Holbeach community groups come together to offer lifeline services

Three charities are expanding their services to provide a lifeline to an increasing number of people who need support this summer.

Holbeach Tonic Health Wellbeing Hub, Boxes of Hope and Holbeach Community Larder and Store all offering essential resources in the community.

A food token scheme, new store and membership scheme are planned for the larder, while the hub is helping clients transform their lives, and a new warehouse will mean more storage space for Boxes of Hope so it can continue to expand.

John Walker, chair of trustees at Holbeach Community Larder, said: “The need is getting bigger not smaller and if things get difficult people know there is a back-up to feed their families.”

A new store is due to open before the summer holidays where members can buy shopping significantly cheaper at a fixed price and will be issued with a membership card.

Families caught in the cost of living crisis will have access to a £5 token scheme, in collaboration with schools and businesses, to ensure children get enough to eat.

Mandy Baxter, founder of Boxes of Hope, also runs the Community Miracle Store opposite.

A new warehouse space will allow more items such as furniture and household goods to be stored and donated to people in crisis.

Staff from outside organisations such as Citizens Advice, EDAN Lincs (End Domestic Abuse Now) and Barclays Bank regularly visit to give advice to residents in free drop-in sessions.

Tonic Health Wellbeing Hub helps to turn lives around by providing a centre for activities and support in mental and physical health.

‘I couldn’t get out of bed some days’ as woman praises centre for helping transform her life

A woman who struggled with health issues has praised a community centre in helping to transform her life.

Mandy Littlejohn, 62, from Fleet Hargate was at an ‘all time low’ when she lost her husband, feeling suicidal and had sunk into depression. She was referred to a social prescriber who worked from the Holbeach Hub, run by charity Tonic Health and praises the centre for their support over the last couple of years. Social prescribers aim to boost wellbeing.

Mandy said: “I couldn’t get out of bed some days and I needed to get back to myself and the hub inspires me.

“I come two to three times a week and it has given me my self-respect back. The staff are brilliant, non-judgemental and I cannot praise them enough.”

Mandy was at first daunted by the prospect of going to the hub but overcame her anxieties to be greeted with a friendly welcome. She said: “After losing my husband six years ago and then my best friend two years later, I did not realise how lonely and isolated I had become.

“It was nerve-wracking but when I got there I found the people to be very friendly and welcoming.

“Eventually I was able to walk in on my own and was always welcomed by a friendly face and a cup of coffee.”

Mandy got involved with arts and crafts - designing the bright covers for the bollards outside the old school building on Boston Road South where the hub is based. She is now a part of a friendship group who support each other.

Mandy said: “I became friends with a lovely group of people and if one of us hasn’t turned up we will get a call or a text to check in with them.

“All of our friendship group have issues but we look after each other, we can talk about our issues with each other.”

Mandy used to walk with a stick as she suffered with psoriasis, a painful skin condition.

At Christmas she ‘gave herself a good talking to’ in order to improve her health by losing weight and giving up smoking. She said: “I accepted that I could not change my situation without changing myself.

“I decided to change the things I could control, firstly my weight and I have lost 4st 51b.

“I have started a mild exercise regime and between the two I now feel a lot better about myself - and I now hold my head up higher.”

Mandy accesses the hub regularly - sometimes daily - and makes use of the Boxes of Hope Community Miracle shop.

Charity founder Mandy Baxter has praised Mandy on her journey and the store enables her to buy preloved clothes to feel good about herself while gaining confidence.

Mandy said: “I still have a long way to go but I have made a good start.

“I am changing myself to the person I want to be one day at a time - it is not going to be done over a few weeks.

“The hub inspired me to stop smoking although I still vape I feel a whole lot healthier.”

Mandy praises the staff at the hub and suggests that people who may have found themselves in a position to her to try it.

She added: “I would highly recommend it to anyone who is feeling lonely or down.

“I know it takes a lot to walk into a new place but for me it is the best thing I ever did I am now a different person to what I was. I still have bad days but I accept that and try again the next day.”

Holbeach Hub helped more than 12,000 people last year, often referred by their social prescriber, to combat loneliness and social isolation.

Charity offers face-to-face sessions with organisations to support residents

A charity is providing drop-in sessions from organisations which give practical, financial and wellbeing advice to residents.

Boxes of Hope, based on Holbeach High Street, has regular visits from Citizens Advice South Lincolnshire, Edan Lincs End Domestic Abuse Now and Barclays Bank staff who offer guidance on scams and fraud.

Mandy Baxter, founder of Boxes of Hope, works closely with Holbeach Hub (Tonic Health) and the Community Larder to help members of the community access resources, food and support - and has opened a new warehouse to support the Boxes of Hope Community Miracle shop.

Mandy said: “By offering face-to-face support with services, especially domestic abuse, which is extremely high in this area, it breaks down barriers and gives the individual a feeling of worth and being listened to.

“So many high street banks have closed and offering a regular face-to-face appointment with an advisor gives the community a chance to ask questions they may not be able to ask.
“A lot of older people struggle online and having a friendly face to speak to gives them relief.”

Mandy praises the work that Citizens Advice and Edan provides as she sees the services as being ‘much more needed.’

She said: “Our visits have been so active supporting people in the community.”

“It is imperative to the community to be able to come and see a regular advisor and we are happy to work alongside this organisation.

“We have a free weekly drop-in with Edan and if you have concerns about your relationship, join us.”

Mandy emphasises that people can pop by ‘if you just need someone to talk to, we are here for you and also works alongside domestic abuse charity Haven.

Jason Sadler, a local specialist from Barclays Bank, holds one of 70 roles in the country who delivers drop-in sessions to help with banking enquiries.

