SOS Grantham Hospital has distributed petitions in premises around Grantham and the surrounding villages.

The petition calls for:

+ The return of a fully operational A&E Unit with only exceptional cases being transferred.

The loss of support for the A&E unit has led to an increase in risk to patient safety, and delay in receipt of emergency care, where surgery is required, or may be required. Medical skills and training can be shared across the group of hospitals.

+ A Consultant led team to return to our Midwifery Unit.

We oppose its closure, especially given more than 2,000 babies were born in this area last year. Local mothers are being denied a real choice and forced to travel long distances in labour, risking their life and their baby’s life.

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+ The provision of an Acute Stroke Unit so we have parity with Boston and Lincoln residents.

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+ Return patient and carer transport should be provided where it is necessary to transfer patients for initial and follow up treatment.

You can sign the petition at:

MarkJarvis Betting Shop

Empire

Munch Cafe

Scope

Costa Coffee (on their Noticeboard)

The Journal

Thomas Cook

Hatton Goldsmiths

Wilkinsons

Scotts Newsagent

Cheque Centre

The Extracare Charitable Trust

Foxes Music

Paninis

Co-op Store (Harrowby Estate)

You can also sign in the following villages...

Harlaxton Post Office

Croxton Kerrial, Peacock Inn

Long Bennington Post Office

Great Gonerby Post Office

Great Gonerby Social Club

Ancaster Post Office

Wilsford Post Office

The petition is in response to NHS Lincolnshire’s Shaping Health for Mid Kesteven consultation which, among other proposals, calls for Grantham to lose it maternity unit.

Find out more and take part in the consultation by logging on to www.lincolnshire.nhs.uk

Grantham bobby PC Jane Ellis is aiming to raise £3,000 for charity - and she’s already half way there.

The Grantham Town PC is currently in training as she prepares to ride 400km across Cuba for the charities Women v Cancer, Joe’s Cervical Cancer Trust, Breast Cancer Care and Ovarian Cancer Action.

PC Ellis said: “Now that the weather’s getting a bit better I can ride to work and I’m trying to get out on my bike four or five times a week, so I’m well on track to be prepared for the event in October.

“The fund-raising is going brilliantly and I really want to thank everyone who’s donated.

“I’ve been selling homemade broaches at Liberty Rose Coffee Shop and Grantham Beauty Clinic in the town and it’s going really well. “I’ve also hosted a pop up restaurant in my house, which raised £250 and done a balloon launch. One balloon reached Finland and a Finnish traffic cop rang up on behalf of a member of the public who found it.

“I’ve got loads more events planned and anyone is welcome to get involved and help me reach my target.”

Jane has the following events planned:

March 9 – Curry Evening pop-up restaurant at Jane’s house – three-course meal - £10-a-head

April 27 – Black Tie Butterfly Ball at Belton Park Golf Club – three-course dinner, band and disco - £35 a ticket

August (date to be fixed) – further balloon release

June/July (date to be fixed) Old English Tea Party at Sudbrooke (details to be finalised)

Email Jane for details or to book a place at any of these events: mrselgre@gmail.com

To sponsor Jane visit: www.justgiving.com/Jane-Ellis3

To find out more about the challenge visit: www.justgiving.com/womenvcancer-cuba

As the construction of a new care home begins in Grantham, another is set to close.

The Orders of St John Care Trust is building a 64-bed care home in Springfield Road, to include a 48-bed dementia unit. It is the first of three specialist dementia care facilities being built in line with Lincolnshire County Council’s core strategy.

As a result, Chandos House, in Gorse Road, will close, with residents being relocated to the new build once it is complete.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site on Thursday morning, with trust chairman Peter Loyd and leader of LCC Martin Hill breaking the earth.

Mr Loyd said it was a “very proud day” while Coun Hill called it an “exciting new development”.

Coun Hill added: “The good news is that people are living longer but the less good news is many people who do live longer have dementia problems.

