South Holland District Council has made a noticeable contribution to reducing the number of empty homes. In the first five months of this year, 133 properties were brought back into use – 52 of which were only brought back into use following the direct intervention of the council’s private sector housing team. The number of empty homes has showing a ...

Holbeach Town Band have been kitted out in a smart new uniform. They unveiled their new waistcoat and tie in the band’s traditional purple colour at a concert in Ayscoughfee Gardens. A new logo on their waistcoats, ties and music stand banners – with band hats to follow – was also featured at the event which was part of the ...

An established Spalding toddlers group is facing closure unless more volunteers can be urgently found. Tulip Toddlers meets each Monday morning at the Vista Hall, which is adjacent to St Mary and St Nicolas Church in Churchgate. More than a dozen families usually attend, but the group’s 12-year existence is now seriously under threat. Bridget Jones, who organises the weekly ...

A Spalding man has launched an appeal for funding to help him potentially return to leading a normal life. Jake White suffered a life-changing stroke three years ago when he collapsed in front of his fiancée Karen Murfet and their daughter Tia. It was discovered that Jake had suffered a brain-stem stroke which left him with locked-in syndrome. This means ...

A village bingo group has turned their monthly meetings into a fundraising initiative to help worthy causes. Organised by Phyllis Harris, the group meet every third Friday of each month at Whaplode Village Hall. And already two organisations have benefitted from the fundraising events. A cheque for £533.55 has been handed over to Moulton Health Centre to help towards buying ...

Schools across South Holland are being urged to take part in a new initiative aimed at raising awareness of alcohol, drugs and legal highs. The scheme has been launched by Young Addaction Lincolnshire, a county-wide drug and alcohol service providing, treatment, early intervention and education to young people. And they have already received the backing of Marc Jones, the recently-elected ...

A Spalding business has been named among the best in the country in their particular field. Dog Training Made Easy – part of Lincs Training Ltd – scooped third place in a nationwide competition run by the Kennel Club of Great Britain. The Rutland Close business was competing in the Kennel Club Listed Status Clubs category at the Good Citizen ...

A Spalding resident has been left dismayed after his plans to create a wildflower meadow were destroyed. Howard Baxter, of Pullman Court, contacted South Holland District Council last summer to see if he could plant a wildflower meadow on an area of grassed public open space near his home. After initially getting the green light and then sowing the seeds ...

South Holland residents are being asked for their views on the creation of a Mayoral Combined Authority with a directly-elected mayor for the area. Launched this week, the consulation will run until August 8 with South Holland among ten local authorities. The authorities have joined together to devolve some powers, responsibilities and funding from government to Lincolnshire. This means more ...

A South Holland twinning group is looking for more members to join their exchange programme. The Friends of Sézanne have recently celebrated 58 years of making alternate annual visits to the French town and South Holland. And, after taking their turn to host their French counterparts this year, the club are appealing for people to get involved. Secretary Roy Ford ...

Popular Spalding book store Bookmark has been taken over by the team behind Charmed Interiors. Jason Sutton, who owns Charmed Interiors’ Spalding and Downham Market stores, took the reins at The Crescent book shop last week. Christine Hanson, who has had 25 successful years at the helm, leaves the business on Friday. Darren Sutton, who is e-commerce and sales manager ...

Girlguiding Spalding District has a new badge courtesy of their own design competition. The competition was organised for the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides and two winners were selected. One was six-year-old Veronika Prots from 5th Spalding Rainbows with ten-year-old Molly Hallissey the other from 5th Spalding Brownies. The design used for the badge was taken from the drawing that Molly ...

Grass on roadside verges and roundabouts will go uncut next year as the council attempts to trim its spending. From April 2017, Lincolnshire County Council will cease its “amenity” grass cutting, which is generally carried out in built-up areas, approaches to major junctions and on the central islands of roundabouts. This year, the council will carry out seven cuts between ...

Ladies gripped by Euro 2016 football fever can now get a taste of the action with a new fitness class being launched in South Holland. For the first time in the area, Soccercise sessions are being launched in a six-week block, starting on Monday, July 4. The idea was developed by the Football Association and is an aerobic class, combining ...

Residents of South Holland are being warned to take extra care after the area was hit by freak thunderstorms last week. Torrential downpours affected businesses, homes, roads and schools which saw Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue called to a number of incidents. And, with the continued threat of thundery showers which could develop into localised flooding, they are advising people to ...

Fleet businessman Harold Payne has heaped praise and gratitude upon the many supporters who have backed his cause over the past 25 years. Mr Payne has raised close to £750,000 towards helping veterans make annual trips to the battlefields and war cemeteries in France and Belgium. And, after organising the 25th annual trip this year, he insisted none of it ...

An innovative scheme to help toddlers hit the right note has been launched in South Holland. ToddlerBand is the brainchild of experienced multi-instrumentalist and music tutor Gary De-Vanche. Gary has developed the ToddlerBand course as a way of offering music to children who have traditionally had to wait to start learning an instrument. And courses have been launched in Spalding ...

Surfleet mum-of-two Sophie Bailey is hoping to raise awareness for the Little Princess Trust after losing her locks for charity. The 23-year-old from Cheal Road decided to help the charity – who provide real hair wigs to children who have lost their own hair through illness – after concerns during her second pregnancy. And she now wants more residents and ...

A village cricket club has been left counting the cost of damage caused to the covers used to protect their square. Officials at Moulton Harrox Cricket Club discovered on Sunday that the corrugated plasticised sheeting on their covers had been damaged beyond repair. And the South Lincs and Border League club now faces a race against time to repair its ...