta, from the village of Vatuvou who has to make the long, dangerous trip along a rocky, dried up riverbed to the uphill water source to get water for her family. She often struggles with the journey in the tropical heat.

Felisberta’s community depends on farming to make a living but lack of access to water makes it hard to grow anything outside the rainy season. It’s also killing her family’s livestock – their biggest source of income.

Felisberta says: “Because we have less water, we try to manage it – we use it for drinking. That’s why sometimes the kids don’t take a shower or a bath. We also don’t really wash our clothes.

“I feel tired when I am doing the long round trip to collect water. But I have to because I am the one who collects the water and if I don’t do that then the kids are not going to eat.”

One in five people in Timor Leste don’t have clean water close to home and almost half of the population do not have a decent toilet. Lack of access to clean water and handwashing facilities, poverty, hunger and climate extremes combined with fragile healthcare systems make communities like Felisberta’s extremely vulnerable to diseases and crisis, like Covid-19. Now more than ever, it is vital that the world’s poorest communities have access to clean water and good hygiene.

Felicity de Ste Croix, Communities and Volunteering Manager at WaterAid, said: “Faith groups, schools and community groups play a vital role in WaterAid’s work, bringing much-needed funds to transform lives with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.

“By coming together this harvest, groups across the UK can help ensure communities around the world have enough to eat and drink and can be healthy and financially secure.

“The simple gift of clean water means others have harvests worth celebrating.”

Last harvest, churches and community groups in the UK raised £130,000 for WaterAid, helping bring clean water and decent toilets to other communities around the world, like the village of Zabendella in Burkina Faso where Rasmata lives. WaterAid installed 12 compostable toilets that transform waste into fertiliser as well as two wells that provide water for the market garden. Rasmata and her community can now grow vegetables and earn an income in the dry season.

WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 28 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 26.4 million people with clean water and 26.3 million people with decent toilets. For more information, visit www.wateraid.org, follow @WaterAidUK or @WaterAidPress on Twitter, or find WaterAid UK on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid.

• 785 million people in the world – one in ten – do not have clean water close to home.[1]
• 2 billion people in the world – almost one in four – do not have a decent toilet of their own.[2]
• Around 310,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That’s around 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.[3]
• Every £1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of £4 in increased productivity.[4]
• Just £15 can provide one person with clean water.[5]

Over the last few years, there has been an increasing number of people who are homeless with little or no provision in the district. At the moment the only response that the clergy and members of Grantham Passage can do in, an emergency situation, is to send people to either Lincoln, Nottingham or Peterborough to access emergency accommodation.

The reasons why people find themselves homeless are varied and not simply as a result of substance abuse, which is often the misconceived understanding about why people are having to sleep on the streets, in tents or sofa surfing.

In response to this challenge a number of representatives from churches across Grantham have got together and are planning the way forward.

Following the success of the winter of 2020, Grantham Ark Winter Night Shelter – will again start on Monday 4 January 2021 each night, and each week one of the town churches will take it in turn to host those who are homeless.

However, to make this happen, it needs to be a cross-community initiative, when the whole community comes together to be able to support those who are vulnerable in our town.

Fr Stuart and the ‘Grantham Ark’ committee will be approaching community groups and individuals to come and help support this initiative as volunteers will be required to help each night at each location – which amounts to potentially a very large number of volunteers. We sincerely hope that people will recognise this need and respond. Those interested in responding to this call to action should email granthamark@stwulframs.com

Training sessions will be held on Saturday 3 and 10 October 2020 from 10:00am to 12:00noon or 2:00pm-4:00pm at St Wulfram’s Church. It is important that those who are willing to offer their time to help the homeless off the streets come to one of these training sessions which will be provided by INN Churches, an initiative based in Bradford. If you would like to help, please register your interest by emailing granthamark@stwulframs.com and come along to a training session.

The hunt is on for the nation’s BEST Teacher!thortful.com launch new competition to find the UK’s best teacher ahead of World Teacher Day on 5th October

Adapting traditional teaching methods, bringing education online throughout homeschooling, all whilst trying to keep students motivated and engaged, I think we can all agree, being a teacher in 2020 has meant going above and beyond the usual job spec. 

This surreal year has brought this vital profession to the forefront, giving the incredible humans who choose to do it the recognition they deserve.

To celebrate World Teacher Day on 5th October, thortful.com are on the hunt for the UK’s best teacher. The teachers who have gone above and beyond for their students, whether that’s keeping them engaged in their studies in lockdown, motivating them from a distance, or helping keep their spirits high during these strange times.

