December News

LCC Snow Helpline 01522 782189

Ring if you know of any vulnerable adults who may need help. They will alert Age Concern or the British Red Cross for a volunteer to help with collecting medications, transport, heating, clearing snow and bringing food. The lifeline support has also been busy, checking people are OK. Tenant reps and Parish Councils also keep a list of people who might need help, but good neighbours are always welcome!

111 for urgent medical advice.

999 for Emergencies

BBC Radio Lincolnshire and web is informative

If your bins are not emptied; 01529 414155 or

NKDC Snow News at www.n-kesteven.gov.uk

Grit/Salting public paths

The Parish Councils have received an official letter explaining that people will not be prosecuted for adding grit, salt or clearing the snow off the public paths. The public grit boxes are needed for the public paths and cannot be used for private paths or it will not be there when it is needed. The number of grit boxes is restricted because of the difficulty getting round to fill them at busy times.

01522 782070 to report empty grit bins

Transport

A big thank you to Christine Kent who has agreed to help the Cliff Villages Voluntary Car Scheme. Journeys to medical facilities are subsidised. Leave a message for co-ordinator Edward Hennell on 01522 723365 or for Navenby ring Margaret Lyon. 01522 811132. Volunteer drivers are wanted in January.

Dial-a-ride 0845 456 4474 Drivers do help.

Call Connect callconnect@lincolnshire.gov.uk 0845 2343344 Concessionary fares apply and people with disabilities can get help.

Stagecoach ring 0845 605 0 605 or website.

Brylaine 01754 899088

Traveline information 0871 200 22 33

December Heroes The Lincoln Orpheus Male Voice Choir held a fantastic event for Help the Heroes at Harmston Church, following on at the Thorold Arms. Congratulations to a great team and thanks to David Steel for co-ordinating and to Alan Humphries for his Solos. New members are encouraged. Ring Tony on 01529 410072

Thanks to Val Rampton for standing in for Alan Megahay for 3 months whilst he was on Sabbatical in Zimbabwe. Welcome back to Alan and Elizabeth.

A huge thank you to Bill and Marion Goodhand who have served the village with tireless dedication for many years. They will continue but now retire from Welbourn Parish Council and from the Parish magazine.

Sheltered Housing: Congratulations!

This year inspectors awarded NKDC an A grade for all its sheltered housing services. Thanks to our team of wardens, tenant reps and the Lifeline Service and to residents for their support.

Giving Local support

A607

Thank you for your kind support on the improvements now in place. It is better, though of course, we would have liked the whole road redone. It should further improve after the top dressing next year completes the job.

NK Seniors' (over 50’s)

I attended the last event “Soup and Surprise” along with about thirty others. It was a good do. More members are welcome, either to attend or to keep in touch as a reference group to speak up for seniors. Contact Liz Peto on 01529 460757 lizpeto231@btinternet.com

Wellingore and District U3A

Like our sister organisations in Branston and Harmston, we continue to thrive. Monthly meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month at 10am in the Wellingore Memorial Hall. In addition, a host of interest groups include gardening, pub lunches, walks, history, theatre visits and a new antiques group just starting up. New members are welcome or you can come as a guest to see.

West Kesteven Wildlife Watch and RSPB Explorers continues to grow. Congratulations to Jake Beatty on becoming an assistant leader. We had around 25 people to the November monthly event, a fungal foray in Twyford Woods, led by our entertaining expert, Jane Ostler. The next event is the Christmas party in Welbourn Village Hall 10am on Saturday 11^th December for quiz, crafts and fun. Welcome all 8-13 year olds, and younger children, if accompanied. A calendar is available listing exciting, mainly local, events next year, including a big Wild Art Day, a visit to see the puffins at Bempton Cliffs and walk on the fossil rocks at Filey.

Trees

The Woodland Trust is inviting people to photograph "My View" with suggestions where adding trees would make an improvement. Demand for the LCC free trees scheme fell as people seemed to run out of places to put them. However, there are ideas and support on the web. www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/myview

Tuesday Lunchtime

Join the over 60’s Lunch club at the Joiners’ Arms 12pm Tuesdays, only £5 for 2 courses.

Your opinion wanted

Nocton Dairy

The new application has gone in and is being validated. Once accepted by NKDC as complete, it will be on the web for you to read and respond. Google “North Kesteven planning on line”, accept the conditions and type in Nocton Heath.

Spending cuts

The reduction in management has now been decided, painful but necessary.

The adult social care service is being reorganised. There is a clear move away from LCC providing the service, but buying in some services instead. Giving personal budgets means they buy from anywhere.

I have spoken up against the closures, which are a false economy when greater costs are created if people don’t have proper care. These services are now being commissioned. I also spoke up against dropping the Alzheimer’s sitting service to enable carer’s to have a break, as there is no alternative in place. Carer’s are creating an accreditation scheme to provide confidence in private sitters in future, which will help. There may be room for small businesses and the voluntary sector to step in. These will be ever more important as the public sector reduces.

The government has not yet announced how much each council will receive, only that the overall total will be 30% less over four years, especially in the first year. The tax is effectively capped as there is a 2% grant if the Council sets a nil increase. (Parish and Town Councils can still set their own budget.) There is likely to be a “core offer” of services from LCC and some services dropped. The budget is planned to go to the Executive in January and full Council on February 11^th. We will know more in January.