Lincoln cancer charity shop footfall down 50% since city centre works began
Fundraisers behind a Lincoln cancer charity shop have said they have had a 50% decrease in footfall after the loss of the bus station and works on Sincil Street. The team at Candles Charity Boutique on Sincil Street are reminding shoppers to continue supporting the businesses and shops in the area, particularly as they are…
Pan Connock, co-founder of the Candles Charity. Photo: Sarah Barker for The Lincolnite
Fundraisers behind a Lincoln cancer charity shop have said they have had a 50% decrease in footfall after the loss of the bus station and works on Sincil Street.
The team at Candles Charity Boutique on Sincil Street are reminding shoppers to continue supporting the businesses and shops in the area, particularly as they are edging ever closer to a vital research funding target.
Charity founders told The Lincolnite there’s a summer deadline for the shop to raise as much money as possible. After that they’ll look to possibly leave the unit.
The money raised in the shop and on their JustGiving page goes towards research into what the government have described as a ‘potential breakthrough’ for a non-invasive cancer treatment.
Pam has said since work started in the area, footfall has decreased. Photo: The Lincolnite
So far the charity has raised more than £1.3 million, which has gone into supporting the world-leading work done in Lincoln by Professor Oleg Eremin.
Professor Eremin has carried out extensive research into the use of immunotherapy treatments and how these can be applied to encourage an individual’s immune system to fight cancer, rather than using chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Pam Connock, co-founder of Candles told The Lincolnite: “Since the bus station, the car parks and the buildings began in the late Autumn we have had a minimum decrease in footfall of 50%.
“It has had a massive impact on the intake in the shop.
“This shop is the bread and butter of the charity at the minute. If we don’t have any fundraising there’s money coming from here and assured.
“We have such a short time to make the money in now because we will probably be leaving this premises in the summer when the lease is finished.
“To finish the research we need £80,000, which doesn’t sound a lot when you have raised £1.3 million, but that is the difference between finishing the job and nearly finishing it.”
Works taking place
Work on Sincil Street, jointly led by the City of Lincoln Council and Lincolnshire Co-op will see the modern extensions to the existing Corn Exchange taken away and replace with elegant shop fronts within the existing openings at ground floor level.
Works, in tandem with the City of Lincoln Council, sit within a masterplan for the area, which also includes the £30 million Lincoln Transport Hub, which will be in the location of the former Bus Station.
Lincolnshire Co-op chief executive Ursula Lidbetter said: “As well as delivering a new offer to those living and working in the city, the brands will encourage more people to come and experience our thriving city centre, contributing to the local economy.
“The new transport hub being constructed next to this scheme will allow people to access the destination easily.
“It is important for local businesses who depend on shoppers coming into the city, for commuters travelling in for work and for growing numbers of visitors to Lincoln.”
Spotted an error? Please notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Work to repair a large bank slip on Marsh Road in Orby, near Skegness, will get underway from next week.
Subject to weather, the work is expected to take up to two weeks, starting from Monday, March 8.
Marsh Road, between the A158 and A52, will be closed 24/7 for the duration of the works.
The diversion route will be via A1028 Ulceby Cross / A1104 Alford / B1449 Bilsby / A52, and vice versa.
The diversion route for the Orby repair works will be the same as the one for Roman Bank in Skegness. | Photo: Lincolnshire County Council
This route is the same as the one used during the Roman Bank improvement works in Skegness, also starting on March 8.
Karen Cassar, Assistant Director – Highways, said: “There was a bank collapse on Marsh Road, between Orby Holme Field Lane and Skegness Stadium, last month which led to us putting out temporary traffic signals to ensure people’s safety when using the road.
“Next week, we’ll be taking the opportunity to repair the bank now, while we’re still in lockdown and there are fewer cars on the road, before restrictions start lifting and the coast gets busier.
“This will involve installing new sheet piles to support the road, along with rebuilding this section of carriageway.
“Because Marsh Road is part of the diversion route for our on-going works to Roman Bank in Skegness, the diversion route for that scheme will change to mirror the one for these works for two weeks.
“I want to thank everyone for their continued patience while we carry out these essential repairs.”
Works to protect Lincoln Cathedral for the next century and to preserve its West Front treasures are progressing well and remain on schedule despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
The iconic building’s specialist works department has completed 93,000 hours on the West Front alone as part of a National Lottery Heritage Fund-backed project to restore the cathedral and improve its visitor experience.
Once the works are completed, it is expected that the West Front will not need major conservation for another century.