He visited the charity on Thursday, June 19 to offer guidance on finance scams and fraud. Mr Sadler said: “it is a personal passion of mine to make a difference.
“Every 15 minutes there is a victim of a scam and it can happen to anyone at any age.

“My role allows me to make a bigger impact in the community on a wide scale.”

Two residents, Christine Smith and Doreen attended the session in order to ‘get more information about scams and fraud’ as they are ‘getting more sophisticated.’
Sessions to see a representative from Citizens Advice can be booked in advance as appointments fill up quickly.

These take place every Thursday and staff are able to help with a range of queries from housing, benefits, money and relationships. There is also an online service to answer questions about Universal Credit, debt advice and the Scams Action Service.

Boxes of Hope has delivered aid to Ukraine and also helps nearer home via their Community Miracle Shop, opposite Boxes of Hope on the High Street.

It sells furniture, clothing and household items at a reduced rate and staff have been busy moving into their new warehouse space.

The charity has provided work experience to Freya Mils who is a student at University Academy Holbeach.

Studying T-Level in Business Management and Administration, she has nearly completed her placement. Freya said: “It is very different and has opened a lot for me.
“I never knew much about charities so it is new and I enjoy it. People will always try and help people here.“

Boxes of Hope can be found on Facebook or call 01406 420261 for further information or visit https://www.citizensadvicesouthlincs.org.uk/ for more details.

Food project expands offering to meet growing demands for help

New trustees for a project that provides food to some 50 people a week hope their appointments will help produce a recipe for success.

John and Liz Walker have been appointed chair and treasurer for Holbeach Community Larder and Store - based at the Reading Rooms - which is supporting residents with food donations.

Residents struggling with the cost of living will be able to buy produce from the larder at a reduced rate thanks to a new store and summer holiday token scheme being run by the organisation.

A store along with running a token scheme for children during the summer holidays, enabling residents to buy produce from the larder at a reduced rate.

Mr Walker, chair, said: “Like a lot of people I got to an age where I had retired and thought how can I make a difference.

“As the head of trustees I engage with them on how we can develop the larder and to keep on trying.

“The need is getting bigger not smaller and if things get difficult people know there is a back-up to feed their families. “

The couple hail from the North East and lived in Portugal for some years before moving to Holbeach to be nearer their daughter in Cambridge.

Mrs Walker, treasurer, said: “Since retiring I have all this experience and skills, an accounting qualification and thought how can I use them to make a difference.

“When I was younger I had a school scholarship and grant.

“People helped me so I want to help give back.”

The larder, which started in 2013, are planning to run the store as a community grocers not-for-profit scheme.

Mr Walker said: “We visited Sleaford who are doing this at scale.

“We know that it is difficult for people to accept charity

“It is important to let people know what we do.”

Members of the scheme can buy shopping significantly cheaper at a fixed price and will be issued with a membership card.

However, volunteers are crucial in getting the store up and running before the summer holidays.

Mr Walker said: “We have around a dozen volunteers.

“But we could use twice that.

“It would mean, for example, opening for an extra hour a week and helping elderly people.”

Mrs Walker said: “We would like to say thank you to the volunteers we have.

“We have a Russian speaking volunteer and a client was thrilled to connect with someone and communicate.”

The larder has a team of volunteers already including manager Wander Adams-Stevens, Sandra Reedman, assistant manager, Weronika Laskowska and Edeana O’Donoghue.

Wander has explained why she wanted to get involved in the project. She said: “It is good to be able to give something back.

“We are fortunate to be able to.”

The trustees are working with schools in providing £5 tokens for families to use in the summer holidays.

Tokens will be valid at the Central Fish Bar, Munch Box, Shoestring Café and Darci’s Sandwich Bar in Holbeach.

Businesses in the scheme will then be reimbursed by the larder.

For further information and to find out about volunteering contact info@holbeachcommunitylarder.org.uk

Holbeach Community Larder and Store can be found on Facebook.

‘It can be a hard job making gifts for stillborn babies’

A close-knit craft group pour love and time into creating gifts for those in need.

Crafty Bees meet Thursday mornings at Boxes of Hope on Holbeach High Street to knit and make toys, clothes, tiny cribs and burial gowns for still born, premature or sick babies, cancer patients and those living with dementia.

They have been a hive of activity making cribs and clothing for baby charity Bliss, giving a hero pack to Jack Naish from Sutton Bridge who has a brain tumour and presenting sensory and knitted items to Patchett Lodge Care home for a baby room project.

Joules, from Crafty Bees said: “It can be a hard job making gifts for still born babies.

“They are called angel babies and we make them with respect.

“We don’t make them fast and it is an emotional thing, done with love.”

Holbeach resident Sharon, who sadly experienced losing a grandson at just 27-weeks-old, is fundraising for Bliss and collects the items to pass on to the charity and hospitals.

Boxes of Hope has donated raffle prizes to help her fundraiser as she walks 100k steps daily and she donates the items - knitted hearts and tiny burial gowns - to hospitals in King’s Lynn, Boston, Grantham, Lincoln and Liverpool.

The group welcomed a visit from Jack Naish, 11, recently who has been receiving chemotherapy as he bravely battles a brain tumour.

Jack and his legal guardians Tom and Belinda McClements met the group who presented Jack with a hero pack.

It contained a superhero t-shirt, jumper, bag and teddy with his initials on.

For Patchett Lodge Care Home in Holbeach the group has made blankets and doll clothes for a baby room and ‘sensory sleeves’ which aid touch and sight.

Residents living with dementia take part in reminiscence therapy, joining in with activities which help them to remember events.

The Crafty Bees are a busy, close-knit group of around 10 members.

Jules added: “We all teach each other talents in knitting and crochet.

“The group gives us companionship and fun.

“We are so close it is unbelievable.”

For further details visit Boxes of Hope on Facebook.