Community

A group of Spalding neighbours have used lockdown as a reason to improve community spirit in their street. Residents of Farthingales started out by joining in with the clapping for carers. Steve Marriott said: “During the weeks of clapping for carers our neighbours all came together to support each other. “We looked at ways in which we could all make ...

The Spalding branch of the Royal British Legion has marched into its new premises. The group, which has been supporting veterans in the town for nearly 100 years, has moved into new premises on Westlode Street. They’ve made the move to more modern premises in the town centre after moving from Spring Gardens. Chair Graham Hewitt said: “It will be ...

A councillor has thanked local companies who supported the Spalding and Pinchbeck COVID Kindness Team. The group which provided help and vital equipment in the area during the COVID-19 lockdown were helped by a host of donations from local companies. They included Dalehead Foods. Coun Rob Gibson was one of the volunteers and on the committee of the team. He ...

District councillor and businessman Harry Drury is joining Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue’s latest cohort of recruits to raise money for the Firefighters’ Charity by organising and participating in a sponsored 10km hose run. Harry, who is currently undergoing training to become an on call firefighter with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, based at Spalding Fire Station, said: “Seven recruits will be ...

“Secateur Sessions” are being held at Spalding Cemetery to help keep the site tidy. A few members of the Friends of Spalding Cemetery group have recently started meeting at the cemetery to work together in a practical way. Coun Elizabeth Sneath, Heritage Champion at South Holland District Council, said: “We Friends volunteers are holding ‘Secateur Sessions’ to clear undergrowth and ...

Age Concern UK Lincoln and South Lincolnshire have launched a new ‘Vitals for Veterans’ scheme. Funding from the Armed Forces Covenant is aiming to deliver 1,800 packs free of charge, to veterans in need of some support. The packs will contain essential items such as tea, toilet roll, hand soap, biscuits, and other food items as well as a few ...

South Holland artists of any age and ability are being invited to get involved with an art project next week and upload their work to an online gallery. Professional artist Chris Lewis-Jones has teamed up with local group Transported Art and will be touring South Lincolnshire next week to deliver and hand out free packs of art equipment for people ...

A Spalding 12-year-old has been inspired by a friend to cycle for 100 miles in 30 days. Viola Mallen-Wallace, who lives just outside Moulton Chapel, has already raised over £400 for the Little Princess Trust by getting on her bike. She was inspired to take on the challenge by her friend Alia Jones who cycled for 100 miles on her ...

A book will be published by a former journalist on the first anniversary of his wife’s death. Letting Go And Living On has been written by former Lincolnshire Free Press sports editor Mark Lea in memory of Julie who died at the age of 39 after a short battle against a rare cancer. Mark said: “As well as reflecting on ...

A Spalding bishop who regularly featured on BBC Radio Two has begun his own weekly podcast alongside streaming video masses for parishioners who are self-isolating. Bishop Rob Gillion, of St John the Baptist Church in Hawthorn Bank, was regularly on Chris Evans’ and Terry Wogan’s shows talking on the Pause for Thought segment. Following lockdown he’s launched his own Pause ...

Spalding’s COVID Kindness Team are now officially among the Pride of Britain. The group of volunteers set up to help the vulnerable in and around the town during the recent lockdown have been nominated for a Pride of Britain Award. The awards are run by The Daily Mirror newspaper and the group are to be featured in the national newspaper ...

A man’s marathon effort has raised awareness of a rare life-limiting condition that his friend’s children are battling. Last Sunday, Steve Tucker ran from his Holbeach home to Springfields in Spalding and back again twice, the equivalent of 26.2 miles. He did so for the Batten Disease Family Association and his run doubled as the launch event for the Blisters4Memories ...

A runner replicated the London Marathon on her driveway recently as she raised thousands of pounds for a mental health charity. Sam Hall is still hoping to run the re-scheduled race in October after the April event’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The London Marathon on her front drive. But determined to not let her sponsors for the Mental ...

A Spalding family are climbing their stairs 1,140 times in a lockdown Three Peaks Challenge. Dan, Melissa, Noah (7) and Elliot Ford (4) are working as a team to complete the virtual challenge. Noah (7) and Elliot Ford (4) who are doing a virtual Three Peaks Challenge. So far the family has climbed the equivalent of Scafell Pike raising money ...

Donations of personal protection equipment (PPE) to schools in Long Sutton and Spalding are among the initiatives led by Ella’s Project in the last week. The group led by Mark Le Sage is involved in a host of initiatives to help the community during the current COVID-19 outbreak. Melissa Ford and Darran Grout from Long Sutton Primary School It’s arranging, ...

Long Sutton’s Men’s Shed group has received a lockdown boost. The group which aims to provide a place for men suffering from loneliness or isolation is continuing to call on its members during the lockdown and working to expand when its sessions are allowed to reopen. It’s been boosted by a £1,000 grant from Lincolnshire County Council’s COVID-19 Community Fund. ...

Our local libraries may be closed at present but that’s not going to stop Lincolnshire’s young readers taking part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge 2020. Better Libraries in partnership with The Reading Agency and Lincolnshire County Council went online to launch this year’s challenge on Friday at: summerreadingchallenge.org.uk The summer reading challenge promises loads of silly fun for children ...

A grant of £15,000 from Freemasons will provide more than 700 families with food for almost three weeks in the wake of Super Cyclone Amphan, which swept through Bangladesh and India recently. This urgently-needed humanitarian assistance has been provided by the Freemasons’ charity the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons throughout the country, including those in Spalding and ...

A pub is set to be partly re-named after its former landlord whose coffin was given a special send off by firefighters last week. Nigel Woods passed away in April aged 70 after a short battle with cancer. He’d been a retained firefighter with Spalding for 42 years before taking on the ownership of the Lincolnshire Poacher pub in Spalding ...

A Spalding Air Cadet has been helping wow the judges of Britain’s Got Talent. Abi Barks Cadet Abi Barks (pictured) applied for the National Choir in late 2018 and after sending in an online audition she was awarded a place. She attended several training camps with the choir and live concerts, such as a performance at Lincoln Drill Hall last ...