Community

Spalding Beer and Music Festival will return in 2019 after councillors today granted the event a temporary licence. The event run by the town’s Round Table has raised tens of thousands for local charities in the last three years. But this year’s festival had been placed in doubt after South Holland District Council’s Environmental Health team objected to the awarding ...

A Spalding police officer who was rescued by an air ambulance is walking more than 60 miles across a desert to raise money for the charity. Sarah Draper was airlifted to hospital when she fell off her bike on a cycling holiday in Derbyshire in 2011. It was feared she had serious injuries as her bike helmet had split in ...

Plans for a major fundraising Spalding beer festival could be stumbling as officials have objected to a licence application. The town’s Round Table has raised around £50,000 for local charities over the last three years and plans for this year’s event are already well under way. The festival has been held at the Castle Sports Complex and attracted thousands of ...

South Holland District Council has donated £6,000 to the Spalding Street Pastors. Street Pastor coordinator Marion Sandhu expressed her gratitude and said the funding will help secure the service for the foreseeable future. Spalding Street Pastors patrol the town centre every Friday and Saturday night, and have done so since July 2013. Volunteers from local churches, the street pastors are ...

Stroke victims in South Holland who would normally be treated at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston will face a longer trip alternate weekends from February. At both weekends and Bank Holidays from next month, one specialist stroke team will alternate its time between the Pilgrim and the Lincoln Hospital. A report to Lincolnshire County Council states that United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS ...

A local road safety charity is gearing up for this weekend’s Springfields Motorbike Show and aims to help bikers keep safe. The volunteers from Boston Advanced Motorcyclists (BAM) will be delivering their “Be Better – Be Safe” message to the area’s motorcyclist complete with special show offers including a £50 cashback for those that sign up and then complete the ...

A campaign to make crossing the A17 at Holbeach safer has reignited after a second lorry overturned and shed its load on the new path provided by the county council. Holbeach resident Paula Hayes has been campaigning for a safer crossing for more than four years but has had little luck, with the county council insisting the new path is ...

A South Holland company is hoping to breathe new life into a town centre landmark building which is currently a rundown eye-sore. There are plans to re-open The Chequers in Holbeach and residents are being asked to be part of the project. Spalding-based API Services bought the run-down building in December and is turning to the community for ideas and ...

A national rail pressure group is pushing for a former South Holland railway line to be preserved from future development. The English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) is calling for a recent planning application for housing to not be built over a railway track bed. An application for 72 homes at Cowbit would obliterate the former Spalding to March corridor. Having ...

A Pinchbeck landmark could be set for a timely update if a fundraising appeal is successful. After years of not working St Mary’s Church in the village is hoping to get its clock back ticking. The £1,000 works will also bring back the familiar sound of the bell chiming every hour. The historic Grade I listed building dates back to ...

There was a special celebration service to mark 150 years since the consecration of the church at Holbeach St Marks. The Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Rev Christopher Lowson and his wife Susan attended the service which was the penultimate one for vicar Fr Adrian Mason who is retiring due to ill health. Congregations from Fleet, Gedney, Holbeach Hurn and ...

Spalding United Reformed Church is kicking off the celebrations to mark its 200th anniversary this weekend. The origins of the Pinchbeck Road church date back to 1819 when members began meeting together in a Red Lion Street hall for what became the Independent Chapel. Events are being held throughout the year to mark the double centenary. The first of these ...

There will be no new NHS dental surgeries opening this month in Spalding. The news has come as a blow to South Holland residents with no access to regular health service dentists. Those already operating in the town don’t want to take on more patients, despite the possibility of funding. JDSP Dental Ltd was poised to move into Winsover Road ...

A kind-hearted schoolboy spent some of his holiday raising money for other children. Oliver Stanley (8) bought toys for the children’s ward at the Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, for the third year running. He raised a total of £150 with a raffle and a donation from Moulton Harrox Sports and Social Club which gave £50. The tractor-mad youngster started his fundraising ...

A group that helps the blind and partially sighted in Spalding is gearing up for a 2019 full of activities. The South Lincolnshire Blind Society aims to connect people with sensory loss through regular sessions. These include the Monday Social ‘eyes’ at 12pm to 2pm on the first Monday of every month and the All Day Social ‘eyes’ from 10am ...

Springfields Motorbike Show will be back for its 33rd year on January 26 and 27. Held at Springfields Events and Conference Centre, Spalding, this year’s show will welcome Dean Harrison and Brad Ray on both days. Dean (29) is one of the finest current road racers and Brad (21) already has 14 years’ racing experience. TT legend Steve Plater will ...

It’s been an incredibly busy Christmas for a local charity who helped out with the rescue of 30 dogs many of whom were being bred illegally. Central German Shepherd Rescue (CGSR) was already full to capacity last week when they were asked to help home some of the dogs that had been illegally bred and possibly used for dog fighting. ...

Groups are coming together in a bid to improve the lives of people in Crowland affected by dementia. Setting up a regular cafe for those with the condition and their carers is one idea being looked at by charity Tonic Health, Crowland Cares and Abbeyview Surgery. The organisations are looking at the possibility of setting up a dementia day service ...

Spalding-based health and wellbeing charity Tonic Health has been formally recognised for its support for unpaid carers. The Award ensures that organisations place high value on the identification, views and needs of carers and is awarded to those organisations who demonstrate that they meet the criteria for ensuring a high quality standard of service for carers. The award is run ...

The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal is thousands of pounds better off thanks to the generosity of the people of Holbeach. Treasurer of the British Legion’s branch in the town, Alan Sheppard, told a meeting last week that at least £15,435 had been raised during 2018. This represented the sum donated in collection boxes at shops and other locations around ...