It`s all in a day`s work for Seb - South Kesteven District Council

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Issue twenty - February/March 2009
today
ASBOs
Do they
really work?
Food safety Checking
the scores
on the doors
Good business
A round up
of events
and news
Saving
Lives
It’s all in a day’s
work for Seb
Latest news from South Kesteven District Council
02
www.southkesteven.gov.uk
Find out how Jim fixed it for
three-year-old Ethan.
See page 6
.
.
.
e
d
i
s
In
06
today
Cover: Meres lifeguard, Seb
Firman tells us how saving
lives is all in a day’s work.
See page 12.
07
05
Catch up with the latest
business events and news.
See page 9
09
Lee Buff turned his life
around with the help of an
ASBO.
More on page 5
How safe is your food? More
about the five star food
hygiene award.
See page 13
13
12out more!
Community grants find
Is your community centre
condemned? Is your playground
past it? Does your village hall
need a new roof?
Find out if your community project
could qualify for a grant from the
Capital Funding for Village Halls,
Community Centres and Youth
Facilities Scheme at one of a series of
workshops planned for February. The
scheme, designed to contribute to the
costs of major development of
community facilities, welcomes
applications from non-profit making
voluntary and community groups,
parish and town councils.
The grants, for up to 2/3rds of
capital cost to a maximum of £33,333,
will be awarded on a priority basis to
projects which meet strict criteria.
The scheme is jointly administered
and funded by both the county and
district councils. The closing dates for
the next round of funding are 1 March
2009 and 1 August 2009. Find out
more at the Lincolnshire County
council-run workshops in our area on
3 February.
If you can’t make it to one of the
workshops, SKDC’s healthy
communities team can help you with
further information. Please contact
Phil Jordan by email
[email protected] or call
01476 406074.
Workshops in our area
Market Deeping The Deepings
Community Centre, 12.00-2.00pm
Sleaford The Source Multi-use
Centre, Riverside Church,
Southgate, Sleaford 6.00-8.00pm
Funding categories include:
I Major improvement and/or
essential and urgent
maintenance work to
existing community
buildings
I New or replacement village
halls and community centres
I Multi-purpose facilities
which incorporate an
additional service like a post
office or shop
I Recreation projects including
play areas and equipment.
Tell me why?
In the last issue we answered Baston
resident Steve Sherman’s questions
about recycling. Do you have a
burning question or a curious
interest about the work of your local
council? Send your questions to
[email protected].
We’ll search out the answer for you
and print some of the most
interesting ones in future issues.
sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009
Calling all carers
ost of us juggle busy lives,
but for carers providing
support for a relative, partner or
friend, the pressures can be
enormous. More than six million
people, including 175,000 young
carers under the age of 18, give
their time in this way - that's one
in eight people in the UK.
Crossroads is a national charity
which provides respite care to give
carers a break. Grantham couple
Tony and Wendy Burns have been
campaigning to enable Crossroads
to open a branch in Grantham and
possibly other towns in the
district. The couple will host an
open meeting in January to raise
awareness of the service, identify
potential funding and
demonstrate evidence of need.
M
“We’d like as many people as
possible who might benefit from
Crossroads’ service to come along.
Crossroads were an enormous
help to us when we were carers, so
when we moved to this area we
were dismayed to find that there is
no branch in this area,” explains
Tony.
The meeting is planned for
11.30am, 30 January at the
Manners Street Community
Council Tax – don’t
cancel your direct debit
f you pay your council tax by direct
debit please don’t cancel your
arrangement after your January
payment. That’s the message from
Clare Boswell, SKDC’s customer
services manager.“Council tax is
collected over 10 months of the year
from April to January, and every year
hundreds of residents cancel their
direct debits straight after the January
payment – the final instalment of the
year,” explains Clare.
I
“We get many calls from people who
are concerned that we will take extra
payments in February and March.
There’s no need to worry. We stop
collection automatically for February
and March after the final payment so
please don’t cancel your existing
direct debit and then set up a new
one from April – there’s no need. Just
leave it to us.”
Council tax update
As we went to print we were
preparing to attend local forum
meetings throughout the
district to give you the chance
to comment on our budget
plans for 2009/10. Thanks to
everyone who responded to our
questionnaire about council tax
in the last issue and via the
website. Your comments and
views will be invaluable as we
finalise our spending plans and
council tax for next year.
Centre, North Parade, Grantham.
Please call beforehand as the
venue may change if numbers
increase.
Contact Tony Burns 01476
570780 or Mel Wheeler/Janet
Chowdhary at Crossroads on 0115
962 8923. Find out more about
Crossroads at
www.crossroads.org.uk and
www.manthorpenews.co.uk.
Have your
say on planning
strategy
ow’s your chance to voice your
views on how planning strategy
will shape our district over the next
18 years. The ‘Core Strategy’ has
been developed over the last three
years. Now, in the final stage of the
consultation process, you have six
weeks to comment on the proposals
before the strategy is submitted to
an independent planning inspector
for approval. The Core Strategy looks
at the ‘big picture’ rather than
specific development proposals. It
influences the scale and general
location of future developments, for
example whether new housing
should be built in our towns and
larger villages. To record your views
go to www.southkestevenconsult.limehouse.co.uk Or contact
the Planning Policy team on 01476
40 65 78 or 40 64 66 to request a
copy of the Core Strategy or
comment form by post.
