The festive season is almost upon us once again, although Christmas plans will be minimal this year. 2020 is certainly a time we will never ever forget and a year that will go into the history books. It has been a year of uncertainty, and like many museums Gainsborough Heritage Centre has remained closed since March. read more

The organisers of the charity nights at the Blues Club have an event planned for 5th December, with the fabulous Stolen Fridays and a disco. They are hoping this event will take place, but unfortunately their numbers are limited so it has already sold out. If they can go ahead, they ask if people with tickets could please be seated by 7.15pm and music will commence at 7.30pm. Don’t be late, table service and Covid restrictions will apply. read more

A new project set up by Gainsborough charity Bearded Fishermen is seeking donations to fund its work to support mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Project NightWatch is a collaboration between the charity and our emergency services. read more

Harvest this year has been very different for many schools and at Walkeringham Primary School they wanted to make sure the current pandemic would not compromise their harvest collection. This year they decided to donate to The Salvation Army in Gainsborough and after speaking to them they found out demand for food hampers was up by 300% compared to the same period last year. read more

It has been another busy couple of weeks at the local RSPCA animal centre. New arrivals include little Milo, who was in a terrible state with matted fur and a severe bacterial ear infection. Milo was given a trial on strong antibiotics, but sadly Milo’s condition worsened and now he needs surgery. read more

Unfortunately, Doncaster Moviemakers’ 2019 / 2020 programme was suspended at the end of February. However, since then members have been sharing films digitally. Between Christmas and the suspension there were successful meetings. read more

At this present time, Gainsborough Model Railway Society is still closed to the public due to the fact they are unable to make the building Covid secure for visitors because of all the narrow gangways.
They are currently open to members, but on a restricted number, and they have cancelled all the remaining open days for this year. read more

Some of the regular activities at Morton Village Hall have restarted – those that felt they could be organised to comply with the Covid restrictions. For full details see the Village Hall noticeboards, or contact the secretary Phil on 01427 610130. read more

With autumn upon us, comes a new season that brings mixed emotions. For some, the prospect of wearing cosy sweaters and boots is a good one, and some love to get the curtains drawn on a dark evening and maybe light a candle. For others though, the dark nights and short days brings about a greater sense of isolation. Covid is making this situation even worse, with many people feeling anxious about what is to come over the next few months. read more

Gone Running
Why not dust your running shoes off and sign up to St Barnabas Hospice’s latest fundraiser – Gone Running, 100km this Autumn? Gone Running is about setting your own pace and your own rules to complete 100km this autumn whilst raising vital funds for St Barnabas Hospice.
Once you register you will receive training and fundraising tips from local athlete Joe Wilkinson, last year’s Lincoln 10K winner and Mike, the charity’s resident Challenge Fundraiser. They will post you a St Barnabas T Shirt and a medal to wear proudly as you cross your finish line too, all for £12.00.
Every pound you raise and every time you go out and wear your St Barnabas T Shirt with pride will help the charity fight their way through the impact of this pandemic and enable them to care for the most vulnerable people in the county.

Donating items
St Barnabas’ central warehouse at Cardinal Close, Lincoln LN2 4SY is now accepting donated items from 9.00am to 5.00pm, weekdays. They are limiting donors to 10 bags or boxes each and ask people not to donate furniture currently. You do not need to book to donate your items. Their charity shops will also be accepting donations every Tuesday and Friday until their storage areas are full. This does not need booking. They ask that all supporters focus on quality over quantity.

Volunteering
With St Barnabas shops re-opened, more volunteers are needed to help with sorting donated stock, pricing items, till work and merchandising. If you’re unemployed, furloughed or a school leaver and you want to keep active, add to your CV and give back to a local charity, please visit email volunteering@stbarnabashospice.co.uk or call 01522 518221.

Dragonfly campaign raises £110,401
St Barnabas Hospice is delighted to announce that their dragonfly campaign has raised an incredible £110,401. This money has been raised by hospice supporters dedicating 2,754 dragonflies in memory of loved ones.
Dragonflies have become a symbol for those who are grieving the death of a loved one. As part of the St Barnabas campaign, The Story of the Dragonfly by Doris Stickney was used to help children understand the death of someone they were close to. This story is one which St Barnabas nurses give to grieving parents and children to help them through a difficult time.
Sam Waterer, Individual Giving Fundraiser at St Barnabas Hospice said: “It is a wonderful feeling to know our little dragonflies will be helping so many people who are grieving loved ones. An amazing number of visitors came to Doddington Hall and Gardens during the two weeks our display was in place, and we are so grateful to the team there for hosting, designing and helping to create the display for us.”
A local company, Daniel Charles, supported St Barnabas by donating and delivering all the stone that made the pond structure at the Dragonfly display. This is just one of the ways corporate support can make a real difference. If your business would like to find out more how they can help, please call Rebecca Hooton on 07825 713666 to find out more.
The hospice has a range of ideas suited to all types of supporters. Please visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/fundraising-ideas to view the list.