Gareth Davies MP says….

After another Easter in lockdown it was a relief to hear on Monday that with three adults in every five now vaccinated and the third approved vaccine, Moderna, beginning its rollout on Wednesday, we are on course to be able to take the next important step to reopening our economy. Outdoor hospitality, shops, gyms and hairdressers are all set to thankfully reopen next Monday. While other countries such as Germany and France are adding further restrictions, I welcome that the UK can now move forward.

Throughout this crisis our small businesses have gone to great lengths, at tremendous cost, to adapt to the restrictions and to become COVID safe. I recently visited The Knead Farm in Tallington to talk with the farmer who is also the local publican of The Crown in Stamford, and Smith’s in Bourne about how they have been preparing to reopen and measures necessary to facilitate outdoor service. 

It also provided me with an opportunity to meet their new lambs! There are few better symbols of the arrival of spring than the sight of newborn lambs on our daffodil dotted fields, so it was a real treat, but as with so many of my visits I was definitely more excited to meet them than they were to meet me. 

We are certainly a country of animal lovers and so it has been particularly troubling to hear about rising incidents of pet theft in some parts of the country during lockdown. Dogs are cherished members of our families and recent reports that 2020 was the worst ever year for dog theft understandably leave people very concerned. 

While Lincolnshire Police have reassured us that pet theft in our area is very low in terms of reported crimes, clearly one incident is too many. 

Some have called for tougher sentences for those convicted of pet theft. Currently, pet theft is a criminal offence under the Theft Act and carries a maximum sentence of 7 years imprisonment. I am pleased that the Sentencing Council’s guidelines on theft take account of the emotional distress for the victim caused by any theft offence, including theft of a pet, meaning that the courts will now take this into account when considering the appropriate sentence.

However, while the maximum sentence is obviously very high, hardly anyone actually receives anywhere near this level of sentence with most pet theft cases remaining in the Magistrates Court. And that is if someone is charged at all – only 1% of pet theft crimes result in someone being charged. 

At a national level therefore, I agree with calls to take a good look at what we can do to better tackle this awful crime and here locally, I would encourage all owners to ensure that pets are microchipped and if you have suspicions about potential pet theft please do make sure you report it to the police.

I would like to thank the lady who bought me daffodils yesterday in M&S as a random act of kindness.

It really lifted my day. what a wonderful thing to do.

Thank you.

Kathleen Priscilla says…

Hi all

My baby lost her gold bangle over the weekend in the Range or B&M Grantham.

If anyone found it please let me know. She’s had since a baby. It is a gold bangle with two balls either side

The hardworking staff of the NHS care for us all – and we want to show them that we care too. thortful are collecting messages of thanks on their new noticeboard, and your words could be featured in the ‘This is Gratitude’ art installation, touring across the UK to say thank you to the NHS.

Noticeboard of messages  

Undeniably, the pandemic has given us a fresh perspective on the importance of our NHS and its staff. With that in mind, thortful have created a noticeboard of messages that everyone can contribute to.

After raising more than £100,000 for  NHS Charities Together, thortful wanted to continue to thank the NHS. The new noticeboard is a collection of thank you messages from the public. Anyone can leave a message and they can give thanks to friends and family who work within the NHS or medical staff as a whole.

A selection of these messages will then be chosen and incorporated into the “This is Gratitude” art installation which will tour around the country starting in August.

Give a personalised thank you

Collectively as a nation, we have had opportunities to thank the NHS in various ways. But thortful want their noticeboard to be a space where individual people can give a personalised thank you.

Here are some of the messages the noticeboard has already received:

• “We are so lucky to have the NHS, my best friend works for them and she is so brave/helpful – like every other employee. Thank you so much – you sacrifice so much for us!”
• “My mother is part of the ‘most vulnerable’ group and by association as is my father. They have been taken care of so incredibly well with no fuss and always with a smile. I couldn’t thank those in the NHS enough for their tireless and often unseen fight over the past year.”
• “Dear NHS, thank you for working tirelessly on the frontline of the COVID19 pandemic. We were all scared and yet, with face-mask bruises, late nights, hot and sweaty uniforms and distancing yourself from vulnerable loved ones, you’ve managed to pull us through. I love the NHS!”

To view the noticeboard, go to: https://www.thortful.com/NHS-thank-you-noticeboard

Easton Walled Gardens is looking for a Housekeeping Assistant and a Catering Team Member…
https://www.visiteaston.co.uk/about/jobs

Purchasing for public good could generate billions for disadvantaged communities

Public bodies and housing associations are being urged to use their purchasing power to tackle inequality within local communities in a new guide published today Monday, March 29th 2021 by the BetterForUs campaign 2020-4.