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Mel Sinnott - anti-social
behaviour co-ordinator
For the second slot in our new series about some of the more
unusual jobs within SKDC, we caught up with Mel Sinnott, one of
the two anti-social behaviour co-ordinators in the community
safety team. A former stuntwoman and technical stage manager
with various touring theatre companies, Mel has worked for SKDC
for 18 years, and joined the community safety team last year.
What do you mean by anti-social
behaviour?
Anti-social behaviour is defined as
“Acting in a manner that caused, or
was likely to cause harassment, alarm
or distress to one or more persons not
of the same household.”
Common examples include:
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
problem neighbours
intimidation and harassment
rowdy, noisy or ‘yobbish’ behaviour
vandalism, graffiti
dealing or buying drugs on the
street
aggressive begging
street drinking
These ‘anti-social’ activities usually
have a negative effect on other
people’s lives. We in the community
safety team are committed to
investigating, tackling and preventing
this behaviour by working with those
affected by it, the perpetrators, the
police and other agencies.
What does an anti-social behaviour
co-ordinator do?
I investigate anti-social behaviour
complaints. When people call us, it is
usually because they are at the end of
their tether with their problem. Each
complaint is different so it’s important
to be a good listener and sometimes
listening is all that is required.
However, when it isn’t, I need to be
able get to the bottom of what’s
wrong. Having done that I look to
resolve the issues with the people
involved and this can be done in
several ways. I also work hand in hand
with other agencies depending on the
needs of the particular incident. As a
co-ordinator I have a preventative and
proactive approach to anti-social
behaviour.
What exactly is an ASBO?
In England and Wales, an anti-social
behaviour order or ASBO is a civil
order made by a court and which
places restrictions on a person over
the age of 10. First introduced by the
government in 1998, an ASBO is an
official, legally binding contract issued
for a minimum of two years by a
judge. When it has been decided that
there is nothing else that will solve the
problem then I will work closely with
any witnesses, any other agencies and
the police and gather all the evidence
required, and as a last resort apply to
the court for an ASBO.
Once an ASBO has been made it is
then monitored by us on a regular
basis but the police enforce any
breaches of the order.
What else does your job involve?
Well, I get out and about a lot, I work
with schools to promote activities and
encourage positive behaviour with
young people; I may visit a resident
who has made a complaint and I may
Mel catches up wi
th pupils at
St Hugh's C of E Ma
thematics and
Computing College
, Grantham.
also visit the perpetrators. We work
with businesses that may be suffering
the effects of anti-social behaviour. We
can put in covert surveillance cameras
where there are repeated problems.
Where problems do persist I work
closely with the police or other
agencies to gather evidence, firstly in
order to tackle and prevent further
activity, but which may ultimately be
presented in court.
You could say that we work to the
three principles of education,
engagement and enforcement.
What skills do you need for the job?
Definitely a good sense of humour,
good listening skills, knowledge and
understanding of the legislation and a
passion and commitment to
community safety within our
neighbourhoods.
What’s the best part of your job?
Ultimately, it’s making a positive
difference within the community and
showing young people how the
direction of their lives could be
changed by making the right choices.
A great example of this is Leigh Buff
(see page opposite). He is living proof
of the positive benefits an ASBO can
have on someone’s life.
To report an anti-social incident call
Freephone 0800 183 02 79
sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009
Turning my
life around
ASBO rather than another prison
hen you’ve been in and out of
sentence.”
trouble for most of your life, it
The ASBO was requested by
can be difficult to see how you’d
SKDC’s anti-social behaviour team
change the pattern of a lifetime. But
and Lincolnshire police as a result of
that is exactly what Leigh Buff has
numerous incidents of disorder in
done with the help of an ASBO and
Grantham town centre.
SKDC’s Community Safety Team.
Leigh said of receiving the ASBO
sktoday caught up with Leigh
“Prison is hard but an ASBO has been
to find out more.
the biggest challenge for me as I am
“I was bullied for being big at
the only person who
school which made
can stop myself
me a very angry
getting into trouble.
young man. An older
friend taught me
Prison is hard but You need to change
how to look after
an ASBO has been things for yourself and
I have used all the
myself and one day I
the biggest challenge skills I learnt on my
decided to start
fighting back.
for me as I am the anger management
Unfortunately all it
only person who course to help me
through.”
did was get me in to
can stop myself
Having met Leigh
trouble and I was
eventually expelled.” getting into trouble. you get a sense of
someone who is very
Over the years
thoughtful, who wants
through the
to change and make
Probation Service,
more of his life.Whilst on the ASBO
Leigh has been on an Intensive
Leigh has kept out of trouble, found
Controlling Change Programme
love with his partner Zara, become a
and he has even had a tag. Leigh
father and started working for SKDC’s
learnt a lot about controlling his
street scene team.
behaviour but unfortunately one
Leigh continues “I’m in a job I like
night whilst out in town a group of
but now that I have a family of my
men starting picking on one of his
own I want to improve and create a
friends and when Leigh intervened,
better life for them. I want to make a
it landed him in prison for three
difference and give something back.
months.