“We do have the facilities already but in 60s and 70s buildings and not of a standard I would want for my relatives or, indeed, anybody else.”

The new home will feature en suite facilities and communal areas such as living area, winter garden and dining room. There will also be a shop, tea room and hair salon.

Outside will be a landscaped sensory garden, vegetable patches and water features.

Mr Loyd said: “This new care home will be run by a specially trained care team and will benefit from the services of OSJCT’s admiral nurses and consultant old age psychiatrist. It will provide a vital new facility to meet the growing specialised care needs of older people from the community of Grantham and the surrounding area.”

The plan for the Chandos House building has not been revealed.

THURSDAY DOUBLES

Results (week 4): Smokey Mountain Duo 10 New Venture 0, Jetsetters 5 Kanada St 5, Lavender Hill Mob 0 Last Resort 10, Old Codgers 10 Cobblers 0, Spare Parts 0 Cool Runnings 10, Revrite 8 Giraffes 2.

Highs: female – HGS 181 Jean Burton, HGH 221 Jean Burton, HSS 459 Jean Burton, HSH 579 Jean Burton; male – HGS 214 Steve Bilner, HGH 237 John Ross, HSS 545 Dave Tagg, HSH 703 John Ross; team – HGS 408 Revrite, HGH 543 Last Resort, HSS 1070 Revrite, HSH 1294 Cool Runnings.

Positions: 1 Smokey Mountain Duo 33, 2 Last Resort 30, 3 Revrite 30, 4 Old Codgers 29, 5 Giraffes 21, 6 Jetsetters 20, 7 Cool Runnings 20, 8 New Venture 19, 9 Cobblers 13, 10 Kanada St 9, 11 Lavender Hill Mob 9, 12 Spare Parts 7.

MARREN TILES TRIOS

Results (week 23): Grumpy Old Men 9 Team Powerplay 2, Magic Weasels 6 Oddsods 5, 9ers 0 Crafty Foxes 11, Team Bar bye.

Highs: female – HGS 186 Magdalene Leicester, HGH 246 Magdalene Leicester/Celia Goodband, HSS 467 Magdalene Leicester/Julie Newman, HSH 629 Magdalene Leicester; male – HGS 207 Colin Hayes, HGH 234 Colin Hayes, HSS 536 Colin Hayes, HSH 634 Andy Maddison; team – HGS 523 Grumpy Old Men, HGH 625 Grumpy Old Men, HSS 1463 Grumpy Old Men, HSH 1769 Grumpy Old Men.

Positions: 1Team Powerplay 139, 2 Team Bar 132, 3 Grumpy Old Men 118½, 4 Magic Weasels 114, 5 Crafty Foxes 94, 6 Oddsods 92½, 7 9ers 69.

7 CAFE DOUBLES

Results (week 3): Paddy’s People 3 Sandbaggers 7, No Idea 10 It’s Up To You 0, Pirates 7 Dodgy Strikes.com 3, Pins on Viagra 6 Bandits 4.

Highs: female – HGS 158 Helen Gilbert, HSS 445 Helen Gilbert, HGH 198 Carole Kettle, HSH 538 Helen Gilbert; male – HGS 221 Porl Marson, HSS 583 Porl Marson, HGH 251 Porl Marson, HSH 673 Porl Marson; team – HGS 398 No Idea, HSS 1152 No Idea, HGH 458 No Idea, HSH 1332 No Idea.

Positions: 1 Pins on Viagra 23, 2 No Idea 22, 3 Paddy’s People 20, 4 Sandbaggers 16, 5 Pirates 12, 6 It’s Up To You 12, 7 Bandits 10, 8 Dodgy Strikes.com 5.

Grantham Badminton Club men’s third string went close to recording a victory in Division Three of the Newark League.

They travelled to Lincoln Albion 3rd, with juniors Carl Jennings and Andrew Watson putting in a strong performance to pick up two rubbers from three.

