Doncaster Echo - October/November 2024

Celebrating everything good in doncaster and surrounding areas

INTRODUCTION

Hello and welcome to your October/ November edition of Doncaster Echo.

We hope you all had a brilliant summer! Autumn may bring chillier nights but we love getting cosy and tucking into a nice, warm home-cooked meal.

The nights may be getting darker but spooky season is just around the corner and for many people this is their favourite time of year.

In this edition, we share with our readers Doncaster’s two-year celebration of city

status, taking place on Friday 25th October hosted by the Doncaster Little Theatre.

We also take a look at the transformation of Thornham Community Gardens - from a neglected area to a place where Armthorpe residents can visit.

As always, our friendly team is just an email or phone call away to help you with all your advertisement needs.

We will see you again in December, but for now, sit back with a cuppa and enjoy your latest instalment of Doncaster Echo. @doncasterecho

meet the staff

LISA WARRENER EDITOR

RACHAEL LIDDLE DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

lisa caley sales executive

Daniella dennis sales Manager

Distribution Assistants: Jamie Walton, Justin Newton, Mitchell Brewins, Craig Shaw and Ben Hammill

Thornham Community

Here we highlight a huge transformation - from a neglected garden to a place where Armthorpe residents can visit, it’s perfect for anyone living in a flat with no outside space, or for anyone thinking about taking on an allotment

Back in 2022 the gardens were completely overgrown with shrubs and weeds blocking the drive. The polytunnels were also full of thistles and brambles and the raised beds had become a dumping ground.

The gardens were set up 15 years ago as an allotment garden to be shared by Armthorpe’s primary schools.

Chris Richardson, one of the volunteers at Thornham Community Gardens, became involved at that time, running an after-school garden club for the children from Southfield School.

However, the school staff did not really have time to maintain the garden and it started to look neglected. The pandemic came along and nobody went into the garden, so it was left for years then Thornham Community Gardens were invited to take it over.

The group formed a committee to apply for funding and make a plan and then they stared clearing the area. In winter 2022, they cleared out and washed the polytunnels and started dismantling the raised beds, shifting tons of rotting timber, weeds and rubbish. They received a seed fund grant from Doncaster Council, and then a grant from Environmental Pride which enabled them to buy all the equipment, raised beds, water storage, fruit trees and compost. They also received a grant from Community Wealth Builder which was used to buy some nut trees and pond liners.

This year the large polytunnels are due to be reskinned and they now have two greenhouses. Their aim is to make the garden friendly to wildlife and the environment, and to grow produce organically. They have several large water containers and smaller water butts which mean

Community Gardens

their use of piped water is kept to a minimum. They have a rechargeable strimmer and mower, and can charge them using solar power. Last year they had an open day and one of the visitors gave them some comfrey which is growing well and now they can use that and their nettles to make a feed for the plants. As well as growing edibles they have flowers to attract and feed pollinators and to make the garden a pleasant place to sit.

All Armthorpe residents are welcome to use the garden. People can grow fruit and vegatables for themselves or to donate and share and children can enjoy growing and eating healthy food.

Currently they have raspberries, strawberries, cherries and currants ripe to pick and eat. As the garden becomes established, they are hoping they will have enough to donate to Armthorpe Food Support.

Once the polytunnels are re-covered, there is going to be a lot of space for anyone who wants to start their plants off under cover.

Thornham Community Gardens requires a lot of commitment and support which means they are always looking out for volunteers and small

donations. If you would be interested in helping out you can contact them on their Facebook page.

They would love to have the garden open more often but this needs volunteers willing to commit to being there on a regular basis.

Thornham Community Gardens is on Thornham Close, off Southfield Road.

Currently the garden is open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 11am-2pm.

If you are interested in visiting the garden, becoming a volunteer or simply donating they would love to hear from you, simply drop them a message on Facebook at: Thornham Community Garden.

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Yorkshire Loft Ladders come in.

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50 sq ft of boarding and a light all fully fitted in less than a day from just £277 + VAT. But it’s not just the affordability of the package the company offers that makes Yorkshire Loft Ladders stand out as manager Warren Ingleson explains:

‘Our watchwords are Quality,

Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen so our customers are assured of the best job. Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and Value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford. Our business relies on referrals and we got a huge amount of our calls from people who have been referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’

So, if you want to make use of your loft space, however big or

lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’ So, if you want to make use of your loft space, however big or

small, call Warren on 0800 612 8359 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers

FROM A POLICE

Advice for parents to share with their children returning to schools

“Unfortunately, there are some people out there who may be looking to take advantage of the times when schools start and finish, using the larger crowds to slip away without being noticed.”

POLICE PERSPECTIVE:

The new school year has just started across South Yorkshire and the Doncaster Policing Team is encouraging parents of children who have returned to school, to share some general crime prevention advice.

