Anne Brown, Editor of Abbey News, Kieran Chambers, a young volunteer and Leighton Fisher, Chair of community group Breathe.

A community group in Lincoln’s Abbey Ward has launched a campaign to clean up their area, removing rubbish from Stamp End this weekend.

The group called Breathe ran its fourth litter pick on Sunday in an attempt to make the Abbey Ward’s recreational areas more welcoming.

Chair of Breathe, Leighton Fisher, explained how they are trying to improve the place they live.

“I bring my daughter down here in the summer and you just don’t want cans and bottles everywhere as well as the fact that people cycling or walking into Lincoln along the river see this as their first impression of the city.”

Another local volunteer, Anne Brown, who is the Editor of a new community magazine called Abbey News was also involved in the event.

Brown said: “We have a group of people in the Abbey Ward who want to bring the community together, and Abbey News can bring come cohesion to our efforts to take ownership of where we live.”

Young volunteer, Kieran Chambers, is only nine-years-old but wanted to be involved in improving his neighbourhood.

He said: “Now it is tidy we can come down here to play and I feel really proud of myself for helping out the community.”

There is another clean up being held in the Abbey Ward on April 14, and volunteers can get in touch via email.

Teen tycoons (L-R): Dominic Merlot and Joshua Leuty of Purple Pigs, Ryan Lacey of Afro Muffin and Aimee Morley of DreamKatcher and (front) consultant to the young traders, Joseph Hayat

Teenage entrepreneurs from Lincoln have won financial backing for their business ideas thanks to help from the Brilliant Lincolnshire Young Trader project.

Exciting businesses, DreamKatcher and Afro Muffin, have been given a helping hand and it is hoped that more young people will be given financial support for their enterprises in the coming weeks.

Aimee Morley and Karmen Goodwin, who attend Sir Robert Pattinson Academy in North Hykeham are developing a photographic enterprise, DreamKatcher, offering portrait, social and landscape photography, after putting their £200 cheque towards camera equipment.

Ryan Lacey of Lincoln has been given £150 to help buy the essentials for his muffin-making venture, Affro Muffin.

The bursaries are part of a Lincolnshire County Council initiative which is being managed by the Lincolnshire and Rutland Education Business Partnerships.

At their own Business Club in Lincoln, the young entrepreneurs get the opportunity to share ideas with like-minded teenagers from across the county and receive support from mentors.

Some of the other ideas from across the county are from Joshua Leuty and Dominc Merlot from Spalding with their business, Purple Pigs, making bird tables, boxes and feeders, and Natalie Coe from Spilsby and her business, Catering for Your Occasion.

Charlotte Stanley and Laura Parkin from East Lindsey have set up Brilliant Difference charity, which aims to help young people with learning disabilities.

Further to the cash bursary the EBP support gives the new businesses an opportunity to showcase their products and services at this year’s Lincolnshire Show.

+ More stories