‘Procurement for Community Public Good’ provides a route map to how commissioners and communities can collaborate to deliver change across the UK through the adoption of fair procurement principles.

The Guide highlights how authorities can make use of existing laws to tackle disadvantage. It also pinpoints the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals in developing coherence and consistency in delivering public value commissioning across the UK.

The Guide is published in advance of BetterForUs research which shows that commissioners are not effectively making use of existing powers within current procurement law.

Regulation 20 of the Public Contracts Regulation 2015 and Regulation 21 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations provide that commissioning bodies can reserve contracts for positive action programmes and organisations that tackle disadvantage. 

Between 2015 – 2020 only eight organisations chose to make use of such provision, with Scotland and Wales leading the way and England and Northern Ireland falling behind.

The UK government is currently reviewing procurement law which is a devolved matter in the UK and the BetterForUs Campaign is urging it to retain positive action programmes as an integral part of levelling up.

Katharine Sutton, Director of BetterForUs said today:

“Lack of investment in the everyday economy is leading to neglected communities and widening inequalities within the community. Public commissioners can help shape local markets and connect them to the needs of people thereby strengthening public services and building community resilience. 

“If only one percent of the procurement spend in the UK was reserved for positive action employment programmes this would generate £2.9 billion for local communities. Now is the time for public authorities and housing associations to maximise their public spend by providing sustainable employment with fair pay and conditions where people are treated with respect.”

-Ends

Anon says..

Checking my dash cam, I was rather surprised to see what I captured near KFC

May the farce be with you!

• 
  With foreign holidays unconfirmed, research reveals the scents that most remind us of holidays
• GoodMove creates three room sprays that smell like the top scents of holidays
• Sprays will be available for free for the first 50 people

A year of not travelling abroad has certainly taken its toll on us Brits, and with holidays abroad still up in the air, who knows when we’ll next get our proper dose of summer?

For anyone missing that holiday feeling (and who isn’t?), experts at GoodMove and NV Candles are bringing summer holidays to you, with the creation of three summer scented room sprays to bring sunshine to your home in a spritz.

From sun cream to salt air, and hot crepes to BBQs, we polled¹ the public to reveal the smells that most remind people of a holiday. They were revealed to be:

• Sun cream/after sun (100%)
• Salt air (76%)
• Coconut (66%)
• Warm sand (62%)
• Hot tarmac (61%)
• Hot air when you get off the plane (54%)
• Lemon fizzy drink (39%)
• Crepes (31%)
• Pina Coladas (25%)
• BBQ food (21%)

Considering the findings, we’ve created three room sprays with the top smells as highlighted above that most remind people of a holiday.

A huge 100% of respondents said sun cream most reminds them of holidays – cementing sun cream as the ultimate summer smell, and with that, comes our Sunny Days spray. This room spray smells just like sun cream to really make you feel like you’re sunbathing on a hot, sandy beach. Just grab a cocktail and you’ll be good to go!

With nearly four in five (76%) respondents claiming salt air most reminds them of holidays, our second spray is Seashore – with scents of fresh salt air and seaweed. Just spritz in any room in your home and be instantly transported to the ocean.

Finally, 66% and 62% of respondents respectively said that coconut and warm sand most reminds them of being on holiday – so we combined them both in our Tropical Bliss spray! Scented with creamy coconut and warm sand, spray away for a tropical beach feeling in your home.

Commenting, Nima Ghasri, Director at GoodMove says: “Although thankfully brighter days are head, travel restrictions abroad are ongoing, and many of us are missing our summer holidays and simply can’t wait to be on the plane to a tropical destination once more.

“We wanted to bring people that summer holiday feeling in their own homes, with the creation of three summer-scented room sprays. Just spritz and you’ll be transported to your favourite holiday destination in an instant – without even leaving your house! We hope everyone will love them as much as we do.”

If you fancy getting your hands on the full collection of summertime room sprays, GoodMove will be giving away the collection (one of each room spray) to the first 50 people who enter their details on the page below. Once they’re gone, they’re gone – good luck!  

Please click here to enter your details: https://goodmove.co.uk/blog/the-smell-of-holidays/

​

Cohabiting couples who have had to postpone their big day due to the coronavirus pandemic can look to interesting insights from family law experts about how their rights differ as an unmarried couple who are living together, with shared assets and children.

With an estimated four out of five weddings postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic*, many couples may be wondering what they can do to protect themselves if marriage is not possible at present.

By entering into a marriage, couples with shared assets, homes and children gain automatic rights, which can be considered by a court in the event of a divorce or the unfortunate passing of a partner.