Captain Mike Woodhouse with Daniel Watson won a rubber, as did Rob Scarborough with Brian Coyle, making the final score 5-4 to Albion.

At home in Newark Division One, Grantham’s top men’s team beat Lincoln St Andrews 7-2. Jan Bailey with Ben Johnson had a clean sweep, as did Chris Parrot with captain Nick Gill. Martin Chambers with Toby Mills also won a rubber, and almost got a second, losing 24-22 in their third end.

Grantham Ladies 2nd also took on Lincoln St Andrews, lost 5-4 while fielding two pairs. Katja Perry with Sarah Bransby won two rubbers, as did Laura Graves with Sonal Modi. Both pairs narrowly lost their third rubber in a third-end decider.

Belvoir Karate Group’s latest grading resulted in a 100 per cent success rate.

Held at Bottesford VC Hall on Sunday, students were examined by Sensei’s Graeme Walden and Ian Simpson and worked incredibly hard. They were tested on basic punches, kicks, combinations, kata and padwork.

There were students who were attending their first grading and some, more experienced, who were taking later belts.

Belvoir Karate chief instructor Graeme Walden said he was pleased with the result: “How lovely it is to see Belvoir’s junior students progressing through to the later belts, with Thomas Stokes gaining his brown belt.”

Belvoir Karate currently has clubs at Bottesford, Aslockton and Marston and welcomes any new members at any of the classes. Details of the group and its clubs can be found on its website at www.belvoirkarate.co.uk

For more information call Graeme Walden on 01476 571677.

Pictured from left are, back – Sensei Graeme Walden, Leslie Arthur, Jack Arthur, Thomas Stokes, Gary Brown and Sensei Ian Simpson; front – John Jeffery, Georgie Burns, Robyn Houghton, Max Turner, Cameron Brown, Daniel Rollo.

Lincolnshire Police insist their outsourcing deal with security firm G4S is unaffected by the collapse of a deal between G4S and three other forces.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire, Alan Hardwick, said the force’s relationship with G4S “continues to be a successful one”.

This week it was revealed that a proposed contract between G4S and police forces in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire had collapsed.

Last April the security firm won a ten year, £200 million contract to deliver back office services for Lincolnshire Police.

Mr Hardwick said: “Our relationship with G4S continues to be a successful one.

“Following the smooth transfer of former Lincolnshire police staff, our strategic partner is providing essential services to the people of Lincolnshire, undertaking transformational work to drive efficiency and we are realising financial savings.

“Our contract is structured so that others can join and gain the benefits we have realised.

“We have not been involved directly in the negotiations between G4S and other police and crime commissioners.

“In Lincolnshire, the contract continues to work well.”

A spokesperson for G4S said they echoed Mr Hardwick’s comments, and added that the deal with Lincolnshire Police would not be affected.

Kim Challis, CEO of G4S Government and Outsourcing Solutions, said: “We have put forward a compelling proposition to the police forces of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire which would have guaranteed them savings of over £100 million over the next ten years, allowing them to meet the financial challenge of the Comprehensive Spending Review without compromising on efficiency or public safety.

“Our proposition was to operate back office services at the volume and scale required to deliver significant savings to forces, enabling them to concentrate their resources on frontline roles: it was never about replacing police officers.

“This has already proved to be the case in Lincolnshire, where we have a successful partnership which, in less than a year, has seen us deliver savings in running costs of around 16 per cent.

“We continue to work with a number of signatory forces on the Lincolnshire Police contract, including Hertfordshire, to see how we can help them to generate the savings they need.”

Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd suggested the deal with his particular force was not dead in the water however.

He said: “I am already in discussion with other market providers and will continue to talk with G4S about how they can assist policing support services in Hertfordshire.”

Award-winning poet Sue Gerrard it to appear at Grantham Museum later this month.

Sue has appeared at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and as part of The Poet and the Painter she has staged 35 exhibitions throughout the North West including art galleries in Manchester and Liverpool.

She is the Poet in Residence at St Helen’s College and has published six collections of poetry.