The judge gave me a second chance
On release from prison Leigh
and if I can use my experiences to
found he had lost his job and had
keep others out of trouble then it will
nowhere to live. Leigh recalls:“I
have all been worthwhile. I hope to
seemed to get into trouble for the
be able to work across the district
smallest thing, because of my size,
with the antisocial behaviour team,
and who I was. Then in April 2007 I
who have been brilliant. All I want
was up in Court in front of District
now is a chance to start again with a
Judge Richard Blake who gave me
clean sheet. If I can change then
one more chance by giving me an
anyone can.”
W
Leigh Buff - living proof
of the positive benefits an
ASBO can have.
Local Crime,
Community
Sentence?
T
he probation service is
running a series of free
workshops to help boost
understanding of ‘community
sentencing’, where instead
of serving a prison sentence,
offenders complete
unpaid work in the
community supervised
by the probation service.
The workshops involve an
interactive session where
participants analyse a crime
and get to act as ‘judge’.
The free workshops, which
last 1½ hours, are open to
any community groups and
can be scheduled to fit your
requirements. Interested?
Call Rachel Martel on
01522 580460 or e-mail
rachel.martel@lincolnshire.
probation.gsi.gov.uk
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Jim fixed it for Ethan
little boy with a love of rubbish
trucks was given a day to
remember thanks to SKDC’s street
scene staff who fixed it for him to ride
on one for his birthday.
Three-year-old Ethan Woollard of
Bourne spent a day with street scene’s
very own “Jim’ll Fix it” - team leader
James Reeder-Smith - and his team
who made him his own high visibility
jacket for his special trip on board.
Ethan’s grandmother, Mrs Debbie
Woollard, of Market Deeping, wrote to
SKDC asking if her grandson could sit
in the cab of a refuse lorry.
“I just want to say thankyou all so
much for Ethan's visit - he had a really
wonderful time and hasn't stopped
talking about it since! SKDC really
went the extra mile and I cannot thank
them enough.”
A
Celebrating 20 years of SKDC’s helpline service
hristmas Eve marked a very special
birthday: 20 years of our care centre
and the start of our helpline service.
The helpline service allows us to
keep an eye on over 5,600 vulnerable
residents across the district and
respond to their support needs. Since
1988, many residents have received
vital emergency help.
A special alarm telephone in the
residents’ homes is linked to a central
control station - the care centre - that
operates 24 hours a day, every day of
the year. When a resident presses the
red alert button on either the
telephone unit or on a special pendant,
they are automatically connected to an
operator at the care centre, day or
night, 365 days a year - there is always
someone at the end of the phone to
answer a call.
The operator knows immediately
where the alarm call has been made,
and will assess the level of help and
support needed and organise any
further help required. This may just
involve a visit from the mobile
warden, or making contact with the
family, a local doctor or alerting the
C
Stamford resident Peter Cook chats to SKDC’s Sue Graham. With the help of
his helpline alert pendant he can continue to live independently in his own
flat safe in the knowledge that help is at hand should he fall or need help.
emergency services.
Steve Cullington, supported housing
manager said:“The dedication and
commitment from all our staff over the
last 20 years has meant the services we
provide have always been recognised
by our customers and partners as
being of a high standard and
responsive to need, which has resulted
in good levels of customer satisfaction.
The alarm monitoring service is
available from as little as £3 per week. If
you would like more iformation or you
would like to talk to us about the
service please call the care centre on
01476 406375.
sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009
Migrant workers
Exploding the myths
ou don’t have to ask many people to hear a host of varying opinions on the subject of migrant workers.
Whatever your viewpoint, people with different cultural backgrounds and migrant workers have
become an enduring feature of our local communities. One thing is certain, there are many myths and
untruths which surround the subject. In this report we focus on migrant workers, look at the facts and meet
some of the people behind the statistics.
Y
What is a migrant worker?
A migrant worker is anyone who moves
from place to place to look for work.
Anyone from any of the 27 EU member
states has a legal right to live and work
in the UK so long as they have a
national insurance number and (for
people from new member states
accepted in 2004) a valid worker
registration certificate. Migrant workers
pay national insurance and income tax
like everyone else.
MYTH BUSTER:
DID YOU KNOW?
Migration is a two-way street.The
Institute for Public Policy Research
estimates that there are around 5.5
million British citizens living or
working abroad.
The make up of our
migrant population
Migrant workers move from place
to place and so it’s difficult to
estimate exactly how many there
are in a particular area at a given
time. Of the migrant population
in our district, we can estimate the
make-up of the different
nationalities living and
working here:
I
42% Polish
I
24 % Lithuanian
I
16% Portuguese
I
18% other nationalities including
Filipino, Brazilian, Slovakian,
Indian and Czech.