Family law experts at JMP Solicitors suggest couples who have had to postpone their wedding, but want to protect shared assets, may consider a cohabiting agreement.

A cohabiting agreement, sometimes known as a ‘living together’ agreement, can cover a number of issues to be considered in the event of a separation such as property, bills, pensions, children and material assets.

Cohabiting couple

Mikaela Rogerson, family law solicitor at JMP Solicitors, said: “When two individuals marry, all their assets, property, income and pensions are taken into account if they separate at a later date.

“Many couples may be feeling frustrated that their wedding cannot go ahead due to the pandemic, which would allow them to gain the same legal considerations as a married couple. However, a cohabitation agreement is an arrangement for couples that can be implemented now until a wedding can go forward. It allows couples to record their financial arrangements formally and give some clarity to their interim arrangements.

“A cohabiting agreement is a flexible document that can be created on a bespoke basis for a couple and can cover anything the parties need it to. We would recommend having a cohabitation agreement in place alongside other legal documents such as a will and property deeds. Although it does not create a fool proof guarantee, an agreement created by a family law solicitor is certainly a good idea for any couple wanting to define and protect their assets.”

We’ve outlined five ways in which cohabiting agreements can help unmarried couples at this time:

1.Asset protection

In the event of a separation, unmarried couples could face difficulty arguing over the division of assets in court without any form of existing agreement in place.

A cohabitation agreement is based on the individuals’ circumstances, and can be created to cover a number of material assets such as cars, home contents and even pets.

Should you decide to separate as a cohabiting couple, a cohabiting agreement may outline how the assets are divided and would be considered as evidence by a  court.

2.Finance protection

Getting married affects your finances in many ways and following a wedding your finances are commonly thought of as shared.

Married couples may be entitled to a share of their partner’s pension and also to savings in the event of their passing.

A cohabiting agreement can outline how your finances will be divided in the event of a separation and also outline who pays what share in terms of bills and mortgage.

Cohabitation agreements can also outline any agreements regarding the use of any joint bank accounts.

3.Property

In terms of shared property, the legal owner is dependent on the title deeds. You must then consider whether there are any other additional relevant factors that may influence how the property is divided in the event of a separation.

Even if you lived in the property and contributed towards paying the mortgage and bills, you are unlikely to be considered in the division of the property unless you are named as a legal owner.

If you do share a property with your partner and contribute financially towards the payment of the property, it is important to have your contribution properly recorded, if you are not already named as a co-owner.

A cohabitation agreement can be useful to have alongside property title deeds in your name as it can detail how the property will be divided in the event of a separation.

4.Children

If you are an unmarried couple with children and you decide to separate, child contact arrangements do not differ from that of married couples and will be decided through the court under The Children Act.

However, if the father is not named on the birth certificate, the mother will automatically have parental responsibility. By getting married, the father will gain automatic parental responsibility.

A cohabitation agreement can outline details of child contact and child maintenance payments, possibly reducing the chances of future disputes in the event of a separation.

5.Passing of a spouse

A cohabitation agreement will not guarantee how your partner’s assets are dealt with, so we would recommend creating a will to ensure your wishes are honoured in the event of your passing.

Without a marriage or a will, you have no rights to any of your partner’s assets should they pass away, even if you have children together.

Unmarried couples may try to make a claim against the estate as a financial dependent but this will be a costly and lengthy legal process, with no guaranteed outcome.

​

A new report by the Legatum Institute reviews the assumptions associated with the decision to re-open schools in England on 8th March, and finds them to have been reliable.

The report assess the projections used in the Institute’s 18th February report that demonstrated how decision makers can make an evidence-based assessment of the net social impact of opening schools on different dates.

The analysis in February indicated that opening all schools on 8th March would create a net benefit to society unless vaccinations were not as effective as expected in bringing the transmission risk down. It also showed that the choices over reopening schools (and subsequent phased reopening) were heavily dependent on the underlying infection rate in society, as well as the impact reopening schools (and other activities) have on the R-rate.

Three weeks on from the reopening of schools in England, this new report reviews the accuracy of the assumptions used to model the scenarios, both in terms of the underlying patterns of infection, admission and mortality rates; the efficacy of vaccination; and also the impact of opening schools on the transmission of the virus.

This report reviews the patterns of declining infections, hospital admissions, and mortality over February and March. It shows population-level impact of the vaccine roll-out programme as well as indications that the extensive expansion of testing is picking up a greater proportion of mild cases, even among those with positive from PCR tests. The key findings are:

The increase in positive tests for school children is overshadowing the underlying rate of decline in infections in the adult population.

