©Kirton News 2024

April 2019

The Editors Letter

This month we’re focusing on Fly Tipping in our village and the Boston area. Recently the act of fly tipping seems to have grown to epic proportions and the regularity of it is very worrying.

Luckily, a newly formed team of people, concerned aboutThis month we’re focusing on Fly Tipping in our village and the Boston area. Recently the act of fly tipping seems to have grown to epic proportions and the regularity of it is very worrying.

Luckily, a newly formed team of people, concerned about the state of our roads/lanes have come to the rescue.

Initially launched in Boston on Facebook in November 2018, Mark Douglass and his team are passionate about improving the appearance of the town and it’s outlying villages and roads. To date, the Facebook group currently has just over 800 members. Mark is now looking for Voluntary Area Leaders to assist in the day to day running of the group, and if you’re interested, please get in touch using the Flytipping Watch Facebook page – fb.com/flytippingwatch.

The launch of Flytipping Watch has seen an increase in members of the public raising their hand to fight litter, with more and more heading out into their neighbourhoods to pick up rubbish and signing up to Boston Borough Council’s Community Champion scheme.

Speaking of this, Mark said “It’s fantastic to hear that more and more people are wanting to become community champions and get involved with fighting back against litter touts. Flytipping Watch are working hard with Boston Borough Council to tackle ongoing issues, and, as a team, we are very grateful for their ongoing support and commitment to this fight, and their timely response when notified of a waste deposit.”

Following its launch in November, Mark and the Flytipping Watch team have expanded further with the launch of a Flytipping Watch group in Spalding in January 2019, and most recently, the launch of Sleaford’s in February 2019. Flytipping Watch has further plans to expand into the wider community, further progressing into the Lindsey and Kesteven districts in the near future. Working with Boston based design firm Quinstone UK to develop an exciting new website, this new facility gives you the opportunity to sign up to be a Voluntary Area Leader, which will help us expand our target areas.

A range of car stickers have been produced and the launch of the website also features a directory of local waste disposal contractors, who are authorised by the Environment Agency to collect your unwanted waste. 

You can join the Flytipping Watch Boston & Local group by searching for them on Facebook, or by visiting the new website – www.flytippingwatch.co.uk. If you’d like to report anonymously, you can email info@flytippingwatch.co.uk

Facebook link: www.facebook.com
/groups/2314111132154140

www.facebook.com/flytippingwatch 

www.flytippingwatch.co.uk

Press contact: Nathan Bryant - Flytipping Watch nathan@flytippingwatch.co.uk 
Tel: 07706 608172

Please see a recent news article on page 4.

 Rachael

 

Care Worker Gaynor is a Winner

A former naval communications officer has been named Lincolnshire’s social care rising star.

Gaynor Jones spent seven years in the Royal Navy, before joining the team at Cedar House, in Spalding, which provides respite care for adults with learning disabilities and autism.

Judges at the Lincolnshire Care Awards said that Gaynor was selected as the winner because of the passion she shows for her work and her ability to reflect.

She was presented with her award at a gala dinner at the County Assembly Rooms in Bailgate, Lincoln.

The 45-year-old, who lives in Kirton, was nominated for the Rising Star award by both her manager Julie Watson and Trish Wilkinson, the mother of one of the people she cares for.

Trish’s son Scott, 19, has stayed for short breaks at Cedar House around 20 times over the last 18 months. She said she put Gaynor forward for the accolade because she felt it was important to let someone know when they are doing a great job.

“It was hard for me when Scott turned 18 and had to move from children’s to adult services,” she said. “He can’t communicate how he’s feeling, but as soon as I heard Gaynor singing to him, I knew he’d be fine.

“Gaynor is so warm and friendly and approachable and she was the first person we met at Cedar House. She made us feel instantly comfortable. She’s a real problem solver and you know whenever you mention anything to her she will sort it out. She is absolutely a deserving winner.”

Originally from South Wales, senior support worker Gaynor has been employed at the centre, which is operated by adult health and social care charity Making Space, for the last two years. This is her first role in social care.

Julie Watson is Gaynor’s manager and the registered manager at Cedar House. She said: “Gaynor is always happy and the people we care for love our little Welsh lass. Best of all is when we see people who can’t communicate come to life when they hear her voice.

“Working in social care is hard, but Gaynor is always a total professional. Nothing phases her at all.”

Gaynor said: “I am absolutely over the moon to have won.

“A good support worker needs to be caring, patient, imaginative and excellent at communicating. Being in the Navy was excellent preparation as I leaned organisation skills, problem solving and logistics, all of which are also important in health and social care roles.”