Think you know the best teacher? All you have to do is enter our competition and let us know why they’re the best for them to be in with a chance of winning a £150 spa voucher from Spa Seekers. 

The competition closes at 23:59 GMT on 23/09/2020 the winning teacher will be selected by thortful and the nominator contacted via email on or before 28/09/2020 and asked to share the good news with their winning teacher.

Speaking about the competition, thortful.com explains: “We can all agree the great lengths teachers have gone to this year to adapt to the current circumstances, all the while keeping their students motivated and engaged. That’s why we want to celebrate the teachers that have gone above and beyond.”

Full competition details can be found at: https://www.thortful.com/competition/world-teacher-day-competition

Funhouse Comedy Club brings a socially-distanced night of laughter to Grantham Cricket Club, on Thursday October 1st.

This is a temporary change of venue for the club that usually runs at The Guildhall, which is currently closed.

Headlining is slightly camp, middle-class funnyman Hal Cruttenden. Having a background in professional acting he has made numerous TV appearances, including ‘Live at The Apollo’, ‘Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow’, ‘The Royal Variety Performance’, ‘The Rob Brydon Show’,  ‘Let’s Dance for Comic Relief’, ’Would I Lie To You’, ’Sunday Night at the Palladium’,  ‘Mock The Week’, ’The Great British Bake Off – Extra Slice’, ‘Celebrity Squares’, and Pointless Celebrities. With his ability to mix the personal, the surreal, the ridiculous and the political he delivers an energetic and absorbing performance.

Opening the night will be incredible Scott Bennett, widely tipped in the industry as on the brink of the big time; runner up in 2014 English Comedian Of The Year competition, Best Show Nominee Leicester Comedy Festival 2019 and support for both Michael McIntyre and Rob Brydon. This loveable rising star enthrals the crowd with his warm and engaging delivery, he is a Yorkshire live wire with an undeniable no nonsense logic, who has been busy entertaining people through the lockdown, with his ‘Stand Up From The Shed’ online show.

Also appearing is Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2018, the cheeky Jack Gleadow, hailing from Hull and claiming to have illegitimate Chuckle Brothers heritage, he is one of the most unique performers on the UK comedy circuit today.

Completing the line-up will ‘So You Think You’re Funny’ semi-finalist, the charming and friendly Ben Lund-Conlon, with his personal amusing tales.

Compere for the night is the amiable and animated Spiky Mike.

Tickets are £11 in advance

7.00pm doors

8.00pm show

This show will take place in a heated marquee with social distancing and covid19 protocols. Max group size of 6. Please book with the people you wish to be seated with.

Ample free parking on site.

Food will be available fresh to order pre-show- burgers, hotdogs etc with vegetarian/vegan options.

Info and bookings www.funhousecomedy.co.uk

Thank you, Madam Chairman, and welcome to your new role, I look forward to working with you in the year ahead, which promises to be a busy but exciting one.

It is almost a year since I stood in this chamber and asked for your votes and your support to become South Kesteven District Council’s new leader. I said then that it was the proudest day of my life. That remains the case.

However, nothing could have prepared me, or any of us, for what was ahead; a global pandemic that would shake our way of life, our way of work, and our economy to the very core.

Covid-19 is still with us. It has devastated many lives and livelihoods, something which must never be underestimated nor forgotten.

I’m sure you would all join me in saying that our thoughts and prayers go to all those who have lost someone to this terrible virus, and to those in our communities who continue to struggle with its impact on their lives.

But I am also very proud of what we have achieved as a council and a community in the face of such unprecedented times. This is where the stats speak for themselves. As part of our response to Covid-19, we:

Awarded £29.1 million in Government grants to 2,535 businesses.

Contacted nearly 18,000 vulnerable residents personally to offer support and made 1,500 calls to vulnerable residents as part of our befriending programme.

Supported more than 2,250 households through the Council Tax Hardship Fund.

We also maintained a full waste collection service, collecting 80,000 bins a week; carried out 2,643 emergency housing repairs; and maintained our street markets to provide a safe and alternative source of fresh food whilst enabling many of our stallholders to continue trading. And the list goes on.

I know that many of you were personally involved in supporting our communities in a number of ways, so I would like to put on record my personal thanks to everyone for the part you have played in this collective success.

I also want to thank our staff, TeamSK. Within 72 hours of lockdown, we moved from a largely office-based team to working remotely, whilst maintaining a high-level of service.

