Community

Karen’s London Marathon challenge for meningitis charity

A Spalding runner will be pounding the streets of London on Sunday to raise money for a charity close to her heart. Karen O’Rourke (46) has set herself the gruelling challenge of competing in the London Marathon, in aid of the charity Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF). Karen, of Osier Road, who works in the town’s Sainsbury’s, will be running for MRF ...

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Spalding Market traders’ fundraising contines with tombola

Spalding market traders will be fundraising again on Saturday in their bid to gather enough funds to kit out a Skegness lifeboat (about £1,500). A tombola will be held next to the watch stall in Hall Place and donation tins will on several stalls. The latest fundraiser follows an auction in Market Place on April 8, which raised £444 for ...

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Delve into Victorian lives at Holbeach open day

A chance to discover the occupations of Victorians buried in a Holbeach cemetery and see inside its Grade II listed chapels is on offer on Saturday.(April 22) The open day is the latest event in a diary of activities being supported by a £49,000 Heritage Lottery Fund award. Gill Graper, a trustee of Holbeach Cemeteries Chapel Trust, said: “There aren’t many ...

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Springfields ‘overwhelmed’ as nearly 3,000 children do Easter egg hunt

A record number of nearly 3,000 children participated in this year’s Easter egg hunt at Springfields – more than double the previous highest. Children could complete a fun hunt in the Festival Gardens in return for a Thorntons Easter Egg and activity pack, which included entry to a ‘Design an Easter Egg competition’. The top prize being a family tour ...

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Swimmers on their starting blocks in Spalding thanks to fundraising support

South Lincolnshire Competitive Swimming Club has six new starting blocks at a cost of £11,797. Spalding Beer and Music Festival, which is organised by Spalding Round Table and Spalding Ladies’ Circle, donated £3,212 towards the purchase. Parents of the swim club members helped man the bar at last year’s event. Phil Cookson, fundraising chairman at the club, raised additional funding ...

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Spalding Classic Car Club donation in memory of Ivan

Spalding Classic Car Club has donated £500 to Holbeach Hospital in memory of friend and club member Ivan Cunnington, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, spending his final days in the care of the hospital. Ivan, of Gedney Dyke, was also one of the founding members of the King’s Lynn and District Motor Club, chairman for many years, and ...

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Porter’s horseshoe: Made in Spalding, hanging with royalty’s in Rutland

A symbolic horseshoe made in Spalding and bearing the name of South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter is now hanging on the walls of Oakham Castle to mark a celebratory event. Lord Porter was special guest at the venue for Rutland 20, a series of events to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Rutland regaining its status as an independent county. As part ...

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£45,000 this year takes Crowland Cancer Fund’s all-time donations to £737,000

Crowland Cancer Fund has held its annual presentation event, giving out a total of £45,000 to six good causes. St Barnabas Lincolnsire Hospice, Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, Marie Curie Cancer Care each received £10,000, Teenage Cancer Trust got £7,000, Johnson Hospital Tulip Suite £6,000 and Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals’ haematology and oncology unit £2,000. Crowland Cancer Fund, which has ...

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Appeal by Holbeach air cadets squadron ahead of 50th birthday

People with links to RAF air cadets’ 2430 Holbeach Squadron are invited to take part in its 50th anniversary celebrations in May. The squadron wants to hear from former cadets, staff and committee members to join a celebration party. The current commanding officer, Flt Lt Dave Suddards, said: “The squadron was formed in 1964, originally as a detached flight of ...

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Louise tackles maiden marathon

A student from Gosberton is gearing up to tackle her first London Marathon.   Louise Austen, who is currently studying for a degree in learning support on the road to teaching, is raising money for Children with Cancer UK.   The 30-year-old, who is on work placement at Gosberton Academy, has been inspired to tackle the 26-mile challenge by her ...

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More acts revealed as Spalding beerfest line-up takes shape

spalding-beer-festival-at-castle-sports-complex-names-charlie-rawlings

More acts for the second Spalding Beer and Music Festival have been revealed.     The event at the Castle Sports Complex in Spalding from Friday, May 26 to Sunday, May 28 will be a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the town’s Barbeque 67 event.   Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Cream played at the long-gone Tulip Bulb Auction ...

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COLUMN: Make use of more daylight to improve your health

By Karen Johnson South Holland District Council community development officer With the clocks changing, now is a good time to take advantage of the extra hour of daylight in the spring evenings. Being physically active can significantly reduce the risk of several major health conditions. Walking is one of the most accessible activities available to us. It is free, fun ...

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Basic groceries shop to open in Holbeach St Marks village hall

Villagers in Holbeach St Marks will be able to buy basic groceries from a new shop being manned by volunteers. The store, aptly named Essentials, will open in the village hall for the first time on Friday.(March 24) Nick Worth (pictured), village hall committee chairman, said: “It is something villagers have been asking for for a number of years and the village hall ...

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Holbeach workshop helps pupils appreciate importance of preserving heritage sites

Holbeach Cemetery Chapels trustees organised a stained glass workshop for University Academy Holbeach students.    Eight 6th form art and foundation learner pupils were led by Strawberry Glass tutors Gillian and David Wing. They learnt about the traditional skills of stained glass making, using the copper-foil method, made famous by Louis Tiffany during the early part of the 20th century. The ...

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Children’s Easter egg hunt in Spalding town centre under way

A free Easter egg hunt organised by Spalding optician Molsom and Associates is under way. Children aged 4 to 12 can collect a clue/entry form from the practice in Hall Place. The clues lead to paper eggs displayed in nine other shops/places in the town centre. Molsom’s Vicky Harvey said: “Each egg has a message to write on their sheet ...

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Acclaimed conductor gets Crowland primary school pupils in fine voice

South View Community Primary School in Crowland had singing workshops with Young Voices principal conductor David Lawrence. It followed the school’s annual trip to the O2 in London to take part in the Young Voices concert. Mr Lawrence is an internationally acclaimed choral conductor who has led the London Symphony Orchestra. More than 200 children from South View’s Key Stage ...

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Rotary Club’s efforts bear fruit in Spalding churchyard

Spalding Parish Church grounds have a definite look of spring about them thanks to the efforts of The Rotary Club of South Holland. St Mary and St Nicolas Church has a ring of purple crocus outside the west door. Five thousand crocus bulbs were planted by members of the Rotary Club of South Holland on World Polio Day in October ...

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Bake sale for autism awareness by ‘Mascot Pete’ (9) at Tulips’ match

A challenge has been set for people to get behind nine-year-old Peter Bailey who will be running a bake sale to help others with autism at this weekend’s Spalding United match. Dedicated supporter Peter, a pupil at Gosberton House Academy, which caters particularly for those on the autistic spectrum, has earned himself the moniker Mascot Pete after last year selling ...

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Picture this competition at Holbeach cemetery

The latest venture by Holbeach Cemetery Chapels Trust to engage the local community in discovering and exploring an important heritage site is a photography competition. The theme is “Holbeach Cemetery – the chapels and their environment” and entry is free. There are three age groups – 5-11 years; 12-17 years; 18 years and over. The winner of each category will ...

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Hat-trick of Open Arts wins for Spalding painter Dina

Dina Perejogina has won the public vote trophy at South Holland Open Arts contest for a third time. Her painting ‘Stag Presence’ was the top choice of visitors to the exhibition at the South Holland Centre earlier this month. Dina, who lives in Spalding and specialises in paintings of animals, also won in 2014 and last year. She said: “I ...

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