Experts in the visitor economy Destination Lincolnshire and Unmissable England are delivering the support, and it’s been secured by North Kesteven District Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

It will start with a launch event taking place on Tuesday 28 November, from 11-2pm at the Natural World Centre, Whisby which will tackle the idea of becoming an Experience Maker and how to develop your own bookable experience.

Unmissable England will then present a range of tourism training workshops in person and online to those businesses with a proactive interest and that sign-up on the day. Businesses will be taken on a journey throughout the programme, with a mix of workshops, one-to-one support and collaborative sessions.

In recent years there has been an increased demand for bookable experiences, and so emphasis will be placed on businesses creating or developing a bookable experience.

The programme will also align with other significant objectives such as accessibility and inclusivity, sustainability and being environmentally friendly, diversification and experiential off-season products, through dedicated workshops such as ‘Greening your business’. This type of programme is the first of its kind and has the potential to pave the way for other local authorities to help boost their visitor economy in a similar way.

The programme of support will run until November 2024 and will avoid peak seasons such as Christmas and Summer. If you are interested in attending any of the workshops, we encourage you to attend the launch event on November 28, which will cover how to develop your own bookable experience.

You can book your free place by visiting the eventbrite website.

This year out of the 30 highlighted in The Lincolnites 30 under 30, 6 are based in North Kesteven, a true testament to the young talent in our district. See below for a short summary of those recognised for their excellence, or view the full list of 30 under 30.

Callum Donnelly, 28, Design Lead, Fizzco

Callum’s innovative approach extends to mastering 3D Matterport technology and 3D modelling. His digital designs offer a more immersive product and understanding, reducing environmental impact.

Charlotte Massingham, 26, Teacher and Arts Lead, Church Lane Primary School 

Charlotte embodies a devotion to education that transcends the classroom. She creates a stimulating learning environment that nurtures not just knowledge but also curiosity and critical thinking.

Emma Brearley, 27, Brand Manager, Tillotts Pharma UK Limited

Upon her promotion to Associate Brand Manager of a £2.7 million brand, Emma swiftly launched a new product, capturing a 6% market share within two months. Emma is now preparing for an international secondment in Switzerland as a Global Brand Lead.

Jonathan Hadleigh, 27, Marketing Assistant, Integrity Software Systems

Jonathan has taken on significant responsibilities within the company’s Green Team and Works Council. These roles underscore his dedication to sustainability, as he helps maintain the company’s Carbon Neutral+ status.

Shannon Riglin, 28, Managing Director, Tiffin & Co Bakehouse Ltd

Shannon has piloted the company to impressive heights despite the economic challenges of the past two years. A significant leap was the £50,000 investment in a new production unit in Sleaford, enahncing production capabilities, meeting the demand of a growing client base.

Jacob Lord, 25 Director, Seraph Technologies / Construct3D

Jacob is the inventor behind the UK’s fastest 3D printer and he has disrupted the additive manufacturing world with his invention. Their claims of speed, reliability, and quality were later independently verified by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), which found the printer to outperform competitors priced 100 times higher.

Work to build 15 units at Sleaford Moor Enterprise Park is now complete, moving the development even closer to welcoming in the first businesses to call it home.

The units are built across plots one and three, which together make up phase one. They have smart-looking dark cladding on the outside, while being bright and airy inside with high roofs and ample space.

They’re all designed to meet business needs now and in future, by providing flexible space to grow and in reducing energy use through features including EV charging points, solar panels, and even skylights within the plot one units.

In plot one there are nine units ranging from 1,313 sq ft to 2,066 sq ft – these benefit from solar panels, energy efficient insulation and electric vehicle charging points. Plot three contains six slightly larger grow-on business units from 3,369 sq ft to 5,123 sq ft and these have solar panels, EV charging points and more.

Among the final touches to come for phase one will include landscaping and further planting including native trees, and even some new roadside signage facing Pride Parkway contains planting.

For more information, contact Eddisons Incorporating Banks Long & Co or view the Phase One Brochure.

Small Business Saturday UK is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities.

• Offer a promotion or discount (10% off or 2 for 1)
• Use these hashtags to ensure your posts get the right reach: #SmallBusinessSaturday #SmallBizSatUK #ShopLocal
• Apply for a free pitch at the Shop Small Market in Heckington
• There will also be bunting available for shopfronts on a first come first served basis, to request some please email [email protected]
• Let us know your plans or what discount your offering so we can help to promote it and get the word out and customers your way!

A Shop Small Market is being planned to celebrate Small Business Saturday. It will be held in Heckington on Saturday 2 December and pitches will be free of charge.

It could be the perfect opportunity for a business starting up, without a physical storefront, or a business wanting to branch out to new customers. Businesses will need to provide evidence of their Public Liability Insurance and any food or drink licenses if applicable.

There will be stalls provided but you can also bring your own gazebo or trailer, please let us know your requirements when applying. Places will be limited, so please let us know if you are interested at the earliest convenience by emailing [email protected] and include the name, type of business, and business address

The Rural Business Grant (RBG) supports rural businesses to invest in sustainable growth across the District. The minimum grant available through the RBG is £5,000, and to demonstrate value for money applicants will be required to offer match funding. There will be two application windows, with the current one for 23/24 still open and accepting applications. The second window will be opened in time for the 24/25 financial year. The fund will support capital investments only.