Cedar House, on Pinchbeck Road, provides short term respite care for up to seven people at a time. Thirty-three adults with physical disabilities, autism and learning difficulties use the service at different times of the year.

It was rated ‘good’ by social care watchdog Care Quality Commission (CQC) in August 2017.

 

Kirton Church Fund

The March draw takes place on Sunday 24th and the winning numbers will be printed in the May magazine.

The April draw takes place on Sunday 28th and the winning numbers will be printed in the June magazine

The first four tickets drawn no longer take part so we had to draw again. Our winners have both won before. Congratulations to both of them!

How about joining us and seeing if you can win?

You could join the Kirton Church Fund (KCF) monthly draw and win. Anyone over 18 may take part. We have plenty of room for more members and there is a very good chance of winning in the Kirton Church Fund monthly draw. You can join at any time during the year and you can do it monthly if you wish at only £5 per month. (£50 if joining for the whole year and £28 for 6 months.) Registration forms are available in church or from Fay, please ring 01205 723529.

The prize fund each month is 1/4 of the money taken each month. (That is why the prize money can vary.) The rest of the money goes to the Kirton Church Fund. The more people that join the higher the prize fund and the more money we raise for the church.

A reminder on data protection. All information (name, address and phone number) of Kirton Church Fund members is held solely for the purpose of managing Kirton Church Fund and is not passed on to any other organisation or used for any other purpose.

For more information about Kirton Church Fund please give Fay a ring. (01205 723529)

February 2019 Winners

1st PRIZE - £40.17 - TICKET NUMBER: 67
2nd PRIZE - £13.39 - TICKET NUMBER: 41

 

Help for families in debt crisis

The CAP (Christians Against Poverty) Debt Centre in Boston is now taking on new referrals after the Christmas spending spree comes home to roost. Families with debt repayments will be supported and some will be nominated for a spring/summer holiday. To contact CAP call 0800 3280006. CAP Boston is based at the New Life Community Church, Wash Road, Kirton.

 

Letters to the Editor

Dear Rachael, I hope this email finds you well and was wondering if my story would be of interest to Kirton News.

My name is Teddie Reid and I’m 20 years old and I am writing this email to inform you that on 16th April between 11am and 1pm i will be having all of my hair cut off to be donated to Little Princess Trust. Little Princess Trust provides wigs for young people under the age of 24years who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment and other illness.

The event will be public and held at the Coop in Kirton (where I work) at 18 station road where donations will be gratefully received, but I am also running a just-giving page online as the cost of making the wigs on average is around £550 and the charity is constantly trying to fulfil requests. I wondered if the event would be of interest to Kirton News to share some positive news and that featuring such a fundraiser might inspire our local community to give back when possible.

Please feel free to contact me and if possible come by and attend our event at the Kirton Coop. You’re more than welcome to cover the event on any social media outlets also should you wish as all support is greatly appreciated!

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I hope all of you at Kirton News have a great week!

Teddie Reid

Happy 20th Birthday Kirton Kids Club!

This is the year of our twentieth birthday! I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone but the club has moved on considerably since those first days of seven children at the after school sessions.

The idea of a kids club for the village originally came from the then local vegetable factories – which needed somewhere for their staff’s children to go between school ending and their staff shift end and the Primary School and I was asked to join a team to move the idea forward. Kirton Kids Club was born in 1998.

The charity itself opened in January 1999 as an after school facility housed in the Youth Centre at Kirton. It was set up with some funding from the vegetable factories and a small lottery grant.

There were two members of staff, a management committee and we opened term time only. Over the years we have held holiday clubs and opened the breakfast club too.

Unfortunately the holiday sessions – though really good fun and well attended – did not stack up financially and so we went back to our roots some years ago and Kirton Kids Club is still a before and after school childcare facility held in term time only.

We have been able to have a big storage room built and apart from the main dining area and hall we also rent a ‘chill out’ room for the older children.

We also managed to get funding and had an area outside covered in astro turf, had benches and tables put down and a wonderful climbing wall/ tower slide put in place for the children too, there is a sand and mud kitchens and a water fun area.

We also grow fruit trees and plant up raised bed and flowers each year. Over the years we have been helped financially by various local companies and charities – of which we are very grateful.

But the majority of our funds are gained from the fees we charge – although kept low to enable more parents/carers to access the facility, we are a non profit making charity and any spare money is put back into new toys and equipment for the children when possible.

I would like to thank all parents/carers and children who have supported the club over the last 20 years – all the helpers, staff and funders who have and continue to help us each year.