Sue will be the attraction at two events on February 21 at Grantham Museum, the first being a creative writing and poetry workshop.

This session is designed for all those with an interest in developing their creative writing skills but is particularly targeted at GCSE, A Level and Open University students.

The session will run from 1pm to 3pm and will cost £2.50 for students, Grantham Writers Group, museum volunteers and members. All others will be charged £5.

The second event will be “An Audience With Sue Gerrard” and is a chance for the local community to enjoy Sue’s repertoire as she recites some of her key works, tells us about her life story and answers any questions.

Arrival at 7pm for 7.30pm start and tickets are £2.50 for students, Grantham Writers Group, museum volunteers and members, with all others at £5.

Tickets for both events are available through Grantham Museum and can be purchased in person during our opening hours of Thurs to Sat, 10am to 4pm, or by emailing info@granthammuseum.org.uk

The long-running Total Networking group has recently re-invented itself and is holding a re-launch meeting on Wednesday, February 13, at The Meeting Venue on the A1 just south of Grantham.

New chairman Darren Joint said: “Business networking is a great way for businesses, new and old, to meet new contacts and promote themselves. It’s going to be a great meeting. We’re really pulling out all the stops to show members just how great networking can be for their business.

“Part of the re-launch is a much greater focus on social media - you can’t beat face-to-face networking for building long-term trusted connections - but there’s a real power in having a strong social media brand. It means the group can put its weight behind members’ own efforts - and vastly increase their reach on networks like Twitter. Recently our @TotalNetworking tweets were reaching up to 150,000 accounts!”

Anybody interested in the re-launch is invited to the meeting. It costs £10 and places can be booked online at www.totalnetworking.co.uk

A local family motor racing team is set to return to top flight competition this season.

Balfe Motorsport will return to the international GT racing scene in style with a brand new Ferrari 458 GT3 sports car.

Caythorpe’s Shaun Balfe will be behind the wheel, sharing the driving duties once again with Brazilian professional driver Thomas Erdos.

The team will contest the International GT Open Series which evolved from the Spanish GT Championship which Balfe Motorsport won with Shaun back in 2004.

Balfe Motorsport has not competed in GT racing for six years, when they ran a Saleen GT1 car in the FIA GT Championship. Driving a Ferrari 458, Shaun raced and won two rounds of the Pirelli Ferrari Open Challenge at Spa Francorchamps last year, which rekindled his interest in GTs.

Shaun has spent a number of years as a factory driver for the Radical Sportscar company and lifted the UK Cup title last year.

But Shaun and his father, David, decided it was time to resurrect the GT team and are hoping for a return to racing success with two-times Le Mans 24-hour victor Erdos.

Shaun said: “I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the new car and drive with Tommy once again.

“The last time we raced together was in 2003, when we shared the Mosler in the 1000km race at Spa in Belgium. Tommy took class pole and we came very close to winning that race and the British GT title that year.”

Erdos brings with him a wealth of experience and speed to the team. He worked with David Balfe’s Fortec Motorsport team at the start of his single-seater career in 1990, and went on to win the Formula Renault UK Championship, his first title. He went on to sportscar and GT racing and triumphed in the British GT Championship.

Erdos said: “In a way it is like coming home for me. I won my first title with David and to be racing for him again and to be partnered with Shaun will be fantastic. He has shown he is a very fast driver in all types of cars. It should be a really good season and I can’t wait.”

The opening round of the International GT Open Series will be at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France in April. Balfe Motorsport are yet to finalise their full plans for the season and might elect to race particular rounds of the championship, rather than contesting every event.

It is a very popular and highly competitive race series and Shaun acknowledged that it would be quite a challenge.

He said: “We know it’s going to be a tough return. With our previous form in the category and the driver pairing we have, we want to do well.

“As a team, Balfe Motorsport always prided itself on preparing a good car and the same DNA is running through the team. The main focus this year will be on outright performance. We want to go out there, be competitive and win races.