The works to the West Front are just one part of the wider £16.5m project. This has seen other vital restoration and conservation work carried out on the cathedral’s Parvis, Cloister Wall, Eastgate Wall and 13th century Exchequergate Arch.
As part of the works, the Gallery of Kings – a 14th century stone carving depicting 11 kings – is undergoing a 12-month restoration programme.
This includes high-tech yet gentle laser cleaning, structural and non-structural pinning repairs, and repairs to the masonry and mortars.
A carving halfway through being laser cleaned at Lincoln Cathedral.
The laser cleaning allows the carving to be cleaned without being damaged. It allows the dirt to be removed without abrading the stone surface.
The same laser cleaning and repair treatment is also being used on the Romanesque Frieze – an intricate 12th century sculpture depicting a series of biblical narratives.
Identical copy carvings are being produced for the cathedral’s new exhibition centre. It is due to open later this year within the new visitor centre, which will include exhibition and learning spaces, a shop and cafe with inside and outside seating.
The final part of the five-year programme is to clean and conserve the West Front’s oldest feature – the Great West Doorway – which dates back to the 12th century.
The West Front of Lincoln Cathedral.
Michael Sheppard, director of works and property at Lincoln Cathedral, said: “It is an honour to see the vital conservation works to the West Front continue on schedule.
“These are the first substantial works to the West Front since the 1980s, and by implementing innovative and cutting-edge conservation practices and techniques, it will be protected for decades to come.
“Lincoln Cathedral is significant in different ways for so many people in the UK, but especially the city of Lincoln and the local community that view it daily. Knowing that we are employing the best treatment techniques and methodology to the iconic building is vitally important and an absolute privilege.”
There have been 181 new coronavirus cases and six COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday — compared to 217 cases and four deaths last Wednesday.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 106 new cases in Lincolnshire, 42 in North East Lincolnshire and 33 in North Lincolnshire.
On Wednesday, five deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and one in North East Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England reported five new local hospital deaths on Wednesday, three at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and two at at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.
On Wednesday, national cases increased by 6,385 to 4,194,785, while deaths rose by 315 to 123,783.
In local news, Lincolnshire’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have reassured that vaccination sites remain open across the county after concerns of jab supply.
The CCG said: “All of our sites will remain open and continue to offer the vaccination. Not all sites are operational every day of the week as they are dependent on demand for vaccinations and supply of the vaccines.”
Vaccine stock is controlled nationally, so each site runs on the supply it receives. Supply that arrives on any given day is administered the next day.
North East Lincolnshire’s infection rate is on the rise as two Grimsby factory workers have died after testing positive for coronavirus.
Hilton Seafood confirmed two staff members of the 300 overall died after testing positive for COVID-19 and were treated at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital.
This comes as North East Lincolnshire’s infection rate has risen over the past week, placing the authority third place in Greater Lincolnshire and above the England average, as of Monday.
Since then, six of the nine Greater Lincolnshire districts have seen a fall in their infection rates, with Boston remaining at the same rate since February 26.
North Lincolnshire and East Lindsey have seen small increases in their infection rates but are two of the lowest rates across Greater Lincolnshire.
Both Greater Lincolnshire and England’s rate of infections have fallen, but our region still remains above the national average, with 122 cases per 100,000 people.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rate up to March 3, according to the government dashboard:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Feb 24 to Mar 3. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
In national news, the Chancellor has revealed his 2021 Budget which includes extensions to the furlough scheme and stamp duty relief, as well as increases in Universal Credit and National Living Wage.
Rishi Sunak said in the House of Commons: “Coronavirushascaused oneofthe largestmostcomprehensiveandsustainedeconomicshocks this country has ever faced.”
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace absences due to illness fell during 2020, official figures reveal, as pandemic restrictions helped some workers dodge their colleagues’ coughs and colds.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the UK’s sickness absence rate declined from 1.9% to 1.8% last year – the lowest level since its records began in 1995, when the rate was 3.1%.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday, March 3
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
53,882 cases (up 181)
38,010 in Lincolnshire (up 106)
8,109 in North Lincolnshire (up 33)
7,763 in North East Lincolnshire (up 42)
2,092 deaths (up six)
1,538 from Lincolnshire (up five)
299 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
255 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)
of which 1,235 hospital deaths (up five)
766 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up two)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
427 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up three)
4,194,785 UK cases, 123,783 deaths
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF the latest update. postcode data includes deaths not in healthcare facilities or in hospitals outside authority boundaries.
Whatsapp
