Report on Big Local activities for March 2023
Big Local North Cleethorpes: March 2023 activity update
This is the March 2023 edition of our monthly updates on what Big Local North Cleethorpes has been up to. Many projects and activities are ongoing, but some updates are new this month and these are the latest ones. If you are interested in more information or want to follow up on anything outlined below, please contact us at Big Local North Cleethorpes: hello@biglocalnorthcleethorpes.org.uk or karl@vanel.org.uk or 01472 897337 or check the website for more information.
(www.biglocalnorthcleethorpes.org.uk)
Farewell
John Mooney – Big Local North Cleethorpes Development Worker – retired at the end of March 2023. John has been supporting Big Local in North Cleethorpes for probably 11+ years – since the preparation for drawing down the funding was first being planned. John is possibly one of the longest employed Big Local Development Workers across the whole, UK wide Big Local programme – a big well done from us!
The whole partnership committee sent John off into retirement with a ‘do’ at 82 Grimsby Road on 30th March and a few parting gifts. A big thank you to John for supporting the North Cleethorpes programme for so long and so appropriately.
Karl Elliott continues to support Big Local North Cleethorpes and is now the point of contact for the programme. (Email: karl@vanel.org.uk or telephone 01472 897337)
Arts, Leisure, Culture and Heritage
Lynsey Powles has now held four of the five planned art sessions for young people in our ‘shed’. These have been well received and well attended with over 14 young people at one session. The majority of the young people benefitting have been from the North Cleethorpes area.
Community arts and crafts groups continued this month in the shed. Paper Crafters was new for January and is continuing well.
Discussions have begun with Lynsey Powles about how a North Cleethorpes Fringe festival to the main Urban Arts Festival would look this year and we’ll support Lyns with her match funding applications.
Supporting Young People and Families
The last Young Reporters sessions have been held this month. These sessions have been supported by John and Sand up to now, but with John’s retirement this means difficulties in staffing these sessions going forward. The group has been put ‘on hold’ for now and partners are looking for other ways to support new groups going forward and the Grimsby Telegraph is ‘on hold’ for new articles for the time being. This has been a hugely successful group run on a shoestring for many years by VANEL and partners including Big Local most recently. If a new option to run the group opens up again, Big Local will again host and support from 82 Grimsby Road.
A new “Little Green Influencers” group for children aged 2-5 started up this month at Reynolds Family Hub. This started well and is attended by 8 families and looks like being a fun group! For information contact Sam Smith at VANEL.
Families experiencing hardship in our North Cleethorpes target area have continued to benefit from grants and gift cards to help with food purchases, utility bills, access to the internet, IT equipment and other ad hoc needs.
Ghetto Park supported 91 young people referred from the Big Local area this month. They have also installed a water fountain so all children can access a drink during the sessions and no-one feels left out if they can’t afford to buy a drink.
Supporting Older People
Personal/household security equipment has been provided in March to perhaps 25+ new households. Some have been younger/families, but many have been elderly. These have been funded either through the equipment sponsored by Big Local or via the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) or the Sidney Sussex Ward Councillor funded equipment. Ten ‘winter warm packs’ have been supplied through Daubney Street Neighbourhood Watch Group to older residents in their street.
This community equipment offer continues to be available across North East Lincolnshire and with specific support in Sidney Sussex/Croft Baker from Big Local. Contact the office or look on the website for details of the offer.
A ’scams/fraud’ talk was delivered to 20+ plot holders at Beacon Hill Allotments and two scams talks have been delivered to 50+ older people at Friendship at Home social groups at Carr Lane social club and another to Friendship at Home volunteers. Overall 25+ older people from the North Cleethorpes area have received direct scams advice this month.
The latest KOPS newsletter continues to be circulated. Message in a Bottle are still available, as are ‘no cold caller’ window stickers and other community safety leaflets.
Environmental
The potted palm trees funded by Big Local North Cleethorpes have once again returned to the North Promenade and around the Pier for the season. Thank you to the Council for over-wintering them and installing them again on the prom.
Resident led meetings regarding the Pocket Park near North Beach were held in March. There is little active progress at the moment as this site is being held back by NELC as possible mitigation from any development on the land on the ABP side of the fence. We will continue to monitor progress to see if Big Local investment in the site will be possible during this financial year.
We continue to speak to suppliers about the possibilities of putting solar panels on the roof at 82, but finding a supplier willing to look at this is proving difficult. Ongoing.
All Green Influencers groups restarted after the half-term break. The after-school ECO group at Beacon Academy continues to be very active on Thursday afternoons with a clear focus on the plastics free agenda and engaging in area wide events. A new Green Influencers group started during March at St Peter’s Avenue Primary.
The allotment project (8 now rented) at Carr Lane allotments led by We are Fish CIC is progressing well. Two new benches sponsored by Big Local are now on the site.
Big Local continued to support residents to understand what the implications are for the area regarding the proposed salmon farm close to Harrington Street. We have provided meeting space and printing of leaflets as and when requested by residents.
Community and Partnership working
The latest printed newsletter for Big Local North Cleethorpes is still being distributed. Please pick up copies from 82 Grimsby Road if you are able to help distribute them.
Big Local North Cleethorpes hosted a visit in March by Alan from Local Trust. Local Trust are visiting every Big Local project nationwide in these final stages of the programme and we were pleased to be able to show Alan all that we’ve accomplished over the programme. He was very impressed with our achievements.
We have started our last delivery plan for Big Local North Cleethorpes which will run through to February 2025 and the end of the overall national programme. Monthly committee meetings and weekly meetings with the Chair/others discuss plans and actions to ensure that the remainder of our programme continues to serve the needs of the local community and to leave a legacy for the years ahead beyond 2025.