For many this was a completely new way of working, and I know, that for some, it has been difficult as people juggled working from home with home schooling and other personal pressures. Other members of staff were deployed to support our critical services, and some remain furloughed.

It hasn’t been easy. I am sure you would all join me in thanking our staff for everything they have done, from the boardroom to residents’ doorsteps, to support and serve our communities.

There is, of course, a financial cost due to the impact of Covid-19.

That is why, Madam Chairman, my colleague, Cllr Adam Stokes, who I am pleased to say will remain as our Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, will be presenting an amended budget today.

We were in a strong position going into the pandemic because of successful management of our budget over the years and this puts us in good stead for the recovery.

Our record in responding to Covid-19 is impressive, but our achievements do not stop there. Since September last year, we have:

Secured £900,000 of Heritage Action Zone funding to restore the cultural heritage of buildings in Grantham town centre.

Held a 4th successful Stamford Georgian festival, celebrating our heritage, supporting community engagement and cohesion, and bringing economic benefit to our local economy.

In terms of housing, we have:

Adopted our Local Plan and agreed an early review which is due to start within weeks.

Started our programme of building high quality new homes of different tenures, including the completion of Wherry’s Lane phase 2, in Bourne, and modular homes in Grantham.

Worked with Government to develop an improved repairs process for rented properties – both private and council housing.

Community spirit has shone through in 2020 as around 1,500 volunteers registered with the SK Community Hub, to support our vulnerable residents in response to Covid-19.

Through the SK Community Fund we helped to attract more than £2.5 million of additional funds for community and voluntary groups in South Kesteven.

This represents a 750% return on the council’s investment – quite some achievement.

I know that our Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Annie Mason, who has kindly agreed to continue in her role, is looking forward to building on those community networks.

Another key part of our communities is art and culture. The Government has rightly recognised this sector as vital to our wellbeing and our economy.

My colleague, Cllr Rosemary Trollope-Bellew, has agreed to remain as our Cabinet Member for Culture and Visitor Economy and I know she is looking forward to implementing a new cultural strategy for our district. 

Before the pandemic, a different global crisis was grabbing the headlines and continues to do so.

I am sure that many of us here watched the BBC programme ‘Extinction’ on Sunday.

Climate change is an issue which I know many of you are passionate about, in particular my colleagues Cllr Dr Peter Moseley, who is continuing as our Cabinet Member for Commercial and Operations, and Cllr Ashley Baxter.

There is still much to do here, but I am determined that we continue to make progress. Notably, we have:

Declared a climate emergency.

Published the council’s carbon footprint for the first time and are developing an action plan to reduce our footprint.

I am sure, Madam Chairman, that I will have missed something, and I am equally sure that my colleagues will remind me if I have, but I would like now to turn to the future.

Next month, we will be presenting a new Corporate Plan to full council. There has been much good work done in the past to set out our direction of travel and work towards fulfilling our ambitions for the district.

But our new Corporate Plan takes us much further. It clearly articulates our vision: ‘To be the best district in which to live, to work, and to visit’, and underpins this vision with five key priorities supported by action plans for delivery.

Our district is full of promise and potential. It is home to innovative entrepreneurs and savvy start-ups; it is a base for global enterprise; and an inviting landscape perfectly situated in the heart of England. Our job is to harness that promise and potential and work with partners to:

Develop a clean and green future so that how we live and work respects and protects our environment.

Develop the goodwill and community spirit that already exists in our communities, and has been so prevalent in recent months, so that our communities thrive and are strong and healthy.

Build and maintain housing that meets the needs of all our residents.

To ensure we are able to deliver on these priorities, we also have a priority to be a High Performing Council.

Our Corporate Plan provides a blueprint to ensure that individual performance is linked directly to the delivery of our priorities and every member of staff has clarity over what is expected from them, as well as what they should expect from a modern and progressive employer.

To deliver high-quality services, we must attract and retain the best staff.

Today we have an amended budget. Next month, hopefully, we will adopt a new corporate plan. The third part of the strategic jigsaw is our corporate restructure.

If we are to have an efficient council that puts the needs of local people and local businesses first, we must ensure that our corporate structure and individual accountability fully aligns with our Corporate Plan and that our amended budget takes account of any costs incurred in doing so.

That is the reality of efficient business. I do not intend to dwell on this now, because our restructure is an ongoing process and, at the heart of it, we are talking about people’s lives and livelihoods.

That is why our Chief Executive, Karen Bradford, has ensured that every step along this journey is taken carefully, sensitively, with the utmost professionalism, and a careful eye on balancing the books.

