A 12-year-old boy from Gainsborough who dreams of becoming a paramedic is walking 930,000 steps in March to raise money for The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC).
Ambulance loving Lucas Artiss will be walking 30,000 every day of the month. By the end of day three of his challenge he had already achieved over 95,000 steps.
If he achieves his goal he will have walked 310 miles, which is the equivalent of walking from his Lincolnshire home to the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland.
He is raising money for TASC, a leading UK charity giving mental, physical and financial wellbeing support to current and retired Ambulance Services personnel and their families – make a donation here and follow his progress using the hashtag #GoLucas.
Lucas is aiming to raise £500, which can help TASC provide an extra eight hours of counselling or 10 session of physiotherapy for people injured in the line of duty. By the time of publication, he has so far raised £400.
He said: “I am doing this for the ambulance staff as even heroes need looking after from time to time and these heroes need help more than ever at the moment with all they are having to deal with.”
Lucas wants to be a paramedic when he is older.
Lucas’ mother Julie Artiss said: “I am so proud of Lucas, he is such a kind, caring boy and it doesn’t surprise me that he wants to raise funds to help ambulance staff.”
He is also a regular participant of Hit The Ambulance, where players ‘hit an ambulance’ with kindness by leaving the staff members thank you notes and gifts. He has even donated his own pocket money to support ambulance staff.
Lucas attends The Gainsborough Academy and has already won a special prize from his school for his good work in the community.
Joanna Phillips, Assistant Principal at the school, said: “We are extremely proud of Lucas and his wonderful efforts to raise money for such an excellent cause. He is really embodying our Academy Gainsborough Way.”
Jasmin Rana, TASC’s Director of Income Generation and Supporter Engagement, added: “Lucas is one of our youngest fundraisers ever and we’re so excited and grateful that he’s doing this challenge to raise vital funds for TASC.
“Ambulance staff have one of the most stressful jobs in the UK, and the continuing and long-term impacts of Coronavirus are making their job that much harder. With the support of people like Lucas, TASC can continue to be there for the UK’s lifesavers when they’re struggling and need a bit of help themselves.”
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We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a collision caused serious injuries to a 23-year-old man.
Just before 3.30pm yesterday (2 July), we received reports of a collision on Barholm Road in Tallington. It involved a grey BMW 335D estate, a blue BMW 116D and an orange KTM motorcycle.
The motorcycle rider, a 23-year-old man, sustained serious injuries during the collision and was taken to hospital.
If you witnessed the incident and are yet to get in touch with us, please do so. If you have any other information or dashcam footage available that may have captured the road along the A1175 at the time of the collision, get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 282 of 2 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 282 of 2 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
The 2022 Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards are open for applications, and Destination Lincolnshire giving you the rare chance to co-create your application with Nell Barrington, a tourism awards veteran, who has helped hundreds of businesses write winning applications over the last 15 years – including national VisitEngland winners.
The Tourism Awards Masterclass is taking place on Tuesday 12 July at 11am for one-hour online. Laura Freer, Head of Marketing at Destination Lincolnshire said: “This is a golden opportunity, after years of hard work and heartache, to get your business and team recognised and rewarded.
“A well written application is key to achieving a coveted place on this year’s shortlist, and I’d encourage all tourism and visitor economy businesses who are thinking of entering – whether they are seasoned at writing award applications or not – to join us for this exclusive masterclass.
“Nell Barrington has worked with us and VisitEngland on the founding application processes of these awards, and she is perfectly placed to assist in co-creating applications that you can be proud of. This is a great opportunity for business development too – whether you are shortlisted for an award or not – discovering how to effectively apply for awards and talk up your business adds another string to your bow.
“Booking is essential and places are limited to just 35 – so be quick! This year we’ve made our masterclass available to partners and also to those who we are yet to work with for free. Call it an added bonus, after two years away from the awards circuit.
The awards masterclass is focussed on the application process, and it will spell out what the judges are looking for. You’ll learn how to make your application stand out from the local competition, helping your chances of going through to the national VisitEngland Awards in 2023.”
There are fifteen categories open for nominations from visitors attraction, accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and many more.
The deadline for nominations is July 29, with online judging starting on July 30 and mystery shopping from August 13. Finalists will be announced on Monday, August 15.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Engine Shed on October 21, and will be hosted by Lincs FM presenter, John Marshall.
The event is organised by Stonebow Media, publishers of The Lincolnite, to celebrate the best businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, alongside headline sponsors Lincoln College and Destination Lincolnshire.
We would also like to thank our other sponsors Visit Lincolnshire, Heart of Lincs, Duncan and Toplis and LNER, insight6 and EV Camel.