Councillors give back to charities

Good causes in South Holland have received grants from Lincolnshire County Council to support them during the coronavirus pandemic.

All eight councillors covering divisions in our district have helped to issue cash from the Covid-19 Community Fund Scheme.

Each of the 70 county councillors is able to allocate up to £3,000 to community groups in their division.

As of May 12, £91,382 had been paid out in 152 grants. A further £12,004 as 19 grants had been approved.

Coun Nick Worth (Holbeach) has awarded £2,000 so far.

Holbeach Community Larder, which has been distributing food parcels to approximately 150 people a week during the outbreak, has received £1,500.

The demand for parcels dramatically increased due to unexpected unemployment, reduction in earnings and inability to access other support services.

The project is also providing food parcels to the homeless being temporarily housed in local B&Bs.

Coun Worth has also awarded £500 to Citizens Advice South Lincolnshire, providing support across the South Holland and South Kesteven districts.

The group is supporting people who are experiencing many different issues during COVID-19, including needing help understanding furlough, their rights regarding child care, shielding, and in claiming welfare benefits, many for the first time. The funding will enable Citizens Advice to increase the number of residents who can receive their help and but will enable them to provide additional specialist advice in key areas such as welfare benefits and employment.

Coun Worth said: “For me it was really important that funding went to local organisations distributing food to vulnerable people in my division and to provide much-needed advice and support for the people of Holbeach and surrounding villages.”

Coun Eddy Poll (Spalding East) has also given £500 to Citizens Advice South Lincolnshire, as well as £550 to LIVES and £500 to Spalding COVID Kindness Group.

LIVES is a Lincolnshire-based charity which provides a rapid 999 emergency medical response throughout the whole county. Its highly-trained volunteer Community First Responders attended more than 13,000 medical emergencies last year and are continuing to provide this service during the current crisis. The funding will help LIVES equip their responders with essential personal protective equipment (PPE) and specialist training.

Each week Spalding COVID Kindness Team – made up of ten founder members and 100 volunteers – has sent out over 40 care packages, answered more than 200 individual support requests, and delivered to over 15 schools and ten care homes in the Spalding, Pinchbeck and Crowland area.

Coun Angela Newton (Spalding West) has awarded £500 to LIVES, £500 to Spalding COVID Kindness Team as well as £250 to Framework Housing Association.

The housing association currently has 29 bed spaces for people who were previously classed as homeless.

The funds will support shopping for residents, meaning they don’t need to leave the service, and enable them to stay safe.

Coun Peter Coupland (Holbeach Rural) has awarded £500 to Fleet Self Isolation, a voluntary group who are supporting the elderly and vulnerable in the community through delivering shopping, collecting prescriptions, and checking they’re ok or whether they need additional support, as well as many other acts of kindness.

The funding has enabled te group to supply volunteers with protective equipment for their safety and deliver food parcels.

They’ve organised a campaign to thank key workers in the area and delivered special gifts of cheerfulness to sheltered housing residents to thank them for staying home and saving lives.

Coun Nigel Pepper (Crowland) has awarded £250 to Gedney Hill Memorial Hall.

The hall is normally at the heart of the village’s social life, and continues to play a key role during the current crisis.

The hall committee has arranged for fruit, vegetable and salad boxes to be made available, fresh pizza to be cooked on site, and baking ingredients are being sold from the hall.

Many villagers have been involved in various projects, ensuring that the vulnerable and needy in their community do not go without. They are hoping to hold a party to remember, when it’s safe to do so, commemorating some of the key events that have taken place over recent months, at a time when people can actually get together.

Coun Elizabeth Sneath (Spalding Elloe) has given £500 to Spalding COVID Kindness Team, £125 to Framework Housing and £250 to Tonic Health.

Prior to COVID 19, Tonic Health provided many group and one to one services for people with dementia, and adults experiencing mental health problems. During the current crisis they’ve become aware that a number of their members are socially isolated and have no way of accessing digital help.

To address this, the group is planning to purchase monthly pay-as-you-go date SIM cards and tablets, to be provided to their members during the pandemic, which will enable them to access recommended apps, activities and websites to support their mental health.

Swineshead Support Services has been awarded £200 by Coun Rodney Grocock (Donington Rural).

The group of volunteers are helping elderly or isolating residents in Donington, Kirton, Swineshead and Wyberton, through delivering essential shopping, collecting prescriptions, and providing nutritious food parcels to those in need.

They also organise community events such as online chess competitions and a cake decorating competition to boost people’s morale.

Coun Grocock has also helped with £500 grants to Spalding COVID Kindness Group and Gosberton Foodbank.

Coun Chris Brewis (The Suttons) has supported Long Sutton Men’s Shed with £1,000 and LIVES with £500.