Happy 30th Birthday to Lincoln’s Waterside Shopping Centre
Joint celebrations with St Barnabas Hospice
Princess Diana officially opened the Waterside Shopping Centre on March 17, 1992 and on Thursday it celebrated its 30th birthday. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Waterside Shopping Centre in Lincoln was officially opened by Princess Diana on March 17, 1992 and on Thursday it celebrated its 30th birthday.
As it reached another milestone this week, there are now more than 20 high-street retailers in the 133,000 square foot mall.
Over the last 30 years some retailers have come and gone, but many of the retailers currently in the Waterside said they feel like one big happy family.
Prince Charles at the opening of the Waterside Shopping Centre in 1992. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The Waterside Shopping Centre in Lincoln celebrated its 30th birthday on March 17, 2022. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The centre has seen many changes including to the interior of the centre. The biggest change was in 2013/14 when it was reconfigured to include much larger units.
The £9 million redevelopment was completed in autumn 2014, which added a further 13,000 square feet of retail space and brought leading fashion retailers, H&M and Next, to the shopping centre.
Princess Diana in Lincoln ready for the opening of the Waterside Shopping Centre in 1992.
There will be various prizes up for grabs this week, including a £100 Next gift card, a gift box of brownies and cookies from 42nd East Bakehouse, shoes from Skechers, watches from Lincoln Watch Clinic, and a family ticket to the Easter panto of Jungle Book at the New Theatre Royal.
There will also be 30% of all full price stock until the end of Sunday, while Lincoln Male Orpheus Choir will perform at the centre on Saturday. The 13 longest members of staff at the centre were each given an afternoon tea for two.
The Waterside Shopping Centre has seen many changes of the years.
Inside the Waterside Shopping Centre. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Staff at the Waterside Shopping Centre, including centre manager Dean Cross (far right) enjoying the 30th birthday celebrations. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
It was decided that the 30th and 70th customers to enter the centre on Thursday would each receive a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate two combined celebrations – Waterside’s 30th birthday and St Barnabas Hospice 40th anniversary. St Barnabas has been the centre’s charity partner since 2018.
Couples can take a ‘selfie’ at the big heart in the centre as part or use the location to remember a lost loved one. People can also fill the heart with their own personal messages.
Couples can take a ‘selfie’ at the big heart or fill it with their own personal messages. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Special shopping bags to mark the occasion. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Skechers spin to win took place on Thursday and will return on Friday, with more prizes to be won. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Along with the milestone birthday celebrations, decorations provider Fizzco has installed a large red heart at the centre. The decoration of the centre was the idea of the Waterside’s general manager Dean Cross.
In celebration of the Waterside’s 30th birthday, pupils and staff at Westgate academy decorated an Imp! | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The lower level of the Waterside Shopping Centre. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Dean, who has been centre manager for six years, told The Lincolnite: “I feel really positive and it is brilliant to be celebrating such a milestone.
“We’ve had various development works and retailers come in and out, and there have been a fair few changes in the six years I’ve been here.
“When it opened in 1992 it looked a bit different to how it does now. There were changes in 2013 to get some anchor brands in and it has developed positively since.
“To say there’s so many brands in here, it feels like one big family and there is very much a team atmosphere.”
He added that there will be some new units opening at the centre in the coming months, including Sugar Sweet.
Happy 30th Birthday to the Waterside Shopping Centre. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Marking a special milestone. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Ellie Carter, Chris Dunkley, and Deborah Yarwood from St Barnabas with the Waterside’s centre manager Dean Cross. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
St Barnabas promoted May’s Colour Dash event and were fundraising at the centre, and will be back again on Friday, March 18.
Chris Dunkley, Ellie Carter, and Deborah Yarwood have been promoting St Barnabas Hospice’s Colour Dash. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Fundraising Officer Deborah Yarwood told The Lincolnite: “It is great to be at the Waterside, which is a big part of Lincoln in the heart of the city, to promote our 40th birthday and May’s colour dash.
“It is really exciting because this year we have lots of activities going on, including our 40for40 challenges. It is an incredible feat serving Lincolnshire for so long as everyone at some point has been touched by the hospice.”
St Barnabas Hospice is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and a trio from the charity were at Waterside Shopping Centre on its 30th birthday – Chris Dunkley, Deborah Yarwood and Ellie Carter. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Sales advisor Diane Reynolds (left), pictured with her colleague Mandy Smith (right), has worked at Superdrug in the Waterside Shopping Centre for 28 years. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Sales advisor Diane Reynolds has worked at Superdrug in the Waterside Shopping Centre for 28 years.
She said: “I love it. I have seen some changes, going from three floors to two, to lots of individual stores and bigger names coming in.
“We are part of a team at the centre, from staff to security, to Dean the centre manager, it is one big family.”
Philippa Hodgeson is the assistant store leader at 02. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Philippa Hodgeson is the assistant store leader at O2 in Lincoln, which was previously the BT shop, and she has worked there for 22 years.
She said: “It’s amazing and I can’t believe we’ve been here for so long. We’ve seen stores come and go and I’m proud to be part of it. It is like a big family and great to know the same faces, and the security staff are a massive part of it.”
Meanwhile, local artist Mel Langton was at the centre on Thursday and will be painting the first heart for the 2023 St Barnabas Heart Trail.