As we look to the future, we have much to do, and much to be proud of. Among our key actions for the next three years are:

Delivery of the St Martin’s Park development in Stamford.

The regeneration of Grantham town centre supported by the Future High Streets bid and delivery of the Heritage Actions Zone programme.

Identifying and maximising opportunities to support the development of our town centres in Bourne, Market Deeping, and Stamford, learning from our experience in Grantham.

The adoption of a Tourism Strategic Framework, working with partners to promote our visitor economy and increase visitor spend in our district.

We will work in partnership with the housing market to stimulate housing growth; we will increase the supply of high quality, sustainable council houses, and work to reduce and prevent homelessness in our district.

We will also prioritise bringing private sector empty properties back into use. I look forward to hearing more about this from our Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, Cllr Robert Reid.

Equality will become part of the fabric of South Kesteven. It will underline how we work internally as a council, and how we work with partners to tackle health, unemployment and other inequalities in areas of highest need.

We will continue to work in partnership with the police and our communities in tackling crime by investing in our CCTV service; make best use of different funding sources to support the voluntary and cultural sector within the district, improve and invest in local arts and culture venues and protect our most vulnerable residents with robust safeguarding processes.

We will also develop and adopt a sport and physical activity strategy. Whilst we are on the subject of physical activity Madam Chairman, our contract with 1Life is due to end early next year.

As a result, my colleague and Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Barry Dobson, has been assessing the future management options of the leisure service, especially in light of the impact of Covid-19 on this sector and the instability this has caused among leisure operators.

At the expiry of the current contract Cabinet have decided to transfer the leisure service to a wholly owned council company.

Whilst there may still be an ambition to secure a future contract arrangement in the medium term, transferring the service to the council company in the short term will provide us with greater control over how the leisure facilities are run and the activities that are offered.

In addition this will give the council flexibility to carry out the planned leisure improvements without dealing with loss of income claims or contract variations. Existing staff at the leisure centres will transfer to the new council company.

We will also continue our work to reduce the council’s carbon footprint by at least 30% by 2030 and endeavour to become a carbon net-zero council as soon as viable before 2050.

We will continue our Big Clean programme and our higher street standards, as part of our commitment to a clean and sustainable environment.

We will work with the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership to reduce waste, tackle waste contamination and further improve recycling. And we will work proactively with EnvironmentSK to deliver high quality services and maximise commercial opportunities.

Madam Chairman, fellow colleagues, and SKDC employees. This is an ambitious agenda, but it has been developed meticulously and collegiately.

This is not my agenda; it is our agenda to deliver our vision and, ultimately, it will be our legacy.

I look forward working with you over the next 12 months as we continue to deliver for those we serve.

Thank you.

Police find driver of Grantham hit and run car theft

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The Emergency Department at Lincoln County Hospital will be transformed following news of a £7million national funding boost.

The investment has been announced by the Department of Health and Social Care as part of an additional £150 million capital funding programme to expand and upgrade 25 A&Es to reduce overcrowding and improve infection control ahead of winter.

The funding for Lincoln County Hospital will be used to transform and increase the size of the department. It will include:

·         A new purpose-built Urgent Treatment Centre, incorporating a new entrance into the Emergency Department.

·         A new waiting room, providing more space to allow for social distancing.

·         Additional clinical spaces where patients will be seen and treated.

·         A new 12-bed priority assessment unit and a new resuscitation area with twice as many cubicles for the sickest patients.

·         Younger patients and their families will benefit from a new paediatrics area with its own dedicated waiting room, treatment cubicles and a sensory area.

·         Additional treatment rooms for mental health patients.

·         A new sensory room for dementia patients.

·         A new ambulance bay created outside the front of the department with entrances directly into the resuscitation and majors areas of the department.

·         Additional clinical space, meaning that the emergency department will be able to accept patients from ambulance crews with improved speed and safety.

The scale of the project means that the work will need to be completed in phases, starting straight away.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Operating Officer, Simon Evans said: “We are continuously working to improve our busy emergency departments and this investment will allow us to make changes we’ve not previously been able to, in turn relieving pressure across our hospital site.

“These developments will help us to see and treat patients more quickly and ensure that everyone is getting the right level of care that they require.

“This has been a real team effort. The final design at Lincoln has taken into account contributions by clinical and nursing staff from across the Trust and our partner organisations, as well as from patient experience and sensory impairment groups.

“All of these changes will transform the department and make sure it is not only fit for today, but also for the future.”

Buses on demand could replace struggling routes

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