Three weeks of resurfacing works on Winsover Road in Spalding start today.

The work is expected to go on until Saturday, March 10.

Work will be carried out at Carrington Road to the level crossing from 7am to 6pm, including weekends. Temporary traffic signals will be in place for most of the work, with the exception of two short periods of night-time closures from 6pm to 6am when the final surface is laid this Friday and next Tuesday, February 27.

The area east of the level crossing up to the junction of Station Road and Swan Street will be resurfaced over seven evenings, including weekends, from 6pm to 6am, starting on Wednesday, February 28. The road will be opened as usual outside of working hours.

The signed diversion routes for the closure will be West out of Spalding on Bourne Road and A151 to Bourne, south from Bourne on the A15, the A1175/A16 east, to the Springfield’s roundabout then take the A151 west along West Elloe Avenue through Spalding back to Winsover Road and vice versa.

Throughout this resurfacing scheme LIncolnshire County Council has asked motorists to find alternative parking arrangements whilst the contactor requires the area for working and laying the materials.

Coun Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “As part of these improvements, we will be resurfacing parts of Winsover Road to replace road material that is nearing the end of its serviceable life.

“Due to the nature of the works, there will inevitably be some temporary disruptions, however we’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption – for example, planning a majority of the works to take place during the daytime under temporary traffic lights and arranging for any necessary road closures to take place overnight.

“We ask for your continued patience while these works are carried out. Not only will the road’s life be extended, but these improvements will also ensure smoother journeys and increased safety for all road users.”

What started as a Spalding mother-of-three’s appeal for some support in helping her train for the 2017 London Marathon has become Halmer Harriers Running Club.

Lisa Gill, a teacher who moved to Spalding with her family three years ago, put an appeal out on social media in January 2017 at the same time as she was helping a friend “get into running”.

Thirteen months later, between 40 and 60 runners go out on Tuesday and Thursday nights, as well as Saturday mornings, when along Love Lane, Cowbit Road and Halmer Gate from which the club takes its name.

Lisa said: “I’d been running for so long on my own, but I’d never had the confidence to join a running club because I thought everybody there would be better than me.

“However, I had my London Marathon training to do so I thought to myself ‘there must be a running club somewhere’ and, at the same time, I was trying to build up a friend’s confidence to get her into running as well.

“I put a post on Facebook to see if there was already a running club in Spalding or, if not, they could run with me and my husband Matt.

“For the first couple of weeks, we had a few people out who are now the club’s main committee members.”

Halmer Harriers tries to attract first-time runners with a “Couch to 5km” programme which aims to take people from walking and light running to a 3.1mile run in just two months.

Lisa said: “Halmer Harriers is now affiliated with England Athletics which allows us to get a reduction on entry fees for races.

“We have four fully-qualified coaches, with two more running group leaders who are about to go through their England Athletics qualifications and we have nearly 550 followers on Facebook.

“In the future, we’d love to start a 10k race in Spalding because there are lots of towns that have one, so why not Spalding?”

However, it is what Lisa calls the club’s “real community feel” and its readiness to welcome “all types of runners” that marks Halmer Harriers out as a candidate for continued growth.

Marie Sampson, of Whaplode, who is running in April’s London Marathon for the charity Remember My Baby which helps parents after the loss of a child before, during or shortly after birth, said: “I’ve found Halmer Harriers to be a very friendly, encouraging group that welcomed me as a ‘newbie’.

“They planned several different length routes and there was no pressure on me to run above and beyond my ability.”

Club member Mark Goodale, of Spalding, said: “Halmer Harriers has helped me create a social life I didn’t previously have which as increased my self-confidence a great deal.

“Thanks to Lisa and the support of others, I’ve entered more races, I’m now on the club committee looking after sponsorship and I have friends for life in Spalding.”

Halmer Harriers is holding a quiz night in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK at The Birds pub in Halmer Gate, Spalding, this Friday at 7pm and entry is £4 per person, with a maximum of six people allowed per team.

• For more details about Halmer Harriers, visit www.halmerharriers.co.uk

Santa run brings early white Christmas for Spalding

Big strides at running club

Marathon mum Lisa on start line with new Spalding running group

A man has been jailed for 26 weeks after he admitted to five counts of burglary and shoplifting in Spalding during a four-month period.

Matthew Dye (32), of West Parade, Spalding, was sentenced by Lincoln magistrates for offences that included two separate break-ins on the same day at the Classic News shop in Sheep Market, Spalding, on October 25, 2017.