The reduced rate of decline in PCR positive tests among the adult population in March is likely to be a result of a greater proportion of asymptomatic/mild cases being picked up, as it is not translating into a change in patterns of hospital admissions.

The impact of the vaccine programme can now be seen at a population level. For older age groups, the R-rate is lower and a steeper decline in mortality rates is also evident.

Overall, the analysis supports the basis for opening schools on 8th March, and suggests further relaxations can be made without reversing the decline in the severity of the pandemic.

Dr Stephen Brien, Director of Policy at the Legatum Institute, said: “Our earlier research demonstrated that the difficult subject of how to balance the multiple potential impacts of unwinding lockdown restrictions can be approached in an objective and structured fashion, so that decision makers can fully understand the complex issues at hand and the various costs and benefits of different courses of action.

“It is also vitally important to review the assumptions that underpinned earlier decisions, so as to learn from them and improve the quality of subsequent decisions. This new report sets out how such retrospective review can be undertaken. We hope that the Government and others use this approach to communicate the evidence behind, and build public trust in, the choices being made.”

We have been requested by David Summerfield to help him get in touch with Andrew Fenney from Grantham, and in his early 50s, regarding an urgent matter.

Mr Fenny can contact us by fb messenger or email GranthamMatters@gmail.com and we will forward him the details.

• A new study by Fasthosts reveals the top 10 things that make Brits the happiest right now
• A sunny blue sky makes Brits feel the happiest with 92% of Brits agreeing
• Fasthosts have created the ‘happiest website ever’ that illustrates the top 10 things that make Brits the happiest. This website, according to research, is guaranteed to make you smile.  
• Dennis Relojo-Howell founder of Psychreg reveals that the website will positively affect happiness, hormone, productivity, and reduce stress levels.

Whilst lockdown has meant there there are many things we are restricted from doing that we love and make us happy, there are still some lovely things that cheer us up. 

Fasthosts surveyed the British public to find out what has made them feel truly happy over the past year and the results are in! Unsurprisingly, a sunny sky came out on top, followed by receiving a compliment, someone smiling at you and watching a sunset. The full top 10 list is below. 

Rank	What makes Brits the happiest	Percentage of Brits who feel happy
1	A sunny blue sky	92%
2	A compliment	92%
3	Someone smiling at you	91%
4	Watching a sunset	91%
5	Sound of the sea	90%
6	Scenic views	90%
7	Food	89%
8	Seeing an old couple happy	86%
9	Cute puppies and kittens	85%
10	A cracking fireplace	84%

To give you an extra dose of positivity Fasthosts have created the happiest website ever that illustrates the top 10 things that make Brits happy on a page to help give the nation a boost. Trust us, this site will leave you beaming.

Using visitor feedback, eye tracking technology and facial expression monitoring, the results show that the website is guaranteed to make you smile, and on average users smile for 80% of their time on the site!

Dennis Relojo-Howell, the founder of Psychreg, adds that “the images on this website demonstrate the psychological findings that seeing or sharing happy images can make us feel good. Furthermore, clicking onto the page and being exposed to these images can positively affect users’ perceived happiness, hormone levels, productivity, and stress levels.”

Commenting on the research, Michelle Stark, sales and marketing director at Fasthosts says: “With so much negativity surrounding us over the past year, it’s important to try and get a mood boost from accessible things around you. That’s why we’ve conducted this research to give you the Happiest Website Ever. 

It’s amazing to see how much this website can positively affect hormones, productivity and stress levels – and there’s no better time for us to have a boost.”

To view the happiest website please visit https://www.fasthosts.co.uk/web-hosting/happiest-website

Steve Sutton says..

Was it an April Fool’s joke yesterday?

I was driving home from Nottingham and saw the Grantham sign on the A52 had been changed to ‘nowhere’ and twined with ‘somewhere’.

MotivMeet is a new social meetup app for runners to meet-up in your local area and go for runs in a socially safe way.

MotivMeet helps people benefit from social exercise whilst abiding by the upcoming government’s ‘rule of 6’ guidelines. Lockdown and COVID-19 has impacted mental health through the lack of social interactions. MotivMeet enables a safe way for people to maintain social distancing, whilst helping people reconnect with others in their local area and gain from the benefits that running brings to people’s health and mental well-being.

Andrew Hardman, from MotivMeet states:

‘The hybridisation of technology and physical meetups, we believe will bring a huge benefit to reconnecting the local community, bringing about safe and enjoyable experiences through running and help people to enjoy being together, whether that is just for a social run as a small group or training for an upcoming race or event.’