Local artist Mel Langton will be designing and painting the first heart for the 2023 St Barnabas Heart Trail. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A sneak preview of Mel’s design. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
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Lincolnshire Police and Crime Comissioner Marc Jones believes a new Bill giving victims of crime a stronger voice in the justice system will “drive up standards and outcomes for residents at the most critical times”.
The new Bill unveiled by government this week sets out plans to ensure victims are better heard, served and protected under wide ranging reforms.
Once passed by Parliament, the Bill will create the first ever Victims’ Law – guaranteeing greater consultation with them during the criminal justice process. It will also hold agencies such as the police, Crown Prosecution Service and the courts to account for the service they provide.
The draft Victims Bill includes measure that will:
Give victims the right to attend Parole Board hearings in full and submit questions about an offender’s suitability for release
Ensure police and crime commissioners have the power to convene criminal justice partners to improve standards and outcomes for victims of crime
Give Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyers a new duty to arrange a face-to-face meeting with each victim of crime before cases come to court
Increase the victim surcharge paid by offenders by 20% in a move forecast to raise an additional £20million by 2025. This will be spent on rape support centres and other measures to help victims
The Parole Board will have to consider victims’ concerns before making a decision
Lincolnshire PCC Marc Jones, as chairman of the commissioners’ national association, has been at the forefront of talks with ministers to create the new legislation.
He said: “I am absolutely committed to ensuring that anyone who is affected by crime in Lincolnshire and beyond receives the support they need.
“At a time when people need faith in the justice system they often feel further victimised by procedures that can be confusing and frustrating – we must build trust in the system by putting victims at the centre.
“This new legislation will place locally elected and accountable police and crime commissioners at the centre of the service victims receive. It will drive up standards and outcomes for residents at the most critical times.
“I will continue to work with government to ensure the Bill delivers real and lasting improvements for the victims of crime.”
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: “No victim should feel lost in a faceless system. We’re amplifying victims’ voices, boosting their rights at every stage and making criminals pay more to help victims recover.
“We’re doing this because it is morally the right thing to do to strengthen the care for victims, but also because it is operationally critical to drive up convictions – and keep our streets safe.”
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has “only worsened the situation” of NHS dental access in rural counties including Lincolnshire as the profession reaches “breaking point”, according to the Vice Chair of the Lincolnshire Local Dental Committee.
A recent survey from Healthwatch Lincolnshire, which gained 236 responses, found that 45% had no access to an NHS dentist while one person said they were being forced to ‘self medicate’.
To find out the exact extent of the issue in Lincoln, we contacted 10 local dental practices to find out whether or not they are taking on NHS patieny, and here’s what we found out.
West Parade Dental Care, Newland Dental Care, Bupa Dental Care (both The Strait and Doddington Road), Lincoln Dental Care, Genesis Dental Care, and Brant Road Dental Practice ARE NOT taking on new NHS patients
Guildhall Dental Care are only taking on new child patients on the NHS, but not adults
Carholme Dental Practice is accepting children on the NHS, but only private and practice plan for adults
When Cathedral View Dental Practice on Burton Road was asked if it was taking on new NHS patients, it said it was unable to comment
Appleby & Associates in North Hykeham were also contacted, who said it was mainly private but did usually take children on the NHS, but currently had no spaces for this.
In addition, Treeline on Lincoln High Street, which is run by JDSP Dental Limited, is registering military patients on the NHS, but has no other capacity to take on NHS patients. However, it can take patients on privately.
The practice also says within its automated message before you get through that it is in the process of contacting former patients from Powell and Associates, which closed its doors after 140 years last summer.
Each practice has a UDA quota, which is the unit of currency for measuring the type of clinical activity expected from a dentist within a 12-month contract for a certified financial value. The value of this varies from practice to practice, but it is understood that Lincolnshire has historically low values and could be another reason why recruitment is getting even more difficult.
Responding to the issue of dental access in the county Andy Fenn, Vice Chair of the Lincolnshire Local Dental Committee told The Lincolnite: “NHS dental access was an issue for rural counties including Lincolnshire before the pandemic and the impact of this only worsened the situation, such that urban areas are seeing the same issues once the peculiarity of rural areas.
“The reasons are multifactorial, not least the crisis in recruitment, the like of which we have not seen before. The loss of EU graduates, accelerated by Brexit and the stalling of the ORE process (although this has now been resurrected) severely impacted this together with a paradigm shift where new graduates were reported to be far less keen to undertake NHS work instead, in many cases opting for higher training, working in private practices or hospital settings.
“Additionally the desire to work less hours, with more part time work being sought has become the norm. Added to this we have seen dentists from the baby boomers group retiring, taking with them a previous commitment to the NHS, typically founded on the previous ‘item of service’ contract.
“The pandemic restrictions have typically resulted in backlogs of work, along with staff burnout, staff shortages and low morale with increasing mental health issues being seen amongst team members. On top of this the NHS UDA system which was deemed to be problematic from its inception in 2006 has failed to deliver for patients and the dental teams.
“A thorough review carried out by Prof Jimmy Steele in 2008-2009 highlighted the need for reforms and identified the model familiar to graduates, which would facilitate the delivery of dentistry in line with how undergraduates had been taught at dental school.
“Unfortunately, even with a series of pilots and prototypes since that time, the failed NHS contract is still being used to provide dental care for patients despite the acknowledged shortcomings on both sides of the House and in the Lords. Contract reform has been promised since the time of the coalition government but here we are in 2022, without any real plans of substance. The profession is at breaking point with the NHS contract.”
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