Dye stole cigarettes, tobacco, scratch cards, a cash register and petty cash during the raid which shop owners Asgar Vanparekh and Abbas Laxmidhar estimated to be worth a total of at least £3,300.

The jail term for Dye included two weeks for the Classic News burglaries, as well as burglaries at Superdrug in Hall Place, Spalding, on January 14 this year, and Morrisons in Pinchbeck two days earlier.

Appearing before magistrates on Saturday, January 10, Dye pleaded guilty to stealing 12 bottles of alcohol from Morrisons, worth a total of £166, and cosmetics from Superdrug worth £180.

Part of Dye’s jail term was imposed for another theft at Morrisons on January 13 when he stole five bottles of gin worth £256.

Magistrates also activated a 24-week suspended sentence given to Dye on January 9 for stealing power tools and a cash register from B & Q, in Spalding, last November, and a burglary at Abbey Print, Pinchbeck, on January 9 when he stole a mobile phone and pen.

A disease that was once rife in the UK may be rare these days but there are still incidences of recorded cases in Lincolnshire.

Already this year, there has been one confirmed case of Tuberculosis (TB) in the county and latest figures show that in 2016 there were 31 cases (five of those being in South Holland).

In 2015, there were 36 cases in the county, (three in South Holland).

The highest number of cases occurred in Boston.

Final figures are not in yet for 2017 but the number of reported incidents of TB in Lincolnshire have increased slightly over the last eight years.

However, Lincolnshire’s Community Health Services (LCHS) NHS Trust, says it is doing everything it can to keep the county as a low incident area for TB and that Lincolnshire remains a low risk area for TB.

According to figures for the East Midlands from Public Health England, most incidents of reported TB in 2016 involved cases in the workplace, with Lincolnshire reporting the highest number of those.

Figures also showed that the TB rate in the non-UK born population in the East Midlands is nearly 21 times higher than the UK born population; with India being the most common country of birth.

And in 2016, the incidence rate of TB was highest in those living in deprived areas (46% of all cases).

Sue Silvester, who is the TB Lead Nurse for LCHS NHS Trust, explained: “Our Countywide Community TB Service is committed to keeping the county a low incidence area for the disease.

“We support people diagnosed with TB and those identified as at risk throughout any investigation or treatment process, while also offering advice and training to everyone.

“We work closely with other health professionals, including microbiologists, radiologists, pharmacists, general practitioners and colleagues from health protection and Public Health.

“We also work to raise awareness of TB wherever possible, such as the recent health and well-being meeting in Spalding (at Tonic Health in Westlode Street).”

TB is an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs, although it can affect any part of the body.

The most common symptoms of TB may include:

○ a persistent cough that lasts over three weeks and gets progressively worse,

○ sometimes you may cough up blood

○ loss of weight for no obvious reason

○ fever and heavy sweating at night

○ a general and unusual sense of tiredness and being unwell

○ poor appetite

○ enlarged glands in the neck, underarms and groins

Sue said that the number of TB cases for 2017 have not yet been confirmed.

This is due to patients still undergoing testing/treatment.

She said: “As TB is a slow growing bacterium, confirmed diagnosis is often not known for some time.”

The BCG vaccine (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine) used to be offered to every child aged between 10-14 in schools across the UK as routine.

This was scrapped in 2005.

Sue said: “There is a vaccine (BCG) that has been in use for many years to help protect against TB.

“However, the BCG works best to prevent the more serious forms of TB in children.

“Hence, the vaccine is now given to babies considered at risk of acquiring TB, soon after birth.

“The older you get the less effective the vaccine becomes, so it may not work for teenagers or older people.

“The BCG vaccine does not prevent TB in all cases so you still need to know the signs and symptoms of TB.

“TB is not easily caught; you have to be in fairly prolonged, close contact with someone with TB in the lungs or throat (for example, living in the same household/room) in order to possibly pass it on.

“Respiratory etiquette, such as using a tissue to cover sneezes and coughs and washing your hands regularly, must also be practiced when you or others have a cough.”

According to Public Health England it is unlikely TB can be contracted through spitting in the street as you have to be in prolonged contact.

Sue added: “TB is curable and can usually be treated with a six-month course of antibiotics.

“It is vitally important to complete the whole course of antibiotics to cure the TB. If you don’t, the TB may return in a form that is resistant to the usual drugs and much more difficult to treat.