“It is going to be an enjoyable season and we can’t wait to hit the tarmac.”

Veteran darts player Lol Pickin won the Vale of Belvoir League Singles competition for the third year running at The Plough in Stathern on Friday night.

Seventy-six-year-old Lol said: “To my knowledge, winning three on the trot has never been achieved before in the history of the league.”

There was some outstanding darts played on the night, one of the best performances coming from Woolsthorpe Social Club’s Anthony Ablewhite who played brilliantly all evening, and only lost to Lol in the final.

The competition was well supported by a good crowd in spite of the weather.

Fans are in for a treat when Team GB Paralympians pay a visit to Grantham College Table Tennis Academy next Monday (February 11).

Team GB’s London 2012 Paralympic Squad will take on players from the college’s High Performance Academy in a one-off challenge match, starting at 1pm. Among those playing will be silver and bronze Paralympic medallist Will Bayley. The exhibition match is open with free entry for schools and the public at large. Doors open at 12.30pm.

Prior to the match, local schools are invited to a “Come and Try” session when young players will be able to pick up hints and tips from both England Junior Internationals at the Academy and GB Paralympians. The session, from 11am till noon, is at the college and includes lunch.

l Grantham College Table Tennis Academy is also hosting an open day for people with disabilities and their families. Organised by Cliffedale Chandlers Table Tennis Club, the event will be held on Sunday, February 17, between 10am and 3pm.

Harrowby United return to United Counties League Division One action with a visit to fourth-placed Eynesbury Rovers tomorrow (Saturday).

Fresh from the enforced lay-off due to snow and frozen pitches, joint manager Jay Harrison said the fifth-placed Arrows team were ready for anyone.

United are back playing at home on Tuesday night when they will be hoping to perhaps match the 6-0 defeat they inflicted on bottom side Burton Park Wanderers in their last fixture before the snow. Burton Park travel to Dickens Road this time, with kick-off at 7.45pm.

Harrison said: “We are playing a very good side on Saturday. Our lads are looking forward to it and at the minute, confidence is so high, the lads don’t fear anyone.

“I would be happy with four points out of our next two games.”

Parents of children attending Charles Read Academy in Corby Glen are to set up a working group opposed to the closure of the school.

Trudy Brothwell, CEO of West Grantham Academies Trust, met parents at the school last night to spell out the proposals to close the school in 2014 and move all pupils and staff to St Hugh’s in Grantham.

Steph Fleury, a parent with a daughter at Charles Read and another due to start in September, has organised a petition against the proposed closure and is organising the working party which will put together alternative proposals to try and keep the school open.

Mrs Fleury, who lives in Burton Coggles, said: “There is a lot of frustration among parents. It would cause a lot of problems moving the children from a rural community to the town where the environment is much bigger.

“There is the big factor of knowing where your children are in the rural community which they know so well and then moving them to the town where they will be very wary and even frightened.

“This will break up some very solid friendships. There are children from Market Deeping at the school who cannot travel to Grantham.

“The best scenario is that the school stays open and nothing changes and the school carries on slowly improving. The teaching staff are fantastic and the spirit at the school is warm and friendly and it is very supportive of the students and parents. Closure will have a really bad effect on the community and surrounding villages.”

In league tables recently published, 38 per cent of Charles Read pupils achieved five A*-C grades but Mrs Brothwell said there was no link between the proposed closure and attainment at the school. She told the Journal that the decision was, in part, due to Government funding changes which allocate money per pupil. Lincolnshire County Council has opposed the closure saying the move made little sense.

Anybody wishing to sign the petition can come into the Journal office on High Street. There are also petitions to sign in Corby Glen at the primary school, the Fighting Cocks pub, the surgery, the Co-op and Pauline’s store. It is also in the South Witham village store and is being distributed around Colsterworth.

Police are appealing for information after an assault in Grantham in which a man was hit with what is believed to be a rounders bat.