MYTH BUSTER: DID YOU KNOW
Around 90% of migrants are in
full time employment, the vast
majority in unskilled manual jobs
- even though almost half have a
college or university education.
What about benefits and
council housing?
Migrants are not automatically entitled
to benefits, nor do they get priority over
local people for council housing.They
must apply for benefits and housing in
the same way as everyone else.There
are extra criteria that migrants need to
satisfy to get benefits, and if they do
qualify, they receive the same level of
benefit as a local person.
What’s the council’s role?
The council administers benefit claims,
council tax and local services for all
residents, whether they are local or
migrant people. SKDC’s Elaine Claridge
has some involvement with equality and
diversity issues. She told us:“Many EU
countries don’t operate a local ‘council
tax’ system so it’s an alien concept for a
lot of migrants.We aim to do more work
with community groups in the future to
explain how local services are paid for.
Occasionally, language can be a barrier
and we’re able to provide some of our
information leaflets in other languages if
we’re asked to.”
MYTH BUSTER:
THE LANGUAGE BARRIER
For the vast majority of migrants,
English is already their second
language; most are very keen to
improve their communication
skills. In fact for many, improving
their English is the main reason
for wanting to work here.
Should I stay or I go?
By their very nature, migrant
workers come and go as they
follow opportunities for work.
Some decide to stay for the long
term. We talked to Marie WelbyEverard. Here’s her story:
Marie’s story
Marie WelbyEverard first came
to England from
the Czech
Republic in 1996
to work as an au
pair. She planned
to stay for a
couple of years
to learn English;
12 years on,
she’s still here!
After meeting
and marrying
Patrick in 2000, they chose to
make their home in Frieston be to
near to Patrick’s family. They have
two young children, Misha, six
and Daniel, four. Marie is a selfemployed registered childminder.
Although a fully-fledged member
of the local community in
Caythorpe and Frieston, Marie still
thinks of the Czech Republic as
‘home’. The family makes twiceyearly visits to see her parents,
older brother and extended
family in her home town west of
Prague. In the future, Marie and
Patrick dream
of building and settling in a
house on the farm Marie grew
up on and where her parents
still live.
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Seeing the ability
espite great progress in recent
years, disability in the workplace is
still seen by some as a taboo subject.
People with a disabling or long-term
health condition often meet barriers
to finding and retaining work, and
some employers find it difficult to see
their potential or lack the know-how
to provide a suitable working
environment. However, things are
changing. Employment Opportunities,
a Lincolnshire-based national charity,
is dedicated to helping people with
disabilities and health conditions to
find work. Its local team in Stamford
offers expert advice and support to
both individuals and businesess across
the south of the region and Rutland.
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Volunteers
needed
o you have time on your
hands? Could you offer
companionship and social
support to an older person in
your neighbourhood? The Orders
of St John Care Trust is appealing
for volunteers to join its home
visit programme.
The national charity is best
known for its work in running
residential care homes, but over
the last ten years it has built up
a busy volunteer programme.
Now, working with the Sheltered
Housing Schemes in Grantham,
it is planning to extend its
volunteer visiting service to older
people in their own homes. If
you think you could help or if
you are interested in finding out
more about how the service
could help you or someone you
know, please contact Anita Rudd,
Activities & Volunteer Manager
OSJCT on 01522 813 111
D
To find out more about how
Employment Opportunities can help
you or your business, please contact
Sue Peck, Employment Services
Manager, on 01780 758545 or at
[email protected]. You can also
visit www.opportunities.org.uk.
Jane’s story
Jane Wass, from Allington, had been a
teacher for 25 years before she began
to suffer from depression, which
eventually led to a breakdown. Her
confidence disappeared and she was
unable to answer the telephone or go
outside alone. Despite the unwavering
support of her family, Jane felt that
she needed to take control and
improve the quality of her life. She
visited her local Jobcentre Plus office
and signed up for a Government
backed scheme delivered by
Employment Opportunities.
Within weeks Jane found her selfesteem and confidence improving.
She was soon able to apply for jobs
and quickly found work with local
financial assistance company, Totemic.
Her confidence continues to grow and
she now works as sales and project
administrator for a design business in
Grantham. Jane has regained control
of her life. Her husband is so happy to
have his wife back, and her children
have their mother again. In her own
words,“The real Jane has finally
reappeared after ten long years.”
And the winner of the prize draw is...
racy Neal (left), the owner of the
ABC Nursery in Tallington village,
won SKDC's business survey prize
draw, receiving a cheque for £250
which she plans to spend on some
large outdoor play equipment.Tracy,
who lives in Ryhall, started the
nursery 19 years ago after qualifying
as a nursery nurse. Both her children,
Kristian (11) and sister Devon (9)
attended the nursery.
The annual business survey covers
all businesses in the district and
the responses help the economic
development team focus its
resources to the meet the needs of
all businesses.Tracy is pictured
with Cllr Frances Cartwright,
portfolio holder for economic
development, and some children
from her nursery.