“If you are started on TB treatment, you will be allocated a TB nurse who will look after you until your treatment is completed.”

○ Latent TB means you could have TB bacteria ‘asleep’ in your body. You are not ill and there are no symptoms.

But the TB bacteria may ‘wake up’ and make you ill with TB in the future.

If you have lived in a country where TB is more common, know someone who has TB, have an illness or take medication that makes you more vulnerable to TB, it is important to get tested.

Latent TB can be diagnosed by a specific TB blood test and treated with antibiotics.

For more help and info call the Countywide Community TB Service on 01522 307239.

Our story about a tragic Spalding war hero who will be honoured on a new memorial was read by veteran Les Wilson, who served alongside him.

Spalding man Les, who is about to mark his 97th birthday, has offered to share memories of George Harold Chamberlain with George’s grandson, Steve Smith, and their time in A Company, the 6th Battalion Lincolns.

Les said George – who was known to his mates as “Harold” or “Chambo” – was a Dunkirk veteran serving in North Africa at the time he was killed on March 3, 1943 in the Battle of Sedjenane.

Chambo was a great pal of Les’s brother Stan and Les recalls: “He was a character.”

Although it was 75 years ago, Les remembers he was only ten or 20 yards away from the spot where Chambo was killed and, the next day, Stan was taken prisoner, eventually ending up on a 1,000-mile forced march through Poland.

“They said he was only about eight stones when he got home,” said Les. “I didn’t get out until the next year.”

While brothers Les, Stan and Jack, who served with the North Staffs, survived the war, there was another brother – Colin – who had signed up for the RAF and was killed in July 1944 while Les was away fighting.

Spalding WWII Memorial Committee needs to raise another £30,000 to complete the project that will see all of Spalding’s WWII dead commemorated in one place – the Peace Garden in Ayscoughfee Gardens – for the first time.

It’s hoped the memorial will be in place by spring next year.

Les told us: “It’s very important that it’s built. I am hoping I am about to see it when it’s done.”

Steve was delighted and amazed by Les offering to meet him to share information about his grandfather’s life in the Lincolns.

He says people today can’t begin to imagine what it was like for those who fought in WWII, or comprehend their bravery and how they just “got on with it”.

Coun Rodney Grocock, who chairs the WWII Memorial charity, said: “It is absolutely amazing what comes to light when you are talking about the Second World War because you still have to remember there’s a great many veterans still alive.

“It’s amazing that a 97-year-old Lincoln can recall something as tragic and unbelievable as this ... my thoughts go out to him for his bravery and also for bringing it to our attention so at least it goes out to the greater public.”

• Bring the WWII Memorial a step closer by donating here

Previously ...

Spalding WWII Memorial Appeal: £860 reasons to collect at Morrison’s

The family of one of Spalding’s Second World War heroes talk about the man whose name will be engraved on a new memorial

Collectors needed to help raise money for WWII memorial

Chief Constable Bill Skelly’s 28th year as a police officer has coincided with the end of his first year at the helm of the force in Lincolnshire.

The increasing threat of online, sexual and financial crime, combined with the challenge of hare coursing and other forms of rural lawbreaking have landed on Mr Skelly’s desk alongside what he described as “our traditional crimes”.

All of this against a backdrop of an increasingly stretched 2017-18 budget of £86.25million and, as reported by the BBC earlier this month, a plunge in the number of neighbourhood police officers from nearly 250 in 2012 to just over 100 in 2017.

Mr Skelly said: “I was very clear, from day one, that I had two main priorities.

“One was around the quality of service delivered to the people of Lincolnshire and the other was the wellbeing of my staff.

“Both priorities are intriniscally linked because people who feel good about themselves, and who are healthy, will do good work.

“The amount of demand that’s on our staff means they are constantly under a huge amount of pressure, something I’m getting across to the workforce and the wider public as I get to understand the organisation.

“However, I’m really pleased with how things have gone in the last year and we’ve achieved a lot in the areas that I want to see progress in over the next five years.”

One of those area is rural crime and, in particular, hare coursing, where Mr Skelly confirmed a 25 per cent drop in the number of reported incidents since the revamped Operation Galileo was launched in September 2017.

Mr Skelly said: “A lot of the issues that were presented to me, from day one, were around people’s experiences of rural crime, how they felt isolated and that Lincolnshire Police and its partners weren’t really doing enough to recognise the problems they were facing.