MotivMeet is a completely free app that allows you to join a run of your choice in your area or host your own run for others to join. The app ensures everyone agrees to not only COVID-Secure guidelines but also social respect and safety guidelines to help ensure all runners have a friendly and enjoyable experience.

Features of MotivMeet include:

• Search and join runs based on distance, pace, group types and location
• Host your own run for runners to join
• Join a running club in your local area to meet up and gain from other club benefits
• Chat with runners before you meet
• Reviews, leaderboards and runner matchups
• COVID secure guidelines and social respect policies agreed by all runners prior to joining a run.
• Completely free for android and apple users. To download MotivMeet visit www.motivmeet.com

I’m trying to get my business back up and running after lockdown.

I have two positions. Hopefully will help towards the economy.

A unique excellent opportunity has arisen for a barber to take on a full ready made column/business.

An exceptionally busy column.

Flexible  hours ….renting a chair or employed with more security. Both options offered.

Contact us …we need you 😃

Send message through this page or email

info@theblossomtreeavedasalon.co.uk

We are also looking for a beauty therapist to join our Aveda team. Ideally able to carry out all core beauty treatments.

A busy salon with existing client base.

Anything not covered training can be given.

Great package with flexible hours. Salary plus commission and bonuses or self employed option also. More details can be given upon contacting us.

The Blossom Tree Aveda Salon

55 Main Road, Long Bennington NG23 5DS

Email info@theblossomtreeavedasalon.co.uk

Kathleen Priscilla says…

Whoever nicked my Vauxhall insignia big front badge from the Gonerby Moor Travelodge car park.

I want it back at that hotel tonight or il putting any cctv footage up and you won’t ever rob off me again.

I think we can all agree the last 12 months have been challenging in so many ways, for people and businesses alike. But one of the most heart-warming parts since the first lockdown was announced has been seeing how many people have pulled together to help those in need.

New research by thortful.com has shown that people are now looking to give back. thortful analysed Google Trends data since the start of the first lockdown and found that there has been a huge increase in terms like ‘care packages for friends’ and ‘care package ideas’ seeing a 3350% and 250% increase in the last 12 months.

Businesses are also looking to show their appreciation to loyal customers who have continued to support them during these uncertain times, with the search term ‘thank you business cards’ seeing a 400% increase in the last 12 months.

Interestingly, search terms like ‘thank you for your order cards’ and ‘thank you for your purchase cards’ are two breakout queries, indicating this is a growing trend and that businesses want to give back to their customer base.

People’s willingness to give back was also seen during the Mother’s Day period when people donated to thortful’s NHS Charities Together campaign, which raised £130,126.50 for NHS Charities. Thanks to their customers, they were able to smash their target of raising £110,000. .

thortful became the official card company sponsor of the NHS Charities Together during the Mother’s Day period (15th February – 14th March), and pledged £110,000 to NHS Charities Together. During this period, 5p for every Mother’s Day card sold and £5 from every Rainbow bouquet bought was donated by thortful directly to NHSCT. thortful smashed their target on 15th March 2021 with the total figure now at £130,126.50.

Commenting on the initiative, thortful explained that “It’s great to see how generous and altruistic people have been during this time. We are so grateful to all our wonderful customers for helping us raise this huge amount of money. We wanted to show our support and gratitude for all of the NHS staff who have worked tirelessly during the pandemic.”

For the full thank you card range, go to: https://www.thortful.com/cards/thank-you

Baz Matthews says….

May I highlight the depressing prevalence of fly tipping. 

The attached picture shows someone’s household waste dumped on South Parade near Aldi without even trying to hide it. 

I’ve reported it to SKDC & hopefully they’ll pick it up & investigate the contents.

Perhaps someone living opposite might have CCTV,if so, I would encourage them to take a look & present any footage to the Police. 

Emma Gambrill started this petition to Government and it now has 6,211 signatures

Sign now with a click

On 7th March 2021, my beautiful border collie, Blue, was attacked and mauled by 2 cane corso dogs that escaped from their garden. (We were walking on the opposite side of a busy road).

The owners were present in garden too and were witness but could not control the dogs.

I tried to get the attacking dog off but was unsuccessful.  All the while, i kept hold of Blue and fought for him.My Blue was left unable to stand or walk  had 3 puncture wounds and bleeding into his abdomen. 

Blue died, later that evening. Police deemed the dogs as “not dangerous ” and no criminal offence regarding a dog on dog attack.  

My family have been left distraught and i am traumatised by the event. 

The law needs to change,  making dog attacks a criminal offence and more robust actions enforced on owners.

Visit petition page