Thank you also goes to Staff and Committee Members who have helped make Kirton Kids Club the success it is today – twenty years on. Here is to another twenty!

 

Second Litter Pick For Community
Group Finds Bouncy Surprise

Facebook group Flytipping Watch Boston & Local held their second community litter pick this weekend, and uncovered an unusual flytip in a dyke. The route, starting at Fenside’s Grange Wood, saw the group of eager volunteers walk around Washdyke Lane and Fenside Road for 2 hours.   Local residents from Washdyke Lane and Fenside Road initially approached Flytipping Watch, raising concerns about the high level of rubbish around the area, and following the pick were highly complementary at the restoration and revitalisation of their local area.   Whilst out, the group found an abandoned bouncy castle, and a significant quantity of discarded waste.

Speaking of the work, Flytipping Watch founder, Mark Douglass said: “Our second community litter pick in Boston has been phenomenal. The turnout was superb and the volume of litter that we picked was staggering. It’s saddening that there is such a large quantity, but equally as honourable that there are so many like-minded people who are focused on wanting to revitalise our beloved town. A huge thanks to the 30 members of the public who came and supported us, and special thanks to Mark from Guardian Ground Control who kindly brought his vehicle and trailer to assist with collection of additional and bulky waste. Further thanks to Boston Woods Trust in letting us use their car park as a base location”

 

South Lincolnshire Blind Society

We are South Lincolnshire Blind Society. We help Blind and Partially Sighted people across the South Lincolnshire area to live as independently as possible by providing advice, emotional support, equipment, information on different eye conditions, home visiting by trained volunteers and telephone befriending. We also have a variety of groups and clubs ranging from coffee and social mornings, craft clubs, books clubs, lunch clubs and even a swimming club to help tackle social isolation and enable them to stay independent. Do you or do you know someone who might need our help??

We are very reliant on our wonderful volunteers who help with our fundraising, social clubs, home visiting and telephone befriending but are always looking for more – Can you help? Do you have a few hours to spare and would like to make a difference to someone??

Call our helpline today 01476 592775 or e-mail: slbs@blind-society.org.uk, visit our website: www.blind-society.org.uk or find us on Facebook. Open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm. 14 Finkin Street, Grantham, Lincs, NG31 6QZ.

 

Kirton Parish Council Meeting Minutes
- Jan 2019

Public Forum

One resident attended to give members an update on his battle to get decent broadband in Kirton Holme. He told members that he has arranged a meeting for residents to discuss their requirements/problems etc on 7th February at Hubberts Bridge Community Centre.

Mr Watts came from the Borough to give members a brief insight into what is permissible/not permissible within a conservation area. He discussed article 4 action which would take approximately 2 years to complete should it be decided on by the Council but would protect those things that are deemed important within the Conservation Area, in that it could remove permitted development rights.

Chairman’s comments

The Chairman reported that the gate had been erected to block the entrance to Kings Court over the Christmas period.

She also asked members to help with the wreath collection in the cemetery in February. The Clerk will email all nearer the time. Cllr Foster will provide a trailer.

The repaired footpath from the Town Hall to Kings Court was vandalised after being repaired. The Clerk will look on the CCTV to see if the incident is on there. Cllr Danby is keen for restorative justice to be served. The Clerk has spoken to the Police who will help with identifying the culprit.

Apologies for absence and reason given

Cllr P Watson, M Brookes, C Rylott D Danby and C Sharp sent their apologies and reasons for absence which were accepted by the Council.

Receipt of any declarations of interest in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act

Cllr Bemrose declared a personal interest in Town Hall on the agenda as her mother is Chairman.

Cllr Ransome declared an interest in Planning as she is Vice Chairman on the planning committee at the Borough, she will take no part in discussions in this item. Cllr Ransome is also a member of the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan committee.

Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting

It was resolved that the notes of the meeting held on the 20th December 2018, previously circulated, should be recorded as the minutes.

Police Matters

PC Jon Thornton and PCSO Neil Williams informed members that there had been 5 crimes reported since the last meeting:

1 x burglary – undetected, 1 x arson of a vehicle – under investigation, 1 x murder – ongoing investigation, 1 x theft – undetected, 1 x assault – under investigation.

They mentioned an ongoing issue with one resident who is now the subject of a community protection warning notice. Cllr Turner agreed to write a statement on behalf of the council.

PC Thornton also asked for the views from the council of having an event within the village at Halloween.