“So one of my early tasks was to try and change that by addressing it, without it necessarily being about a massive increase in the number of resources.

“It’s just been about better communication, better dialogue with the public and others in the criminal justice system, along with being very focused on targeting those who are committing these offences.

“The feedback we’ve had from members of the rural community has been that they like what’s happening and they feel there’s a distinct change which I’m really encouraged by.”

But has the increased emphasis on what Mr Skelly called the “proactive policing” of rural crime come at the expense of community safety in towns like Spalding, Holbeach and Crowland where a discussion about ongoing youth crime took up nearly 45 minutes of this month’s parish council meeting?

Mr Skelly said: “As a police service, we look at whatever is happening in Lincolnshire every day and there’s a daily discussion about problems, such as a series of burglaries having taken place, so that we can allocate our time and effort to deal with it.

“At the same time, I’m clear not to be too interfering in the daily running of policing in South Holland and the Deepings because there are a lot of really good people whose job that is, whether it’s neighbourhood sergeants, sector inspectors or the senior management team.

“There are also other partners, like county, district and parish councils, who are involved in helping to support the police in the day-to-day running of things in South Holland and the Deepings.

“My role is to give direction as to where the priorities are and where the emphasis should be, providing some of the physical resources for local area policing team to work with.

“But I’m aware of what is going on and, in the case of Crowland, I’ll certainly look into and ask the various people who are responsible for managing the area what kind of activity is ongoing in the town.

“I’m also more than happy to come along to Crowland Parish Council and speak to them directly about the kinds of things we’re doing, as well as talking to them about the problems they are experiencing.”

A married father-of-two, Mr Skelly is originally from eastern Scotland who started his career with Lothian and Borders Police in 1990.

He went on to complete a Strategic Command Course at the College of Policing in Hampshire in 2004 and then achieved a diploma in criminology at Cambridge University.

Mr Skelly then joined the Metropolitan Police’s Immigration Crime Team in 2005 until, three years later, Mr Skelly was appointed as Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland.

Deputy Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police was Mr Skelly’s next move in December 2013 and it was from there that he joined Lincolnshire Police as Chief Constable in February 2017.

One of the legacies left by his predecessor Neil Rhodes, who retired in January 2017, was the fight against what Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones described as the force’s “perilous funding situation”.

A council tax rise of nearly £12 for 2018-19, putting the average Band D precept figure up from £205.47 in 2017-18 to £217.44 from April, will bring an extra £2.7million into the coffers of Lincolnshire Police.

But Mr Skelly said: “The force is walking towards a cliff edge and if we get to it, and have to go over it, we’ll see services and people withing the organisation significantly reduced.

“What we’ve managed to do in the 12 months that I’ve been here is to have a short-term solution which essentially relies on people paying more on their council tax.

“So we’ve found ourselves in a position where we’ve pushed things a year further away.

“But my warning is that if, in a year and a half’s time, money runs out and there’s a funding gap equating to 100 officers and 60 PCSOs, then you would get less of a police service that takes longer.”

New police Chief ready to fit the Bill

New chief commits to action plan on rural crime

Police patrols draw children to town event

Tools of the trade are set for hare coursing

Budget risk to police plan

Spalding dance talent Poppy Gill (14) has her heart set on worldwide success after topping the UK rankings with her dance troupe once again.

Poppy, a member of East London dance crew Unity UK, won the varsity section at the UK Hip Hop Dance Championships in Portsmouth during half-term, three years after reaching the finals of TV variety competition Britain’s Got Talent.

Unity UK’s winning three-minute routine earned Poppy and her team a trip to Arizona, USA, to compete at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in August.

Poppy said: “Our dance routine incorporated various styles, including house and locking (freezing from a fast movement to a stationary pose), and covering all sorts of musical types and beats.

“There were lots of rehearsals leading up to Portsmouth which meant a lot of travelling to and from London.

“But it’s become a routine for me and I find things to do on the journey.”

As well as dancing with Unity UK, whose “mega crew” won last year’s UK Hip Hop Dance Championships, Poppy also runs her own Dance Academy at St Norbert’s Community Hall in Spalding, on Mondays between 5pm and 7pm.

But Poppy’s parents, Lisa and Matt Gill, make sure that their daughter’s studies in Year 9 at Spalding High School come first.

Poppy said: “I’ve been dancing since I was three years old, starting in Wisbech where I used to live.

“Then I had an audition with Tashan Muir, of Unity Dance Company UK, for a British crew that combined different dance skills in order to compete at European and world level.