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sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009
09
The spirit of
new enterprise
o you dream of starting your own
business? Do you want to be your
own boss? SKDC’s economic
development team is supporting a
series of free events aimed at giving
your new business venture a boost.
Gone are the days when you had to
have years of business experience
under your belt before considering a
start-up of your own: nowadays many
people are taking the plunge - and if
you're reading this, you've already
taken your first steps to joining them.
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The first two courses - ‘Establish,
Develop, Succeed’ - will run at:
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Earlesfield Youth Club on
Wednesday,11 February from 10am12noon
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Harrowby Lane Methodist Church
on Tuesday 24 February from 1pm3pm
In March,‘Is it for You?’ will run in the
Guildhall Arts Centre on March 18
from 6pm – 8pm.
If you wish to attend any of the
above please ring to register on 0845
050 1050.
Said SKDC’s economic
development officer Barbara Copley:
“We recognise that we need to nurture
small businesses in SK – there’s a lot of
talent in the area and these events are
a great opportunity for people to get
together for some fresh ideas and a
confidence boost, especially if they are
just starting out.”
Pictured above are women from
across the district who attended the
recent ‘Motivate Me’ event at the
Bourne Corn Exchange.
The future’s bright…
the future’s green!
bi Heath, the owner of Grantham’s
Café Leo, has scooped the 2008
Green Business of the Year Award,
sponsored by SKDC, in the Grantham
Journal’s Annual Business Awards.
A delighted Abi talked sktoday
through some of the new initiatives
which clinched her the title:
“New projects included recycling all
our recyclable waste through our own
waste disposal provider which keeps
landfill to a minimum; this is in addition
to sourcing biodegradable cups and
unbleached bags and sourcing food
from local producers as much as
possible which keeps both our food
miles and CO2 emissions down.
A
“We have also created a garden to
support wildlife in the town centre by
attracting birds and insects. We are in
this for the long term; for us, it’s more
about an ongoing ethic of considering
the environmental aspect of decisions
and choices we have to make about
the business. A greener future is
definitely the way forward.”
Said Cllr Frances Cartwright,
portfolio holder, economic
development:“Café Leo has managed
to demonstrate a true commitment to
green values in a thoughtful and
practical way and they deserve this
recognition for their efforts.”
Getting motivated around the
table are Barbara Copley (SKDC),
Sheila Davenport (MD Infodex),
Emma Chapman (Chief Exec,
Welland Enterprise Agency), Lisa
Spencer-Arnell (MD, CCS Coaching
International) and Heather Smith
(owner, Arty Party Cakes)
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Haconby
Two Cs or
not two Cs?
CCTV feature - 1.5 pages - written
Chris to contact Rob Hughes for pic
shoot
Long Bennington piece on converted
homes - 0.5 pages
RG toThat
contact
re According
pic requirements
aconby or Hacconby?
is the Chris
question!
to the locals, although you’ll see it
and
to
write
article
spelled both ways, the single C is widely accepted as the norm for this small, pretty village
located just off the A15 three miles north of Bourne.The name Haconby, pronounced‘hack-onbee’, is from the Old Scandinavian Hakon+by, for "farmstead of Hakon" and it was listed as
Hacunesbi in the Domesday Book in 1086.The small hamlet of Stainfield lies a mile to the
west, and together they make up the parish Haconby & Stainfield.
H
Then and now
Although Haconby now has few
amenities of its own, at the end of
the 19th century it boasted a tailor,
a wheelwright, a grocer, a draper,
post office, butcher, baker and
jeweller – a veritable shopping
centre! These days it’s well served by
the neighbouring village of Morton
with its shops and primary school.
St. Andrew’s church and The Hare
and Hounds form the social hub of
Haconby, the pub serving as regular
meeting place for local community
groups and the parish council. The
church is currently raising funds to
have a kitchen and toilet facilities
installed so it can be used for more
community events.
A rich history
As well as some beautifully preserved
buildings, Haconby’s history extends
much further. In Roman times, the
village was prime sheep pasturage.
Archeology reveals that up to 100,000
sheep were grazed in the parish.
Records show that in 1307 that the
King kept one ‘Gerfalcon’ (a large, rare
bird of prey) in the village;
interestingly, an 18th century map
shows the second smallest plot of land
as belonging to Royalty. Was this
perhaps the King’s Falconer's
territory? Haconby Hall was
orginally built in 1440 and rebuilt
on a smaller scale in 1660 after
being partially destroyed by fire. At
the time of the Civil War it was
owned by General Fynne, Oliver
Cromwell’s ‘aide-de-camp’ or right
hand man. Cromwell himself is said
to have slept in the former
brewhouse in the grounds of the
hall at the time of the battle of
Sempringham, five miles to the
north. The current owner, John
Atkinson, is a descendant of General
Fynne.
sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009
11
Heggy’s cottage ex
terior
Another building of note is Heggy’s
cottage next to the Hall. It’s a
charming example of a traditional
‘mud and stud’ cottage. Grade 2*
listed, it was completely rennovated by
the Atkinsons with the help of grants
from English Heritage 12 years ago.