The deadline for projects to be completed has been updated. The March 2024 deadline for completion of projects applying in the current window has been removed. All projects, irrespective of which application window they are submitted will have until March 2025 to complete the actual works.

Apply for the Rural Business Grant.

This grant is being delivered by North Kesteven District Council for DEFRA under the Rural England Prosperity Fund. This allocation is an addendum to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

There will be a week of fringe events kicking off on Saturday 14 October with a range of activities around the town. The festival finale will then take place on Saturday 21 October with lots of exciting workshops, art installations and plenty of activities for all to enjoy.

There will be lots to see and do, so why not take a look at the digital version of the programme? You can also pick up a physical copy in various shops, restaurants and cafes in Sleaford.

You can still get involved! The RiverLight team are looking for enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. This a chance to contribute to an event that will shine a spotlight on Sleaford’s vibrant essence. To sign up as a volunteer, please email [email protected] and include ‘RiverLight Volunteer’ in the subject line.

The RiverLight Festival has received £77,000 from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This money has been distributed by North Kesteven District Council, under the Events Programme.

Shoppers can enjoy great deals in Sleaford while seeing how their spending ripples out across the local economy in North Kesteven through a new campaign.

The Magic Tenner event runs from Saturday 7 October until Saturday 21 October and will see a number of retailers in the town offering up £10 deals. You can spot these offers by looking for Magic Tenner posters in shop windows.

Lots of those taking part are also displaying Magic Tenner posters with the number of local businesses that supply or work with them – so you can see how your £10 spent there will directly support other local people and livelihoods.

The campaign also leads into RiverLight Festival 2023 in Sleaford, which will see the town centre filled with light and colour once again though live performances, installations and activities, music, and is a great opportunity to shop local. The festival officially begins with a week of fringe events from Saturday 14 October and finishes with a finale day on Saturday 21 October.

So far, the businesses running Magic Tenner offers across the fortnight include:

Beautifully Handmade Gift shop, in Bristol Arcade in Sleaford, which supports 20 other local businesses and is offering any two Lulabel hair accessories for £10

Market Square Cafe and Restaurant, which is located in Sleaford’s Market Place, supports 13 businesses. Their offer is: a mini afternoon tea for £10, which includes a sandwich and a slice of cake, from selected sandwiches and cakes only, a fruit scone and a regular filter coffee or pot of tea.

Glow Suntan Centre, in Millstream Square in Sleaford. Their offer is: 12 minutes on the sunbed for £10.

The Queens Head Coffee Shop in Kesteven Street in Sleaford. Their offer is: breakfast or lunch for two for £10.

Alexandras Boutique on Southgate in Sleaford. Their offer is: all styles of their bobble hats are reduced from £12-£15 to £10.

Appetites, in Bristol Arcade in Sleaford. Their offer is: any two filled rolls (excluding double deckers) and any two hot drinks to eat in, for £10.

Cogglesford Watermill, off Eastgate in Sleaford supports six local independent businesses. Their offer is: 1.5kg wholemeal and 1.5kg white flour, a history book, plum bread and a postcard for £10.

Glitz and Glamour Boutique, on Southgate in Sleaford. Their offer is: 10% off selected items.

Ruth Burrows Illustration, at Navigation Wharf in Sleaford Their offer is: Sleaford mug, two coasters and a postcard for £10.

The Hutch Shop, Millstream Square in Sleaford. Their offer is: a selection of travel harnesses for £10, reduced from £19.99.

Keep an eye out for other offers during the campaign, and businesses helping to amplify by displaying the campaign posters such as the Sleaford Sausage Shop in Bristol Arcade in Sleaford which supports 12 local independent businesses.

Sleaford is taking part alongside over 50 Magic Tenner Towns across the UK, with businesses in all those locations offering £10 deals to get people out onto the high streets and give a boost to the local economy.

This Magic Tenner campaign is sponsored by Bira (The British Independent Retailers Association) who work as the voice of independent retail and other high street businesses, fighting for a level playing field for the independent sector.

The Totally Locally Magic Tenner campaign is free for any independent business to join in. For more information and to get posters and promotional kit for your business, contact the Council’s Economic Development Team by emailing [email protected]

These materials are being provided with support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, through the events programme for North Kesteven.

Your Business Boost is a cohort-based programme, designed to help those in retail, hospitality and leisure achieve their business ambitions.

The programme starts with a group session bringing all participants together. From there, participants can access masterclasses on subjects such as Marketing, HR, Sales and also receive more bespoke support through 1-2-few sessions and 1-2-1 support with a subject expert.

The first cohort starts on Wednesday 18 October, with fiver further cohorts scheduled through to March 2025. The programme takes 8 weeks to complete, with each week offering 3 hours of learning opportunities for participants to access.

Visit Business Lincolnshire for more information and to register your interest.