The incident took place between 6.30pm and 6.50pm in New Street, Grantham, on January 30. The victim, a 26-year-old man, was approached by two men. One of the men hit the victim on the arm with the bat.

He was not seriously hurt. One of the offenders was around 5ft 10in tall and of slim build and the other was around 6ft 2in tall and stocky. Both were wearing dark clothing and balaclavas.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen these men hanging around the area at that time to get in touch with them as soon as possible.

Call 101 with information, or give information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111,

Tens of thousands of pounds will be raised this weekend as the Rotary Club of Grantham’s Swimarathon kicks off at 1.30pm today.

A record number of participants have signed up raising hopes of a bumper final fund-raising figure for 2013.

The Grantham Journal team is swimming from 1.30pm.

Send us your thoughts, pics and videos to comment@granthamjournal.co.uk

Grantham Town have appointed a new commercial manager.

Steve Cardy, of Redmile, recently moved into the area from Manchester and read in the Grantham Journal that the Gingerbreads were appealing for help to boost finances at the club.

With a wealth of experience in the commercial sector, Steve contacted the club, met with the directors, and he was duly appointed.

Steve said: “My aim is to develop the club within the community.”

See more on this story in next week’s Grantham Journal.

The Highways Agency is reporting delays on the A1 northbound at Grantham following a crash involving multiple vehicles this afternoon.

The crash closed both lanes and delays are expected up to 6pm this evening.

Following the enforced lay-off due to snow, Grantham Town should be back in action today (Saturday) with a visit to top-of-the-table North Ferriby United.

Last Saturday’s game at Stocksbridge Park Steels was postponed and the Gingerbreads were also forced to cancel a replacement training session due to further snowfall on Friday night. Following the big thaw, Grantham trained at The Meres on Tuesday night.

Joint manager Gary Sucharewycz said they were looking sharp in training and was not unduly worried about facing the league leaders.

He said: “We go there with the belief that we can get something from the game. We can get a result.

“We know we have got bigger games coming up in the next few weeks as far as relative league positions go.”

Grantham Town plans to set up a Youth Development Centre next season.

It is seen is the natural pathway for the club to nurture local footballing talent with the aim of building “a sustainaable future”. The aim is to provide players, and even managers, from in-house.

Gingerbreads’ under-16s manager Eddie Humphries said it was a very exciting time for the club. He said: “The Board have had the foresight to recognise that having a strong youth policy will provide a viable and sustainable long term future for the club. There is a lot of commitment and drive behind the scenes to make this a reality and provide young players a pathway to the first team which they currently don’t have.

“Although it is very early days, there is currently a very exciting crop of youngsters already at the club and we must all recognise and nurture their potential and build on the success they have already had.”

Eddie’s Grantham Town under-16s currently ply their trade in the Junior Premier League and have taken the scalps of Burton Albion and Grimsby Town’s Academy sides this season. And Nick Andersen’s young under-12 charges currently sit right at the top end of the Mid Lincs A Division and are in the quarter-finals of the County Cup, having already dumped out the favourites. The newly-formed under-18s play in the Premier Division of the Lincs Intermediate League.

There are plans to add under-10 and under-11 squads next season, and to recruit players and coaching staff for an under-15 set-up. The club will also look to run coaching sessions for seven- to 10-year-olds.

Eddie said Grantham Town has a lot of potential. He said: “The way football is being played is changing, none more so than at youth level and this will eventually filter through to senior football. We already place a huge importance on the technical aspects of the youngsters game and we want that to carry through all age groups.”

Grantham Town have recently been awarded an FA Charter Standard in recognition of their current youth set-up and the club will be able to offer a very high level of coaching from FA-licenced and qualified staff.

The Gingerbreads are therefore be looking to recruit new coaching staff for the under-15 and under-16 sides, as well as one for either the under-10s or under-11s.

To register interest contact Eddie at eddie.humphreys@virginmedia.com or Nick Andersen at quinceycole@aol.com