Small is beautiful
The spire of St Andrew’s church
dominates the skyline but Haconby
also lays claim to a more modest
religious building. Built in 1867, the
Baptist Chapel at Haconby is the
smallest three-galleried chapel of
worship in England. It’s just 24 ft long
by 13 ft 6 in wide. It was originally
intended to seat 100 people just on
the ground floor, but local legend has
it that the builder made a mistake and
it was finished 18 inches smaller in
width. To make up for the lost seating
room, he added a three-sided gallery.
They are so close together that
worshippers can almost, but not quite,
shake hands with each other!
The tiny building of red brick and blue
slate was built in the main street on a
piece of land owned by Mr W Brown,
Rooted in agriculture
In the 19th century, most of the
families worked on the land owned
by the large land owners such as
the Earl of Ancaster, Thomas
Lawrence of Haconby Hall, William
Lawrence of Dunsby and Thomas
Brown. If the workers were able to
establish a long association with
Haconby they were allocated one
of 22 acres of land, known as ‘the
allotments’ at Haconby Top. The
plots, which they rented from Lord
Ancaster, allowed them to grow
their own crops. Today Haconby
and Stainfield Parish Council still
owns most of these allotments.
Even in more recent history, the
village has strong links with
farming. Haconby resident Joan
Curtiss moved to a tied cottage
with her family in 1947 at the age
of 11. She recalls how groups of
pigs would be herded from one
farm to the next to be ‘serviced’
and the activities of the ‘pig club’
where local people paid into a
fund to have a pig slaughtered at
Whitsun. Says Joan:“I can
remember the street was awash
with blood and water. You would
never get away with it these days!”
Senior. A peppercorn rent of £1 a year
was paid to him, and when he died in
1932, his estate, including the chapel,
was put up for sale. The people of
Haconby raised sufficient funds to buy
it for a bargain price of £50; equivalent
to just £1700 at today’s prices. It has
been in use ever since. Chapel services
are held on the second Sunday of
each month at 3pm.
Baptist Minister, David Hu
ghes
outside Haconby Baptist Cha
pel –
the smallest galleried cha
pel
in England.
This section of an 18th century map shows a small plot
as belonging to ‘Royalty’. Was this perhaps the King’s
falconer’s territory?
Inside the tiny chapel the upper
galleries are so close together that
worshippers can almost shake hand
s!
12
www.southkesteven.gov.uk
Leisure
‘Invisibility
cloak’ for
Grantham
Meres pool
erhaps more suited to Harry Potter,
a high-tech, invisible pool cover is
being trialled by Grantham Meres
Leisure Centre in a bid to slash its
electric bill.
No longer a thing of science fiction,
the Meres’ very own ‘invisibility cloak’
sits on the surface of the learner and
leisure pools to help reduce
evaporation and heat loss. This will
result in savings on water heating,
dehumidification and air heating.
Now for the science bit: this
product – called Heatsavr – is a biodegradable liquid, which forms a
transparent, monomolecular layer
(think very small – just one molecule
thick!) over the surface of the
swimming pool whenever it is calm.
In less technical terms, Heatsavr is a
mixture of carefully chosen, perfectly
safe ingredients which are lighter than
water and automatically float to the
pool surface. The particles of the liquid
are attracted to each other in such a
way that they always try to come
together to form a thin layer over the
whole pool surface. They are
individually so small that they are
measured in billionths of a metre.
An automatic dosing system
ensures that the correct amount of
Heatsavr is added to the pool at the
same time each day.
Unlike a conventional pool cover
which has to be removed from the
pool for swimming, Heatsavr breaks
apart whenever the water is
sufficiently disturbed but the
monolayer reforms whenever the
water becomes calm again.
Said centre manager Dulcie
Hardwick:”We are committed to a
greener future and are aiming to
reduce our utility consumption by 5%
over the next year. This is just one of
several ways we are trying to do this
and the initial results are very
positive.”
P
All in a day’s work for Seb
eres lifeguard Seb Firman put his
training into practice when a
child from a local school got into
difficulty during a school swimming
lesson. Seb (18) from Sleaford stayed
calm as his life saving training kicked
in and he brought the child out of the
pool to the safety of the poolside.
Explained Seb:“About 20 minutes
into the lesson I watched the boy
jump in and come up but then he
started to flounder and go under. I
jumped off my chair and dived in to
rescue him. The other lifeguard on
duty at the time pressed the drown
M
alarm to alert everyone else. I pulled
his head out of the water and towed
him to safety.”
Seb holds the National Pool
Lifeguard Qualification and has been a
full-time lifeguard at the Meres since
last September.
Said centre manager Dulcie
Hardwick:“Seb’s training kicked in; he
followed the rescue process to the
letter and it went completely to plan.
The child was shaken but quickly
recovered and has continued having
school swimming lessons with us.”