Matters for the attention of Lincolnshire County Councillors/Boston Borough Councillors

Cllr Austin reported that following on from her meeting with Andy Wharf at Highways, the A16 roundabout was discussed again. It was thought that the red painted area from Boston to Spalding side, was really faded.

The new grit bin on Skeldyke Road has now been delivered.

Accounts for payment

Members were given the 3rd ? figures to digest.

It was resolved to accept the payments as per payment sheet dated January 2019 10 of 12.

Report from the minutes of the previous meeting

Potholes reported on A16 at the roundabout to LCC.

Overgrown bushes/hedges at A16/Station Road reported again to LCC

I have been chasing up the training to be offered to those volunteers who wished to be involved with the speed gun training. I will be getting in touch with the volunteers in the next week to get suitable dates for them to attend training as I now have a trainer available.

Facebook request for volunteers sent as only 2 of the residents previously stating an interest have confirmed that they want training. Confirmation needed from members whether to pursue this or not.

Report to Council that now I have 10 names of volunteers across the Parish who wish to take part. Just waiting for the Community Speed Watch coordinator to come back regarding dates for training

Chased the coordinator again to try and get a training date set. Not replied to my emails yet.

Uneven pavement reported on the pavement on the Frampton side of Horseshoe Lane, in poor state of repair. Was scheduled to have been done but never carried out. Reported to LCC ref 342401.

LCC report that they need to investigate this matter further

Contacted the Enforcement Officer at the Borough regarding the responsibility time frames for the developers of Thomas Middlecott Drive regarding their play equipment maintenance.

Enforcement Officer confirmed that this play park area is under the responsibility of the Borough Council – he has contacted Matt Fisher and asked that he follow up.

Contacted Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership regarding the crossing issues on Station Road, I have asked for their help in enforcing the double yellow lines outside the Kebab shop plus have asked about the possibility of having the columns to the ‘z brites’ changed to illuminated ones.

Contact received from the Borough regarding the windows at the Town Hall – they don’t need planning permission nor do they need building regulations, but we must complete a building notice for the change from wooden to plastic. This will incur a fee of £130.00 (on finance page)

Potholes on Sykemouth Drove reported to LCC ref:343706 – photos which Cllr Smith sent to Cllr Brookes also added to report

Following on from the fire on Peartree Lane on New Years Eve, the Police have accessed the CCTV in the Town Hall and retrieved some very good quality clear pictures for their investigation.

Enforcement Officer confirmed that the new Cake Shop does not need to apply for a change of use.

Correspondence received which the Council are invited to resolve on

a) Lincolnshire County Council – Temporary Road Closure – Kirton Holme – Essential maintenance works by Telec Utilities – Hammond Beck Bank (between Sandpit Lane and Holme Road)

b) Emails received from resident at Kirton End requesting that the Parish Council set up a meeting with the residents of the group KEROTD (Kirton End Residents Opposed to Development) and the Borough Planning Department as think that the Planning Department is not acting as they should regarding developments that KEROTD are opposing.

Members resolved not to get involved with this spat with this resident and the Planning Department.

c) Lincolnshire County Council – Temporary Road Closure – Kirton – Bungley Lane – for essential maintenance works by Harlaxton Engineering.

d) Lincolnshire County Council – Temporary Road Closure – Kirton End – Essential works by Telec Utilities – Kirton Holme road (between B1391 Donington Road and a point 140 meters North West)

Town Hall

No meeting held since last Parish Council meeting as put back until next week.

Cemetery

It was proposed by Cllr Turner that the footpaths within the cemetery need to be extended to the new gate level. It was further proposed that the Garden of Remembrance gravel path should also be extended but also upgraded to tarmac too. This was resolved. Clerk to get quotations for the work.

Parish matters

1) Reports from committee meetings held since last Council meeting.

None held

2) Update on Park Inspections Nothing new raised.

3) Neighbourhood Planning – Cllr Turner to discuss – plus further to insert in meeting envelope sent to all members

A steering group made up of 4 councillors and the Chairman of the Town Hall will all read the document which makes up Horncastle’s Neighbourhood plan, then formulate their own plans.

4) Meeting dates for 2019 – consider approval of.

It was resolved to approve the meeting dates for 2019 as per sheet prepared by Clerk.

Reports for Various Bodies

Cllr Hannay asked when the wreaths would be removed from the War Memorial. Cllr Turner said he would contact the British Legion and ask them to arrange it. It was also resolved to get in touch with the lady who supplied and put up the poppies on the railings of the War Memorial and ask her to remove them too if she wants to keep them, otherwise they would be removed at the same time as the wreaths.

