Community

A Spalding business has extra reason to celebrate World Book Day today (March 1) after being nominated for a prestigious award. Bookmark, based in The Crescent, has been named in the regional shortlist for The Book Awards’ Independent Bookshop of the Year. Bookmark is one of four named in the East region, one of which will go through to the ...

A cheque for more than £4,000 following a charity gig has set tails wagging at the Dogs Trust. Last month Marlene and Mark Aspden who run Highfield Kennels in Pinchbeck invited retro covers band Simply 60’s from Liverpool’s Cavern Club to Spalding for a special concert at the Springfields Events Centre. The event proved a huge success raising a fantastic ...

Three quarters are against part-night lighting but a poor turnout in responses to a Lincolnshire County Council survey could be detrimental to the district having its voice heard, according to the review committee chairman. In November, the council launched a questionnaire to determine the public’s view of part-night street lighting, which plunges streets into darkness after midnight. The review has ...

Former world champion boxer Johnny Nelson was the guest at a charity night in Spalding at the weekend. Now a pundit for Sky TV, he was a guest at the annual Spalding and District Round Table Premier Boxing Event. And he even donated £1,000 towards the final amount raised – which is expected to be in excess of £10,000. Johnny ...

The future of Long Sutton Cricket and Hockey Club could be secured with a residential development. A planning application has been submitted for three homes off Park Road. The Long Sutton Community Sports Association is trying to raise money to re-surface the artificial hockey pitch. “The association has managed to raise only 50 per cent of the funds required to ...

A team from Bakkavor’s Central Microbiology Laboratory has raised £850 for Jerry Green Dog Rescue. The laboratory team, which is based in Holbeach St Marks, rallied together to raise funds through a number of events throughout 2017 including a car wash, plant sale and a lucky dip. Marianne Daly, senior laboratory technician said: “For such as small team here at ...

The search is on for Moulton’s Citizen of the Year 2018 – but it could be the last time the awards are held unless more people take part. Only three nominations were made across the parishes last year, and if the situation doesn’t improve, the contest could finish this year. The parish council annually recognises those from the parish who ...

Spalding based Tonic Health charity was the fortunate beneficiary of a substantial grant to the value of £11,199 from business Mick George Ltd late in 2017. The organisation has acted quickly in its pursuit of improved premises. Just four months on and much needed refurbishment works have been completed to the popular health and wellbeing facility. It has proved a ...

Holbeach was made a little more colourful after a stained glass workshop taught attendees how to add a dash of colour to their lives. Holbeach Cemetery Chapels Trustees organised a stained glass workshop, led by Gillian and David Wing from Strawberry Glass. The event was one of the final activities funded by the Heritage Lottery, which has supported the trust ...

It wouldn’t have been Shrove Tuesday without a pancake fundraiser organised by 93-year-old Lorna Webb. A coffee and pancake morning was held by a team of friends raising money for the Jenny Freeman Lodge at St Barnabas Hospice in Spalding. There was plenty to enjoy besides traditional pancakes, with cakes, preserves and plants all on offer. A raffle was also ...

The controversial Springwell Alternative Academy for youngsters excluded from other schools could open this September. After a residents’ uproar, a public consultation process was extended and the results are now in. A spokesman said the plans “got mix reviews” but the report isn’t yet complete. Once the data is collated, it will be presented to the Department For Education. However, ...

South Holland District Council’s deputy leader Nick Worth has stated the authority is in a “strong” position, but concerns have been raised about the future. The district council’s cabinet backed its budget and Mid Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) at its meeting on Tuesday, February 13. As reported in The Voice last week, the council faces a budget gap of around ...

It’s been a difficult few months for the Long Sutton family who before Christmas raised enough money for their disabled daughter Alice Bates to receive a pain relieving bath. The 11-year-old’s mum Charlotte Bates spent her 40th birthday in hospital last weekend after complications during an operation to correct a slipped disk. She was left in intensive care following the ...

The future of a popular bus service from Spalding to King’s Lynn may not be under threat. An online petition was launched to save the 505 which many people rely on for work or college, after operators Stagecoach said the Lynn depot would be closed. The company will be ceasing to run its services based there, and it was feared ...

Local approval has been granted for an electricity substation near Donington that one councillor described as being larger than Wembley Stadium. It’s among the facilities needed for the National Grid’s Viking Link project which will allow the UK and Denmark to trade electricity. Concerns have been raised about the development’s effect on the landscape with a petition signed by over ...

A ten-year-old from Long Sutton is set to chop off her flowing locks so it can be turned into a wig. Lucy West is to donate her hair to the Little Princess Trust by chopping it off on Saturday. The charity makes wigs from real hair for those under 25 who have lost their hair be it due to cancer ...

The police team which dealt with a brutal double murder that stunned Spalding have been commended at the Lincolnshire Police Annual Recognition Awards. The 13-strong group worked on Operation Leopard, the investigation into the murders of Elizabeth Edwards and her 13-year-old daughter Katie in Spalding in April 2016. The murders were committed by Elizabeth’s 14-year-old daughter Kim and Kim’s 14-year-old ...

Donations topping £20,000 were distributed at a special event in Holbeach at the weekend. The town’s community centre was transformed for a thanksgiving party organised by Harold Payne of the Anglia Motel. His customers donated more than £20,000 via the charity boxes in the motel at Fleet and Mr Payne said he was delighted with the amount raised. “I am ...

A charity for veterans and their families is looking for more volunteers to help in Lincolnshire. SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association) helps those leaving the services including helping them find employment and integrate back into civilian life. A spokesperson for SSAFA’s Lincolnshire Branch said: “Volunteering for SSAFA is a great way to give something back to your local ...

A new community hub and changing facility for hockey players in Surfleet has been given the thumbs up by planning officers. Local charity Tonic Health, which runs projects geared around dementia and mental health, is looking to convert a disused art studio off Station Road into a kitchen and cafe area. It will also provide much needed changing facilities for ...