COMPETITION TIME
WIN T
ILLEGICAKETS TO SEE
L EAGLE
S
To win a pair of tickets to see the Illegal Eagles at The Meres on March 7,
simply answer the following question:
The Illegal Eagles will perform in the sports hall. How many people can
the hall seat?
a) 1,000
b) 1,200
c) 1,400
Send answers to: Sktoday Illegal Eagles competition, Communications
Unit, SKDC, St Peter’s Hill, Grantham, NG31 6PZ. Closing date is 28 February
2009 and the first correct entry drawn will win the tickets.
sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009
The Scores
on the Doors
Look out for the star rating window
sticker or certificate.
ave you ever thought about
how safe your food is when
you eat out or get a takeaway?
Have you ever wondered about
the ‘star rated’ food hygiene
certificates some outlets display
and what they mean? We’ve been
H
taking a closer look at the work your
council does to improve, monitor and
maintain hygiene standards wherever
food is processed, manufactured,
prepared, cooked and served.
SKDC is a founder member of a
growing number of local
authorities to adopt the ‘Scores
on the Doors’ five star food
hygiene rating standard. Almost
100 councils use the same rating
system which will soon be
adopted as a national standard.
Christian Polzin is a food health and
safety officer at SKDC. Part of his job is
to conduct food hygiene inspections.
From large food processing plants, to
restaurants, bars, cafés and even the
odd burger bar, Christian and his
colleagues have one aim in mind: to
keep you safer when you eat.“Typically,
during an inspection we scrutinise
every aspect of where and how food is
handled and prepared. From the way
ingredients are stored and rotated, to
the type of wall coverings and worktops
used, as well as the cleaning regime and
cooking methods. At every stage we’re
looking for evidence of good practice to
ensure the best possible standards of
food hygiene and safety. At the end of
an inspection, we score the premises
and give it a food hygiene rating based
on a five star system.We encourage
those premises who achieve three or
more stars to display their certificate
and window sticker in a prominent
position – it’s a great way of showing
their customers that they really put
food safety at the heart of their
business.”
There are 207 five star food business
and premises in South Kesteven
SKDC has over 1000 food
businesses and premises on its
database which have been
inspected and rated for food
safety and hygiene
But inevitably there are times when
standards aren’t ideal. So what happens
when the team opens a proverbial ‘can
of worms’? “Believe me, I’ve come close
to literally opening cans of worms!”
jokes Christian.“We do see some places
which give cause for concern, and in
cases where, in our judgement, there is
an imminent risk to health we will close
them down until we’re satisfied the
problems have been addressed. But
that happens very rarely. On the whole,
where improvements are needed, we
work with the businesses to help them
improve their processes and cleaning
regimes.We’ll inspect on a regular basis
to ensure the actions we’ve agreed
have been put in place. At the end of
the day, most of the premises we
inspect are businesses and it’s in their
interests to keep their customers safe”.
Appearances aren’t
everything!
Even if your local pub or café looks
clean and tidy, it’s worth asking what
their food hygiene rating is. According
to Christian, expensive fixtures and
shiny fittings can belie the truth about
how good the food safety is.“Despite
13
appearances, we have five star burger
vans on our books. I’m not suggesting
that burgers are the height of fine
cuisine, but if you buy one from a seller
with a high score you’re probably safer
– even if it does give you indigestion!”
Check out your local
If you want to know how your local
pub, restaurant or takeaway performs,
go to www.southkesteven.gov.uk and
follow the five star link.
Good for business
Carolyn Peet owns the Fryery Café
in Grantham, a five star premises.
She’s says having five stars is good
for business.“Having five stars
means so much to our business –
our customers love it – they know
we go the extra mile and put food
safety first. We’re incredibly proud
of our five star status – we’ve even
had T-shirts printed!”
14
www.southkesteven.gov.uk
Arts
GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE – GRANTHAM
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Friday 13 February • Dance • 7.30pm
Experience an explosive mix of Latin influences, live music, world beats,
dance and physical theatre in this exciting collaboration between British
composer Charlie Barber, Brazilian-born choreographer Jean Abreu and
the Mavron String Quartet. Featuring four male dancers (including Jean
Abreu) the work investigates the interaction between the quartet and
the performers as characters who converge and compete in a unique
portrayal of the urban condition.
£9.00 / £7.00 concessions
Flamenco Workshop
Friday 27 February • Workshop •
8.00pm – 10.00pm
Taught by an ex-professional
dancer, you will be introduced to
the fabulous art of Braceo (arms),
Taconeo (footwork) and Palmas
(hand clapping) culminating in a
short choreography. Wear what
feels comfortable; ideally a full
skirt for the ladies and strong
shoes or boots with a low solid
heel (no stilettos).
For 16 years + £7.00
Potted Pirates
Saturday 28 February • Comedy Drama •
3.00pm & 7.00pm
After the success of ‘Potted Potter’, double act
Dan and Jeff return with a new compressed
caper in search of talking parrots and
mysterious buried treasure in ‘Potted Pirates’.
Featuring thirty actors in full costume, this is
great family fun – even for those who don’t
know their skull and crossbones from their
pieces of eight! Suitable for 6yrs and over.