Planning applications:

First floor rear extension at 32 Boston Road, Kirton - NO OBJECTIONS

Outline application with some matters (layout, appearance, landscaping and scale) reserved for later approval for up to three residential detached dwellings and private access road at Land North of Millstone, Donington Road, Kirton End - Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides for the protection of wild birds - there are Owl boxes positioned around the site.  These should not be disturbed.  The land is prime agricultural land and should not be used for building on.  The site is outside the curtilage of the village. 

Members were informed that an appeal has been raised with the Planning Inspectorate with regards to planning application B/18/0346 – Outline application for residential development (up to 8 dwellings) with all matters reserved for later approval at Land west of Millview, Donington Road, Kirton End.

 

Frampton Gardening Club

The February meeting of the Frampton Gardening Club was a timely reminder to go out into the garden and prune the the fruit trees and bushes before the new spring growth begins.

Our speaker, Trevor Rogers, gave members an expert lesson on correct pruning methods to create both shape and increased fruiting for our trees. He answered various questions regarding the problems experienced by overgrown and unruly plants, and gave useful information regarding how, and importantly, when, to prune.

Our next meeting is on Thursday 28th March, at Frampton Village Hall, at 7.30pm. The speaker that evening will be Tom Holland, who is very popular and provides inspiration for Spring and Summer colour in the garden. He also brings with him a range of home grown plants for members to buy at good value.

The club is organising a coach trip to Peter Beales Roses near Norwich on Tuesday 18th June, to enjoy a wonderful, seasonal guided tour of the picturesque rose gardens which should be at their very best. The club will be taking deposits for seats at the March meeting, if you are interested in this, or any other of our activities, please come along for a warm welcome and refreshments, among like minded people.

Maggie Welberry

The View from the Vicarage

As you read this edition of the Kirton News we in the Churches will be getting ready to enter Holy Week and prepare ourselves for Easter.  One of my special days is always Palm Sunday, and I find myself asking, were the same people in the Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem and in the crowds which demanded Jesus's execution a few days later. Perhaps some of the same people were at both events. More likely, however, they were two very different crowds. The former was made up of his followers and friends from Galilee, the latter from the wandering mobs that characterize any city on a big festival day.

When I was a little boy I was upset and saddened by the way in which grown-ups often behaved. Adults told us children that we should always be honest, caring and truthful at all times. Integrity was something that was held high before us. Yet I was aware that most adults did not practice what they preached.

Palm Sunday's drama is a powerful reminder of the credibility gap that exists in real life. How could a group of followers shout “Hosanna” one minute, then “away with him, crucify him”, the next?  How do we make sense of this change in the crowd?

Let me tell you of something that helped me to understand this strange phenomenon.

In 1973 English FA Cup Final took place on 5 May 1973 at Wembley Stadium. The final was contested between Leeds United, who were one of the dominant football teams at the time, and Sunderland, a mere second division side. Sunderland established their tactics immediately from the kick off, tackling fiercely and defiantly with an unremitting determination. Leeds looked anxious, lacking their usual composure. The match itself was decided by two crucial moments that would be talked about for years to come.

The turning point of the match came mid-way through the second half. Montgomery Sunderland’s goal keeper dived to clear away a close range header. It fell into the path of  a Leeds player who blasted goal ward but Montgomery, Sunderlands goal keeper  managed to divert the ball on to the underside of the cross bar.. Sunderland had defeated the champions. Victory went to the underdog!

The manager of Sunderland football club, one Bob Stokoe and his team returned from London to the North east of England hailed as champions. An open top bus, FA Cup trophy held high, and the literally thousands of fans lined the streets and cheered, almost like Hosanna! Hosanna! It was for the city of Sunderland a Palm Sunday experience.

The team, and more importantly the manager were treated like gods, for let’s not forget that the English think football is far more important than religion! Yet from 1973 to the beginning of the next season, the goal scoring and high flying 1st Division football did not continue, and in the matter of a few short months, that same joyous crowd was baying for blood. The manger must go. The sacrificial lamb must be slaughtered. I will never forget how the crowd turned on that manager.

Today we see again fickle humanity at work– one minute “Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”, and only days later – “Away with Him, we have no king but Caesar.” Jesus the healer, the forgiver of sins, the kind man, and the one who released people from their heavy burdens, now is himself condemned for nothing other than goodness!

Palm Sunday reminds me of human weakness, human fickleness, and human cowardice.  Will you walk with Jesus in this most Holy of Weeks, right to the end, through thick and thin, through pain and suffering, even through the rejection dereliction and defeat?