“But school always comes first and it’s very supportive in helping me fit in homework with travelling.

“Dancing is something I’ll continue to do and I have no thoughts of stopping.”

If you can help Poppy fundraise for her trip to the USA, visit https://www.gofundme.com/poppy-to-phoenix

Busy half-term holiday brings glee for Spalding youngster Poppy

Youngsters can keep in step at street dance workshops

Poppy’s street dance classes in Spalding

Emergency crews were called to the Castle Sports Complex in Spalding this afternoon (Tuesday) to a report that a person was unconscious and not breathing.

The air ambulance from Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland was dispatched to the scene, as well as a paramedic in a fast response car and a first responder from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue.

East Midlands Ambulance Service received the call at 2.24pm and said one patient was taken to Lincoln County Hospital for further care.

In their first full musical as Spalding Academy, students take to the stage this week with their production of ‘Bugsy Malone’.

The students have worked incredibly hard over the past few months to produce this spectacular show, guaranteed to be full of laughter, music, dancing and good fun for all the family.

Producer Daisy Ivatt said: “The students have worked so hard on this show, we are very excited to show the local community what we’ve been working on and to showcase the incredible talent within the school – this really is one not to be missed.

“f you would like to book tickets, they can be obtained at visitor reception at Spalding Academy, on the school’s website or by phoning 01775 722484. It’s recommended to book to avoid disappointment.

The show is Thursday and Friday, 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Tickets are £6 for adults, £5 concessions.

• A full page of pictures in the Spalding Guardian on Thursday.

Spalding’s level crossings could halt road traffic for 24 minutes in every hour once work is completed on a freight train “underpass” at Werrington.

Campaigners from Spalding and Peterborough Transport Forum say work on ‘Werrington Grade Separation’ could start later this year, and open by 2020.

Forum chairman George Scott said: “We reckon the railway crossing barriers are going to be down 24 minutes in every hour, and don’t forget that’s going through the night as well. It’s going to be Tallington again.”

Massive queues build up at the notorious Tallington crossing, on the A1175 midway between Market Deeping and Stamford, with drivers fuming about waits of up to 20 minutes.

Spalding motorists had a taste of massive delays through 2016 when a series of level crossing faults gridlocked the town.

The Werrington project will switch freight trains to a two-track railway line going under the East Coast Main Line, and forum member Ivan Hammond said: “When it’s open, there will be more level crossing closures for you in Spalding.”

South Holland District Council (SHDC) chiefs believe bridges planned to go over the line as part of the Spalding Western Relief Road (SWRR) will save the day as they believe Werrington Grade Separation is unlikely to be completed before 2024 at the earliest.

• Continued on page 13

The northern section of the relief road joins with 
Enterprise Way, off Pinchbeck Road, where there will be a nearby bridge crossing over the railway.

The southern end bridge is likely to be off Spalding Common.

SHDC’s manager of place, Paul Jackson, said: “The council, conscious of the anticipated works to upgrade the mainline and the potential impacts on the wider town, have been undertaking extensive works on seeking to deliver the SWRR.

“Whilst a completion date for the whole route cannot presently be confirmed, significant funding streams are in place to deliver both the southern and northern ends.

“Working in direct partnership with key partners, these including Lincolnshire County Council and 
local developers, it is likely that planning applications for the northern and southern sections to the SWRR will be submitted towards the end of this year.

“Once consents are in place, and contractors 
appointed, work on these key sections of highways infrastructure is likely to commence on site in early 2020 with a view to completing these works towards the end of 2022 or very early 2023.

“Both the northern and southern sections to the SWRR incorporate a roundabout leading to an overbridge spanning the mainline.

Completion of the southern section, and the provision of a link through Broadgate Homes Holland Park site, will provide significant relief to traffic movements within Spalding by providing an alternative route for traffic to the south.”

Council deputy leader Nick Worth understands there’s already been “a significant increase” in rail freight traffic through Spalding, which has been diverted from the East Coast Main Line, but most of it comes through at night.

Coun Worth says line improvements mean the trains can travel faster, so crossings aren’t closed for so long.

He said: “My understanding is that Werrington is unlikely to be completed before 2024 at the earliest because I think Network Rail has got to find some funding and that gives us time to actually negotiate with Network Rail.”

Coun Worth also believes the line here is pretty much at capacity already with existing trains because the level crossings are “slowing them up”.