£7.50 / £6.00 concessions / £20.00 family
of four
Lola – The Life of Lola
Montez
Trestle Touring Company
Tuesday 31 March • Musical •
7.30pm
Lola is the true story of an
extraordinary Irish woman,
Elizabeth Gilbert, who convinced
the world she was a Spanish
dancer and went on to
international fame, seducing many
wealthy and influential men along
the way. Lola’s story is told
through her own words
accompanied by live flamenco
music from acclaimed flamenco
guitarist, Ricardo Garcia.
£9.00 / £7.00 concessions
For more details of all that’s happening at the Grantham Guildhall Arts Centre or to make
a booking, call the box office on 01476 40 61 58 or go online at www.guildhallartscentre.com
sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009
15
S TA M F O R D A R T S C E N T R E
Tales from the Magic Story
Bag with Polly Howat
Saturday 31 January
• kids • 10am & 11am
Interactive stories, some with puppets,
to delight and stimulate young
imaginations from this Lincolnshirebased storyteller.
10am to 10.30am for 4 to 7 years £2
11am to 11.45am for 7 to 12 years
£2.50
Adults are free but must stay.
The Pickwick Papers
European Arts
Lark Rise to Candleford
Featuring the Lark Rise Band - Friday 6 February • musical • 8pm
Music, song, dance and words taken from the classic book & plays by Flora
Thompson, painting a vivid picture of the final days of England’s vanishing
country ways and customs. £12/ £10 concessions
An Audience with
Benjamin Zephaniahn
Sunday 8 February • poetry •
7.30pm
Benjamin Zephaniah is best known for
his performance poetry with a political
edge for adults and groundbreaking
performance poetry for children. He
also has his own rap/reggae band and
has appeared on Desert Island Discs.
He is in constant demand
internationally to perform his work: he
is (he thinks) Nelson Mandela’s
favourite poet, and is the only
Rastafarian poet to be short-listed for
the Chairs of Poetry for both Oxford
and Cambridge University.
£17/£15 concessions
The Dancers’ Cut by
Shobana Jeyasingh Dance
Company
Wednesday 11 February • dance • 8pm
Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company is
celebrating its 20th Anniversary with a
performance that offers an insight into
some of their most exciting, intricate
and culturally ambiguous work.
Featuring fierce solos, intricate duets
and athletic trios The Dancers’ Cut tells
the human story of the people who
bring her choreography to life.“Daring”
The Guardian - “Startling”The Telegraph
“Shobana Jeyasingh is one of the most
gifted choreographers living and
working in Britain” Evening Standard
£9/£7.50 concessions
Tuesday 17 March • comedy • 8pm
Following European Arts’ hugely
successful tour of 'The Picture of
Dorian Gray', the company returns to
the 19th Century with an adaptation
of Charles Dickens' 'The Pickwick
Papers'. Featuring a versatile cast and
packed full of comic set-pieces, this
clever stage version follows the
eccentric Mr Pickwick, Sam Weller,
Jingle, Winkle, Mrs Bardell and The Fat
Boy as they traverse the country on
their haphazard journey. Expect
duelling, elopement, bribery, fisticuffs,
mistaken identity, near drowning,
cross dressing (and that's just in the
green room). This is Dickens as you've
never seen it before!
£9/£7.50 concessions/student
special £6
To book all the events on this page and all the other concerts and talks at Stamford Arts Centre, call the box
office on 01780 76 32 03 or go online at www.stamfordartscentre.com
16
sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009
Useful contacts
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sktoday is designed by DesignCounsell and printed by Progressive Printers Ltd. Photography by Chris Lowndes Photography and Gerry Wright Photography.
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About Sktoday
Don’t live in South Kesteven?
South Kesteven District Council produces
and distributes sktoday to every
household in the district at a cost of 22p
per copy. People tell us that they want to
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e-mail your comments and questions to
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The last word...
irst of all please let me wish you all
a very happy new year – and who
could have predicted what a
rollercoaster of a year 2008 would be.
In these uncertain times, all of
us here at SK understand the
difficulties that people are facing
and we are looking to provide
support in a number of ways. For
example, we’re working with the
Job Centre to provide support and
information through our Grantham
office and last autumn we set aside
money to provide a redundancy
support package for people who
were at risk of redundancy.
We’re also looking to do
everything we can to maintain
current business in the area whilst
at the same time looking to
encourage new businesses to
relocate here. On a positive note,
the number of VAT registered
businesses in the South Kesteven
district is increasing year on year,
and there are several companies in
Grantham that are growing in both
turnover and staff numbers.
Our economic development
team has developed a series of
initiatives which include business
start up events, employment
advice open days and business
development workshops (see p9),
and we are working on a business
trade event for the spring.
As with everyone, money is
tight and we are working hard to
limit our council tax increase whilst
balancing the need to maintain
over 100 vital services that we
provide.
I hope you’ll join me in staying
as positive and optimistic as
possible in 2009 and please make
good use of the services we
provide for all of you.
F
Linda.
Cllr Linda Neal - Leader SKDC
EXTRA TEXT AND STORIES