A celebration will be held in Grantham in December, to remember loved ones at a difficult time of year.

St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice is inviting the local community to remember a loved one at Christmas at their annual Light up a Life celebration in Grantham. This unique celebration is a special time for families and friends to join together in remembering the people that they love in a reflective environment.

Taking place on Tuesday 10^th December, the celebration will begin at 6pm at St Wulframs Church, Church Street, Grantham, NG31 6RR.

The celebration will feature touching readings, music and a time for quiet reflection; candles will also be lit in remembrance. It will last approximately 1 – 1.5 hours, is free to attend and open to everyone, regardless of faith.

For those unable to attend, there are also the following celebrations nearby:

• Sleaford Celebration – Sunday 8^th December, 3pm, Sleaford Methodist Church, Church Lane, Sleaford, NG34 7DF.
• Spalding Celebration – Sunday 15^th December, 3pm, St John the Baptist Church, Hawthorn Bank, Spalding, PE11 1JQ.

There is also Lincolnshire’s famous Torchlight Procession, which takes place on Tuesday 26^th November in Lincoln. The Torchlight Procession will meet at 7pm at Clayton’s Sports Ground and aims to set off at around 7.30pm.

There is no need to book in advance for the celebration, but the Hospice is asking people to register their attendance if they are coming to the Torchlight Procession in Lincoln. Register at www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/torchlight-19.  

The Torchlight Procession involves thousands of local residents joining forces to walk through Lincoln’s iconic Bailgate, carrying flaming torches in memory of loved ones. Due to the works currently taking place at Lincoln Cathedral, the Lincoln Tree of Life will stand outside the Lincoln Hotel for one year only.

Louise Cotton, organiser of the Torchlight Procession, said: “On behalf of St Barnabas, we’d like to say a huge thank you to the Lincoln Hotel for kindly hosting our Tree of Life this year. Because of this generosity, the Procession route will remain largely unchanged and supporters will still have a lovely view of the Cathedral in the background of the tree.”

If you would like to dedicate a light in memory of a loved one at Christmas, or for more information about the Light up a Life celebrations, please go to www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/LUAL

New figures have shown that the value of Lincolnshire’s tourism industry has increased by a further 7 percent, reaching £1.58bn in 2018.

The latest STEAM figures show that in 2018 the county attracted around 21m visitors – a 2.5 percent rise on the previous year.

As a result, the county’s visitor economy is now worth 62 percent more than it was ten years ago.

Cllr Colin Davie, Executive Member for Economy and Place, said: “Tourism is a key industry for the county economy, employing more than 20,000 people.

“We’re working hard to attract even more visitors, and over the last couple of years we’ve dramatically improved what we have to offer.

“And although the summer remains our busiest time of year, we’re now seeing an increasing number of visitors in October and March.

“That suggests our efforts to extend the traditional tourist season, with new attractions like the North Sea Observatory, are paying off.

“Looking ahead, the increasing number of direct trains between Lincoln and London will make it easier for overseas visitors to discover all our county has to offer.

“And with the extensive improvements at Lincoln Cathedral and the Mayflower 400 celebrations on the horizon, I’m confident our tourism economy will continue to thrive in the years to come.”

A team of newly qualified midwives say they can’t wait to ‘deliver’ care to families across the county as they begin their exciting new careers in Lincolnshire.           

Eight members of staff have just qualified as part of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust’s (ULHT) latest intake of midwives and are set to hit maternity wards in Lincoln and Boston over the next few weeks.

The midwives have been training with universities in Nottingham and Hull for the past three years, but have all chosen ULHT as the place they want to work.   

Yvonne McGrath, Consultant Midwife at ULHT said the new recruits are part of a fresh approach to the way newly qualified midwives are supported into their fledging careers at ULHT. 

“This is a new programme for ULHT, designed to support newly qualified midwives to consolidate their training and launch their careers through offering development opportunities across the year,” said Yvonne.  

“This includes bespoke quality improvement training and opportunities to undertake small in-house improvement projects, all designed to enhance the care they deliver.

“We’re delighted that our midwives have decided to come and work for maternity services in Lincolnshire – they’ve worked extremely hard over the past three years and we’re looking forward to supporting and developing them as they progress through their careers.”

New midwife Melanie Lord from Lincoln, trained in Grimbsy but said she’s really looking forward to working at Lincoln County Hospital.

“I’m a bit nervous because I trained at a different Trust, but I live here so I wanted to work in the area and help look after women in my own community,” said Melanie.

“I worked in universities previously but took the leap to train to be a midwife three years ago. It’s hard work and can be very emotional as you give everything, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

As part of their induction week the midwives were also handed a new pin badge, featuring the Better Births logo, that they can wear to let fellow colleagues know they are newly qualified to enable more support in their first few weeks and months if required.  

Sophie Shakesby trained at Lincoln County Hospital on a University of Nottingham midwifery course. 