Network Rail has unveiled a £47billion programme for 2019-2024 with £36.9million earmarked for Skegness to Grantham; £453.1million for Peterborough to King’s Cross and £58.8million for Peterborough to Doncaster.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “There was recently a public inquiry in regards to the Werrington Grade Separation project.

“The scheme will increase capacity on the East Coast Main Line.

“The scheme has now been passed to the Secretary of State for Transport and we await their decision as to whether or not the scheme can proceed.

“We have been in constant dialogue with members of the local community, stakeholders and industry partners for the last five years. Network Rail are currently carrying out surveys in the area.”

• What do you think? Email letters to the editor: jeremy.ransome@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Help is at hand for people struggling to make ends meet in Crowland where a new foodbank centre is now open.

Church leaders from Crowland Abbey and the town’s Methodist church have worked with Agapecare Foodbank in Spalding to launch a satellite collection point for people on Wednesdays between 1pm and 3pm.

The foodbank is based at Crowland Abbey where food parcels are given out to voucher holders referred by volunteers at the abbey itself, as well as South View Primary School, Abbeygate Surgery and Crowland Children’s Centre.

The Reverend Charles Brown, Priest-in-Charge at Crowland Abbey, said: “I’ve known Irene Davies of Agapecare Foodbank for a long time as we’ve made donations of food to it at harvest time down through the years.

“Earlier this year, I talked with Irene and she told me about the need for a satellite centre in Crowland.

“So through Crowland Methodist and Anglican Partnership in Mission (MAP), the two churches in the town thought the foodbank was something we could do together in reaching out to people who are outside of the church.”

Irene said: “We did start a satellite centre in Crowland a couple of years ago but it wasn’t successful.

“However, the number of clients coming to our Spalding foodbank from Crowland has begun to increase.

“So we were asked to go over there again in order to save people from coming all the way to Spalding for food parcels.

“It’s positive news for people in Crowland who won’t have to get their referral vouchers from Spalding any more.”

The foodbank also means that food donations can be taken to Crowland Abbey and the Methodist church in Reform Street.

Pastor Chas Sandhu, of The Lighthouse Church where Agapecare Foodbank is based, said: “We hope it will help those in the community of Crowland who are in need which is our desire as a church.”

Keep up the good work

Harvest brings village together for lunch

Lifeline at the centre of our communities

A team of big-hearted volunteers have been hard at work helping to keep Surfleet’s Glen Park in good condition for future generations.

In tribute to her mum, who loved the park, resident Gaynor Fiske has given up hours of her time, along with helpers to maintain the children’s play area, park and tidy up the sensory and memory garden.

When her mum Margaret Hodkinson died in 2015, people gave donations at her funeral towards helping keep the park going.

And at Gaynor’s 25th wedding anniversary donations were given towards the park, instead of gifts, with £650 raised in total.

Gaynor said: “I was able to buy paint to re-do the fence around the children’s play area.

“We went out every Sunday over eight weeks and have been pulling up all the nettles that have been growing around the park.”

She has also been busy tidying up the sensory and memory garden by the hockey pitch, which had become overgrown.

She said: “I have planted new herbs, lavender, sage, rosemary and lemon; and a rhododendron in memory of mum.

“I also plan to put up a plaque in her memory.

“The garden is visited by a group who are blind every Wednesday and they were pleased to learn what we have been doing.”

The wall around the garden is crumbling but builder Richard Lampen has kindly offered to rebuild it free of charge.

And Gaynor and her volunteers have been out tidying up overgrowth around the park and have planted hundreds of daffodil, crocus and tulip bulbs in the woods and sensory garden.

“The play area also needs resurfacing and there is a green token scheme at Asda in Boston where people can choose to put their tokens towards the park,” Gaynor added.

“Depending on how much is raised we will be able to either put down new rubber surfacing which costs about £5,000 or resurface the whole area, which will cost around £25,000.

“We don’t want to see the park closed and anybody who wants to help support it with a bit of gardening or painting and join our group of volunteers can get in touch.

“The children call me the magic fairy. I don’t want a gold medal. I’m just helping in the background. “

The park is owned by Surfleet Play and Recreation Charity (SPARC) but upkeep costs are outstripping its income.

At a public meeting in November held by SPARC, residents supported a move,in theory, to raise the parish precept by £12 to help keep the park going.

○ If you would like to get involved and help volunteer at the park, contact us at: spaldingeditor@iliffepublishing.co.uk and we will pass your details on.

