Community

A South Holland charity is celebrating after being awarded permission to stay in its current home. The Spalding-based Pennygate Foundation was in danger of losing its home. The centre was operating on temporary planning permission which was on the verge of expiring. Dr Azmeena Nathu submitted an application to allow the centre next to her surgery to become permanent, extend ...

Almost £1,000 was raised by a special auction at a Long Sutton church which is planning its 850th anniversary. The event was held at St Mary’s, which will mark the milestone in 2020 and money is being raised to create a new community room by way of celebration. Father Jonathan Sibley, parish priest, said the auction had been a great ...

Jive dance couple Claire and Neil Seabrook celebrate two years of their company Boston Jive with a sold-out show at the South Holland Centre. Claire and Neil teach retro 40s and 50s dancing across South Holland five nights a week. To celebrate two years of Boston Jive, the couple have put on a dance night at the South Holland Centre ...

Famous faces from the likes of The X-Factor, Liverpool Football Club, Emmerdale and I’m A Celebrity will form an all-star football team in Holbeach Bank this Saturday (August 12). The Charity Football Tournament Family Fun Day will be held at Holbeach Bank Football Club. Local team Growers United will be led by Liverpool FC legend Alan Kennedy. The opposing team ...

A Saracen’s Head man who single-handedly launched a campaign to improve broadband speed in the village has been nominated for this year’s Pride of South Holland awards. Roger Langstaff went door-to-door to collect connection speeds from local residents and businesses. Now Roger’s tireless attitude and successful campaign has led to a fellow Saracen’s Head resident nominating him for the Community ...

Reasonable rental rates and a clear space suitable for almost all events put village halls at the heart of their local community. The diverse events on offer at our local hubs – from exercise classes to film clubs – are testament to the creative and community-minded organisers who book the space. Whaplode Village Hall is an excellent example of a ...

This morning a friend posted on her social media page that she is liking her home town of Spalding less and less. She was in the town centre and a man was walking with his dog, not on a lead, and it approached my friend who asked the owner “Should the dog not be on a lead?”. He swore at ...

I am delighted to be hosting Alzheimer’s Society’s fourth annual Dementia Friendly Awards this year. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate those people who are making an outstanding contribution towards improving the lives of those affected by dementia. I feel certain that there will be many individuals living in the East Midlands who should have their work within the ...

The Holbeach Music and Beer Festival provided organiser Sean Taylor a moment he’ll never forget. Fireworks flew while 80s-style band Wild Boys topped off a triumphant Saturday night after an afternoon shower threatened to dampen spirits. “At 2pm, there was a sharp shower,” said Sean. “From three onwards, the sun came out. When Soft Tone Needles played with the sun ...

A scheme aimed at getting more people in South Holland walking has celebrated its tenth anniversary. The Walking for Health initiative held a special event at the South Holland Centre which was attended by 130 walk leaders and volunteers. New members are always welcome to join the club which has eight walking clubs across the district offering 13 walks. A ...

A South Holland care company is continuing to breach legal requirements and has been issued with warning notices. Atlas Care Services was inspected last year and four breaches were revealed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors. A follow-up inspection was conducted in June to check the company had followed its plan to meet the requirements. This report has just ...

Summer holiday swimmers were disappointed on Tuesday when Spalding’s main pool was out of action. Gillian Hornsby had taken her six-year-old granddaughter to the Castle Sports Complex for a swim. “We got inside and were told the main pool was closed. There were no signs or anything and people were upset. The pool has been left behind others in the ...

Lincolnshire Police want to know your opinion on the state of neighbourhood policing. Data collected will be used by the force and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire to determine upcoming service strategies. Questions asked in the neighbourhood policing survey include whether an increase in visible uniformed patrols in the community would make residents feel safer. There are also ...

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will once again fly over Spalding this weekend. Spectacular flypasts of iconic World War Two aircraft will thrill people of all ages this Saturday and Sunday. The era of the war years, big bands and ration books will be vividly brought back to life at Ayscoughfee Hall Museum and Gardens. The historic Spalding venue ...

A team of accountants from a Spalding firm have kick-started the company’s fundraising exploits by abseiling down one of the most extreme locations in England.   Eight colleagues from the Broad Street firm tackled the 250 foot high Orbit at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London to raise money for the Moore Thompson Charitable Fund CIO – the firm’s ...

Truckfest East is set to wow the crowds later this month – and we have two pairs of family tickets to give away for the extravanganza.   The event takes place at the Norfolk Showground over the weekend of August 19 and 20 and promises a fabulous family day out.   The trucking spectacular will see main arena action from ...

Work is well under way on a new purpose-built cafe in the grounds of Capricorn Cottages.   The new Hive Cafe will be officially opened later this month by Coun Rodney Grocock, chairman of South Holland District Council.   The 34-bed residential home for people with learning disabilities is providing the cafe for residents so they can enjoy a drink ...

A South Holland heritage organisation is seeking the views of the public to release its potential for the future.   Spalding Gentleman’s Society – which was founded in 1710 – is looking to make some changes to broaden its appeal to South Holland residents.   And, with the help of support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, members have launched an ...

It was the end of an era at St Bartholomew’s Primary School when pupils broke up last week with teaching assistant Marion Christian retiring.   Marion has been at the Pinchbeck school since 1988, but has now made the difficult decision to retire after 29 years in order to spend more time with her family.   Marion has worked across ...

A popular 1940s weekend that attracted more than 5,000 visitors last time is expecting another bumper crowd this year.   The era of World War Two, big bands and ration books will be spectacularly brought back to life at Ayscoughfee Hall Museum and Gardens.   Jointly organised by South Holland District Council and the Spalding Memorial Parade, this nostalgic annual ...