“I chose to work here because I loved the training and everyone was just so supportive,” said Sophie.

“It’s just like a little family and I can’t wait to start making a difference.”

Police are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage after a man received serious injuries during an assault at around 3.30 pm on Tuesday, October 1st. 

The victim was walking along Brook Street in Grantham, close to the junction with North Street, when the offender blocked his path.

While attempting to walk away the victim believes he was then kicked, resulting in serious injury.   

The offender is described as white, 5’4″, with short black hair.

He is believed to have been wearing a black anorak and hoody. 

Please get in touch if you have any information that could assist this enquiry. You can get in touch in the following ways.   

• By calling 101 quoting the reference 398 of 1 October.
• By e-mailing force.control@lincs.pnn.police.uk 
• You can also contact us through the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault on two males.

A 19-year-old and 16-year-old were both assaulted as they approached their vehicle in Tesco Express car park on Harrowby Lane, Grantham at around 8.30pm on Tuesday 1^st October.

The two victims have been approached by a group of about six or seven unknown males who have assaulted both males by punching and kicking them before running off.

The 16-year-old male has been repeatedly punched and kicked in the face by one of the males in the group who was described as wearing a puffer jacket with a hood which was pulled up over his face only showing his eyes. The 16-year-old has received a fracture to his cheek bone as a result of this assault and his 19-year-old brother has sustained bruising and a cut to the back of his head.

Both were taken to hospital where they were treated for their injuries.

Detective Constable Sally Sands said: “We believe this was an unprovoked attack on these two men.

“We would like to speak with any witnesses to this assault, anyone who may have entered the car park around that time with a working dashcam or anyone with any information on who the offenders might be.”

If you can assist with our investigation please contact us in one of the following ways:

• By calling 101 quoting the reference 424 of October 1^st.
• By e-mailing control@lincs.pnn.police.uk – please remember to put the reference 424 of October 1^st in the subject box;
• You can also contact us through the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

One lane of the A1 in the Great Ponton area was closed this morning, with slow traffic, due to accident on the northbound between B6403 Bridge End (Woolsthorpe / Easton Turn Off) to B1174 (Grantham South / Little Ponton Junction).

Lane Two (of Two) was closed after a car hit the central reservation and collided with signage just after 8am.

It has now reopenned.

Firefighters from Billingborough attended a chimney fire on Sandygate lane, Horbling, at lunchtime yesterday..

It was out on their arrival.

It was caused by a build up of bird nesting materials within chimney.

Barrowby Road, Traffic Control (Two-Way Signals), October 13

Belton Lane, Traffic Control (Multi-Way Signals), October 7 to October 18

Harlaxton Road, Traffic Control (Two-Way Signals), October 8 to October 10

Huntingtower Road, delays, October 10 to October12

Lodge Way, Traffic Control (Multi-Way Signals), October 7 to October 18

Manthorpe Road, Traffic Control (Multi-Way Signals), October 7 to October 18

New Beacon Road, Traffic Control (Multi-Way Signals), October 7 to November 1

Mike Pastor, St Barnabas Hospice Challenge Fundraiser, will be trekking Mount Toubkal, Morocco on 7^th – 12^th October 2020 and he is rallying St Barnabas supporters to join him for this adventure.

Mount Toubkal is North Africa’s highest mountain at 4,167m tall and is situated in the heart of Toubkal National Park just south of Marrakech. 

The trip consists of three days trekking and allows plenty of time to take in the unique culture of Morocco. The ascent up Mount Toubkal is a great introduction to mountaineering adventure and it is an excellent experience for those with good health and fitness. 

As you ascend, you’ll hike through juniper forests and alpine meadows. The views from the summit are spectacular; you will experience stunning 360-degree panoramic views that extend as far as the Sahara Desert.

Mike said:

“The Toubkal Trek promises to be a once in a lifetime challenge. We will experience the most beautiful views on our ascent to the summit, and we can really immerse ourselves into the culture with village visits and hearty, locally-cooked meals. Come and join the team, let’s climb a mountain together!”

If you would like to join Mike in taking part in the Toubkal Trek, you might be surprised at the low registration fees. 

Mike said: 

“It will only cost you £99 to register for the Toubkal Trek, we will cover the rest: flights, camping, food, guides and any support that you will need. All we ask is that you raise a minimum of £1,650 for the Hospice. 

“With a whole year to fundraise, you can easily smash this target and have a lot of fun with it in the process. I will be there every step of the way to support you with fundraising materials, ideas, advice and training.”

“Thanks to the courage and kindness of people like you, we are able to continue to provide dignified and compassionate end-of-life care to those who need it in Lincolnshire. By taking part in a challenge like this you are making memories and making a difference to the hospice care St Barnabas can provide.”

If you would like to register for the Toubkal Trek, you can sign up on our website here: www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/toubkal-2020 or alternatively, contact Mike Pastor at mike.pastor@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or 01522 540 300.