PREVIOUSLY:

Surfleet villagers back Glen Park charge at public meeting

Surfleet householders asked to pay an extra £12 a year to save Glen Park

Another new year and a promise from Andy Molsom, the optometrist in Hall Place, to support the Pride of South Holland Awards once again.

Andy feels it is a great honour to once again sponsor the Pride of South Holland Young Achiever Award.

Andy said he felt the Young Achiever Award is not just about achievements, it is about working hard in all aspects of life, together with perseverance and patience.

Andy has many commitments and said he is currently in his 21st year of running his business, Molsom & Associates Ltd, an independent optometrist practice in Hall Place, but it has not been without its challenges, working hard and being persistent has brought about the success that Molsom’s have enjoyed.

Andy said he has always tried to bring something a little different to Spalding, not only with quality spectacles, but also the latest digital technology involved with eye examinations.

If you know a youngster that works hard, whether it is at school, home, sports, hobbies or volunteering their time, then please nominate them for this Award.

Contact Jan on 07779895388 or email jan@tulip-events.co.uk for a nomination form.

Eleven employees at Tanglewood ‘s Cedar Falls care home in Spalding.

are keeping their fingers crossed ahead of the second annual Lincolnshire Care Awards next week.

They have all been nominated for awards by care home managers, colleagues, residents or families – and they will find out if they’ve won at a ceremony in Lincoln tonight (Thursday).

The shortlisted candidates are: Nursing – Stephanie Hewat-Jaboor, Mariana Anton and Susan Palethorpe; Residential – Artur Haluszko, Vivian Smith, Chris Inte and Brenda Love; Care Leadership – Kryzystof Krzysztofiak and Anita Malkevica; Outstanding Learner – Susie Neupane; Supporting Role – Andy Pridmore .

The Lincolnshire Care Awards celebrate outstanding care workers, teams and organisations.

The event is staged by the Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA) and will take place at the County Assembly Rooms in Lincoln at 7pm, compered by Melvyn Prior from BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

Tracy Ann Shelbourn, founder and director of Tanglewood Care Homes, said: “We are delighted to be part of the LinCA Care Awards again this year, a special occasion for every care community in Lincolnshire to join hands in celebrating our ‘care heroes’ – dedicated nurses, carers and support teams that make a difference in the lives of the people we care for.”

A group of students from Peele Community College in Long Sutton have been learning about higher education at The College of West Anglia (CWA) as part of the LiNCHIGHER Project.

This is part of a national initiative to increase aspirations with the overall aim of increasing access to higher education.

CWA organised for a group of 19 Peele students to attend enrichment sessions, over a four-week period, at the college’s Wisbech and King’s Lynn campuses.

They took part in practical workshops covering engineering, construction, motor vehicle, sport and uniformed services, learning about the higher education and career opportunities available in each field.

The outreach programme concluded with each of the students receiving a certificate in recognition of their participation.

Once again we’re giving Spalding Guardian and Lincolnshire Free Press readers the chance to send a Mothering Sunday message to the special women in their life.

But for the first time, you can send your message to your mum or grandma online... or you can cut out the form on the left, as in previous years.

The messages will appear in the Spalding Guardian of Thursday, March 8, in time for Mother’s Day on March 11 – and better yet, it’s free.

ONLINE FORM:

Just visit http://bit.ly/2BNpjk9 to leave your message.

Start your message with the name of the recipient, followed by a colon and then your message.

For example:

BECKHAM, VICTORIA: Happy Mother’s Day. Love Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper xxx

Messages should be a maximum of 20 words and the editor reserves the right to exclude unsuitable messages. Please note: One message per person. No in memoriams.

The deadline for messages is 10pm on Monday, March 5.

Messages received after the deadline will not be published and we cannot be held responsible for lost messages. You will be asked to provide your details on this form – these will not be shared but must be provided to validate your message

NEWSPAPER FORM:

Fill in the coupon on this page by writing one word in each box.PLEASE USE CAPITAL LETTERS.

Send your coupon in as soon as possible – closing date is 10pm on Monday, March 5.

Make sure you include your own details on the coupon as anonymous coupons (and photocopied coupons) will not be accepted.

We reserve the right to exclude any greeting we find unsuitable.

Tonic Health is inviting men to attend a meeting to discuss the formation of the new Spalding Men’s Shed project.

The meeting will take place at the health and wellbeing charity in Westlode Street on Wednesday, March 7 at 10.30am.