Many children will be making their way to school either using public transport, walking or riding a bike, and so we are sharing some simple top tips on how they can keep their personal possessions safe from those who may be seeking to take them.

Detective Chief Inspector, Thomas Woodward, force lead for robbery, said: “Unfortunately, there are some people out there who may be looking to take advantage of the times when schools start and finish, using the larger crowds to slip away without being noticed.

“We know a new school term can be an exciting time, and so we want to make sure when children head back to school, they are prepared with simple yet easy steps they can take to become less of a target to thieves and to keep their belongings, like mobile phones and wallets, safe.”

When you are out and about, make sure your mobile phone, or any devices, like laptops and tablets, you have are safely away in your bag when not in use instead of in your back pocket or carrying it in your hand.

Ensure any purse or wallets are secured in your bag, with your bag zipped closed.

Never leave your belongings unattended, even for a

short period of time. If you do need to leave them, ask a trusted person to take care of them for you until you return.

Here are the top things to remember when out and about:

Keep your distance - when walking behind someone, particularly at night, try to leave a good amount of distance between yourself and the person ahead of you. Remember that the closer you are, the more threatening you might seem.

Don’t stare - a stranger staring at you can be intimidating and unsettling. Focus on something else to show you’re not a threat. Look out of the window, message a friend, or read a book or newspaper.

Cross the road - somebody running up behind you, particularly at night, can be frightening.

If you’re out for an evening run, or walk, and see someone walking ahead, cross the road, call out to let them know you’re about to run by them or make sure to leave a good amount of space when you pass them.

Keep comments to yourself - what you might think of as just a bit of fun, or flattery, can be insulting, upsetting or even scary to someone else. Keep any comments or opinions to yourself.

Championship Cat Show

Visitors welcome from 12.30pm Some stall spaces available

Classes on offer for all pedigree breeds as well as pet cats

Newcomers to showing cats are welcome

Tickets available via this QR code or can be purchased on the day

Doncaster’s celebration of city status

DONCASTER’S

The event takes place on Friday 25th October and is hosted by the Doncaster Little Theatre, a community arts venue in the heart of Doncaster run by volunteers

Doncaster became Yorkshire’s newest city in 2022, winning a contest held to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

O F CITY STATUS

The panel of guests includes:

• Dan Fell, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber and Chair of the City Status campaign.

Now a new event is planned to celebrate the second anniversary of Doncaster’s city status, and there is a chance too for residents to share their own favourite stories about Doncaster on the night.

The evening is hosted by Jim Carley, who was the Project Director of Doncaster’s bid, and has since written a book retelling the story.

Lindsy James Duathlon

Triple World Champion

Jim told Doncaster Echo: “This event promises to be a fun evening of light-hearted chat, humour, and discussion, retelling the story of this historic campaign, and celebrating everything about Doncaster. It will be a heady mix of history, heritage, and culture, recognising some of Doncaster’s greatest moments, as well as many hidden gems. Where else would The Flying Scotsman, Paddington Bear, Ivanhoe, and Open all Hours feature on the same billing?

• Lindsy James, Director of local charity Active Fusion and a World Duathlon Champion.

• Chloe Wilburn, local businesswoman and winner of Channel 5’s Big Brother in 2015.

Dan Fell

Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber Author of “The Race for City Status”

If you have a funny or unusual story, fact, or anecdote about life in Doncaster that is worth celebrating, then the organisers would love to hear from you: jcarley@carleyconsult.co.uk

Join us for the story of how Doncaster won Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee city status contest, as it celebrates its second birthday as Yorkshire’s newest city.

“The event also provides an opportunity to think about what it really means to be a city, and how Doncaster can fully capitalise on its newfound status moving forward.”

Chloe Wilburn Winner of TV’s Big Brother

Doncaster Little Theatre stages a diverse range of productions, including plays, musicals, comedy, and cabaret, with many produced and performed by Doncaster residents.

Join them for a fun evening of light-hearted chat and discussion, retelling the story of this historic campaign, and celebrating everything about Doncaster.

Tickets are only £5 each, and all ticket sales will go to the Doncaster Little Theatre charity.

FRIDAY 25th OCTOB E R 7:30 PM

You can buy your tickets here: www. doncasterlittletheatre.co.uk/events/city-status/

DONCASTER’S

Join us for the story of how Doncaster won Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee city status contest, as it celebrates its second birthday as Yorkshire’s newest city.

FRIDAY 25th OCTOB E R 7:30 PM

Doncaster Chamber

“The Race for City Status” Winner of TV’s Big Brother

Lindsy James Duathlon Triple World Champion

Dan Fell Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber Author of “The Race for City Status” Chloe Wilburn Winner of TV’s Big Brother