Events organised at their homes by twin sisters Diane Tilley and Elaine Ladds raised £855 for Boston Breast Unit at Pilgrim Hospital. Diane and her friends raised £565 with a coffee morning in Westminster Drive, Spalding, and Elaine made £290 through craft days at her bungalow in Fosdyke. They said: “We wanted to raise the money in memory of our late ...

South Holland residents are being encouraged to support a charity auction at Spalding Market on Saturday, April 4. It will raise funds for the RNLI service at Skegness. Organiser Justin Grimshaw, of Pendragon Antiques, who will be assisted by M&A Auctions, says there are no limits to what type of goods can be entered – but they must be regarded ...

Spalding Photographic Society’s annual print exhibition is under way. About 50 superb images are adorning the walls of The Geest Gallery at Ayscoughfee Hall Museum until Thursday, March 30. The prints, which cover a wide range of subjects from wildlife to landscapes, include  submissions by beginners through to experienced photographers. The society, which meets monthly from September to April at ...

The first two winners in South Holland Open Arts 2017 have been announced. The best newcomer prize, sponsored by Riverbank Studios, went to Jenny Wood for her seascape painting View to Isle of Arran. The best photography award, sponsored by Shutter Hub, went to Seamus Bryans. Coun Gary Taylor, South Holland District Council’s portfolio holder for arts development, said: “I would like ...

A survey of foreign nationals living in Spalding has revealed some disturbing welfare instances – but the overall feeling was one of appreciation of the much better lifestyle and improved standard of living.   It comes after completion of the first phase of Community Connectors, a project spearheaded by the Rev John Bennett, vicar of St Mary and St Nicolas ...

Several roadsides in Spalding are looking much tidier thanks to a spring clean by Spotless Spalding and friends last Saturday. The group started near The Robin Hood pub in Bourne Road and covered Winsover Road, Green Lane and St Thomas’s Road, including behind a wall which is becoming known as a litter hotspot. Spotless Spalding founder Jack McLean, a South Holland ...

I was disturbed and saddened to read Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary’s “PEEL” report published last week in which Lincolnshire Police was graded as requiring improvement in the area of protecting those who are vulnerable from harm and supporting victims. The inspector highlighted inadequate training for frontline officers, saying that “The force does not respond well enough to child sexual ...

Action is being taken to protect historic buildings and conservation areas in South Holland on the Heritage At Risk register. Historic England said last October the condition of four of the district’s listed buildings was “very bad” and three “poor”. Since then the government body has talked to owners and South Holland District Council,  the local planning authority, about works ...

Customers at Springfields Home and Garden Centre in Spalding who bought carrier bags have supported Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance. The £912 proceeds, which garden centre manager Joe Garland is pictured presenting to Anne Palmer, a volunteer at the charity’s Spalding shop, includes donations to collection boxes.

A benefits cheat and thief who was ordered to pay back just £1 of the £56,679 she pocketed could still be forced to cough up more.   Holbeach mum Maria Pridmore fraudulently took more than £16,000 worth of housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support and stole more than £30,000 from four women. A court was told last December ...

Following on from Joan Woolard’s most valued comments I wish to add my own dissatisfaction regarding the use and high charges of the community centre. I created a group called Friends of Fleet, the intention to befriend people who had moved to the village over recent years as well as existing residents to add another social dimension to the area. However, ...

Thank you for publishing the article “Live exercise in case of major emergency” (Voice, February 16). On behalf of Suttons on The Wash and Lincolnshire County Council, I would like to extend special appreciation to those Lutton volunteers who made the exercise a resounding success.  The exercise provided the opportunity for Suttons on The Wash community group to test the procedures outlined in their Community ...

People are using the green/football pitch at Holbeach Community Centre in Fishpond Lane as a racetrack. My husband walks our dog there most days (and’ yes’ he does pick up any poo our dog may deposit and puts it in the dog poo bin up at the Community Centre). This morning he came back and showed me a couple of ...

I have just spoken to the Local Government Ombudsman regarding my complaint about the very restrictive use of our local South Holland District Council community centre at Hargate Close. Before 2011 tenants of the sheltered accommodation had free use of the hall and could invite non-sheltered friends provided any sheltered tenants could attend if they so wished. Sheltered rents include ...

I would like to take this opportunity to say a personal thank you to all the people who helped to clear up the destruction carried out by “Storm Doris” last week in Whaplode Drove churchyard. Sometimes things are just taken for granted. I sit back and I do ask myself, do the people in Whaplode Drove know what happens in their village? ...

In reply to last week’s article in The Voice, may I thank [news editor] Nigel Chapman for informing us of the council’s decision not to give us the necessary permission for the ground alterations as we had not been informed by the parish council. Indeed it was only at 20.46 on Monday (Feb 27) that I received official confirmation and the reasons why. ...

Lincolnshire Police force has received an overall “good” rating for being effective by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).   This latest assessment, published today (March 2) means that Lincolnshire has now received an overall ‘good’ grading for each of the HMIC pillars of PEEL – efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy.   Assistant Chief Constable Paul Gibson: “Overall we are pleased with HMIC’s assessment ...

by Darren Sutton Chairman of Spalding Town Retailers’ Association February was a strange month, especially the weather, with some of the country having snow and obviously Storm Doris causing damage across the country. Hopefully now going into March we will see the nights start pulling out and some warmer weather leading into Easter in April. February has generally been a ...

A step forward in a campaign for more support for people with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) has been taken thanks to efforts by a Spalding woman whose father died from it. Hannah Harris (35) knew little about MND before her father Mick Smith, of Long Sutton (pictured), was diagnosed, but is now working to support others who face the terminal ...

Cowbit Village Store has been attacked for a second time, in what has been described as a “slap in the face” for the whole village. The community launched a fundraising drive to buy security shutters for the store after it was broken into on February 19 – and around £1,000 has already been donated. At around 10.45pm on Monday (Feb ...