A previous open meeting was held last year to look into the idea of establishing a Men’s Shed in Spalding and since then Long Sutton has formed a very successful one at Silverwood Garden Centre.

Following the initial meeting, Tonic Health has been looking for a suitable venue from which to run the project. It has since found a site and is now asking local men to come along and find out more about how they can be involved.

If you would like to attend, please call 01775 725059 or email simon@tonic-health.co.uk so organisers know how many to expect on the day.

Please also get in touch if you cannot attend the initial meeting but would like to know more and get involved.

The Men’s Shed Project is a national scheme encouraging men of all ages to meet up and take part in different activities, learn new skills, and/or put their skills to good use in a community setting.

The project will be initiated by Tonic Health but the idea is that the members themselves dictate the running and direction of the group once properly established.

More information on the national scheme can be found at menssheds.org.uk

A new driver has been jailed for ten months after he lost control of his car and careered into a water-filled ditch – causing two of his passengers to drown.

Farm worker Ionut Curut (21) was driving himself and his three colleagues to work when he veered off a country road and into a deep drainage channel.

He and his front-seat passenger, a 46-year-old man, managed to escape from the silver Mazda 6 TS before it was submerged.

But the two back seat passengers, Ingrida Dudeniene (47), of Spring Gardens, Spalding and Ilze Dobele (46), of New Road, Spalding, were trapped in the car and drowned.

Jailing him at Peterborough Crown Court, Recorder Kainth told Curut: “You were an inexperienced driver.

“You would have been aware that the area you were driving in was not a main road.

“Even experienced drivers take care. It is an area that I know well – the speed limit is 60mph, but I wouldn’t do 60 there.

“I have been driving for 30 years plus – you had only been driving for two weeks. It would have been incumbent on you to take more than extra care.”

The court heard how Curut had only been in the UK for a few days at the time of the crash, at 7am on Friday, October 13 last year.

He had moved to work in the agricultural industry and save for a better life for his family and for a wedding for him and his fiancé.

Prosecutor John Farmer told the court that the crash happened when Curut lost control of his vehicle after steering too close to the edge of the road.

“He lost control and the car went into the water-filled drain,” he said.

Curut and the front-seat passenger were taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries before being questioned by police.

He accepted responsibility and cited his lack of experience as a driver as a potential cause of the crash in Warboys, Cambridgeshire.

Curut pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by careless driving.

Azza Brown, mitigating, told the court a separate accident happened in exactly the same place on the road in December, which saw a 68-year-old woman killed.

Miss Brown said signs on the road did not indicate there was deep water on the edge of the carriageway – and Curut had never driven the road before.

She added: “His remorse is genuine. It is something that will haunt him for the rest of his life. “It is absolutely devastating.

The court heard Curut had been driving below the speed limit at the time.

Curut was jailed for ten months but will soon be released as he has already served around eight months of the sentence on remand.

Speaking after sentencing, Sergeant Toni Hall-Madden of Cambridgeshire Police’s Collision Investigation Unit said: “This is a heart breaking case in which one person’s careless driving resulted in the deaths of two innocent people.

“Although the car was travelling at 50mph on a road with a 60mph limit, it does not mean the driver’s actions were any less irresponsible.

“It is vital that people drive in a safe, considerate way in order to prevent awful instances like this occurring in the future.”

Curut, of Spalding, was also ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge and was banned from driving for 18 months.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Spalding man Mitchell Ede (24).

Also known as Mitchell Jones, Ede failed to appear before Judge Pini at Lincoln Crown Court on December 19 in respect of charges of assault and possession with intent to supply Class B controlled drugs.

Spalding police would like to hear if you have any information that could assist the inquiry.

There are a number of ways you can report: via the non-emergency number 101; through the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111; or online at crimestoppers-uk.org

A 15-year-old boy has been questioned in connection with assaulting two teachers at University Academy Holbeach (UAH).

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons but is believed to be an ex-student, was arrested at the school in Park Road, Holbeach, after the incidents were reported to police just after 8.50am on Monday.

Officers arrested the boy about 40 months later and a Lincolnshire Police spokesman confirmed yesterday that “he has been released under investigation” in what is being treated as two cases of common assault.

A spokesman for UAH said: “There was an incident on school grounds on Monday, police were called and a 15-year-old was arrested.

“School staff are helping police with their enquiries but we cannot comment further due to legal proceedings.”