New Sniffer Dogs, e-bike Drink Driving Arrest, Donated Bras & More.
Happy Friday readers, the weekend is in sight albeit a damp one by the looks of it!
I hope you have something nice planned for the weekend, even if indoors but until then .... grab a brew and a rich tea and have a read of today's newsletter covering all things Bassetlaw and surrounding areas.
Today's Quote of the Day - "Change your thoughts and you change your world." –Norman Vincent Peale
I would ask you to forward this newsletter email to anyone that you may think it would be of use to - perhaps people not on social media 24/7 or just people who like a summary read in the morning.
Enjoy the read and have a great weekend wherever you are reading this.
Justin Doddy, Editor
P.S. If someone forwarded you this newsletter, click here to sign up to get quality local journalism in your inbox.
What a fantastic community campaign from the Aurora Wellbeing Centre! 💗
This October, Aurora is inviting local businesses, schools, community groups, artists, makers, and anyone with a creative spirit to help Turn It Pink across Bassetlaw.
From eye-catching pink displays and fundraising events to artwork, bunting, and simple acts of support, every idea can help raise vital funds for Aurora's free cancer support services.
It's wonderful to see the Aurora team already getting started, turning donated bras into pink bunting ready to brighten up The Canch this October! 🎀 If you have any bras to donate, the collection bin is open at Aurora, and every contribution helps bring this amazing vision to life.
Aurora Wellebing Centre is a local cancer charity that offers a free package of support for people and is based at The Old Library Building, Memorial Avenue, Worksop.
Let's come together to fill Bassetlaw with pink, creativity, hope, and community spirit while supporting local people affected by cancer. 💕
Find out more and download the Turn It Pink Sign-Up Pack here: Turn It Pink This October
Content courtesy of Aurora Wellbeing Centre, Bassetlaw.
Nottinghamshire County Council calls for more clarity from the Government on the LGR decision.
Nottinghamshire County Council has issued a letter (August 27) seeking clarification from the Secretary of State in relation to the Pre-Action Protocol for a Judicial Review into the recent decision on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
The Secretary of State announced his preferred option on 16 July 2026, with two, single-tier unitary councils replacing the nine existing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils*
The council’s decision to issue a pre-action letter is a procedural step (within the judicial review process) designed to seek more information and provide an opportunity for the issues raised to be addressed before any further legal proceedings are considered.
This follows concerns regarding the lawfulness of the decision-making process and the basis upon which the decision was reached by the Secretary of State.
The council has previously written to the Secretary of State requesting more information about the rationale for their decision, with relevant documentary evidence, but this request was refused.
Councillor Mick Barton, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has also written to all eight chief executives of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils to make them aware of this action. He said:
“This is not a step our council has taken lightly.
“Transparency regarding the decision-making process is essential given the significance of the proposals and the implications for residents and communities across Nottinghamshire and Nottingham.
“This is why we have taken this action to seek clarification of the reasoning, evidence and rationale behind the Secretary of State's decision, so we have a clear understanding of how the decision was reached.
“Once we have received this information and evidence, we will be able to consider our position.”
The council has emphasised that it is committed to maintaining positive and constructive relationships with all parties involved in the LGR process locally and nationally.
It also remains committed to the implementation of the LRG programme, of which the county council’s chief executive Adrian Smith, is the senior responsible officer and team leader of the implementation team.
Content courtesy of Nottinghamshire County Council
New police sniffer dog ready for duty
A new nose will soon be searching for vital evidence in Nottinghamshire.
PD Reggie is Nottinghamshire Police's latest four-legged recruit, and he has now completed six weeks of specialist search training after being paired with a new handler.
The lively two-year-old Working English Spaniel has been trained to sniff out drugs, cash, and firearms at crime scenes.
PD Reggie was recruited from the Dogs Trust charity, who identified his high play drive with a ball, which made him an ideal candidate for police training.
He will be the first specialist search animal for his experienced handler, and will work alongside general-purpose dog PD Rocket.
PD Reggie was put through his paces in a series of search scenarios on 19 August, overseen by an external examiner.
He successfully detected samples in dense woodland, inside buildings, and in and around a parked car.
The force utilises four types of police dogs: general-purpose animals adept at chasing and tracking, and a variety of specialist search dogs, who can sniff out concealed drugs and other forensic evidence.
Sergeant Nick Dachtler, of Nottinghamshire Police's dog section, said:
"PD Reggie is absolutely full of energy and character. He is tenacious in his searching and passed his licensing with flying colours.
"Training police dogs is hard work, so we are grateful for our relationship with the Dogs Trust for highlighting strong candidates.
"As PD Reggie begins his new career, it is hugely rewarding to see him find a long-term home with us and thrive in the care of his handler.
"Police dogs remain a fundamental part of policing, providing a unique skill set that simply cannot be replicated and their contribution continues to play a crucial role in uncovering vital evidence."
Louise Crawford, animal welfare scheme coordinator at Dogs Trust, said:
“From rescue dog to licensed police search dog, this is exactly the kind of second chance we love to see.
"The team at Dogs Trust Loughborough recognised Reggie's potential and need for an active home.
"With the dedication of the training team and handler at Nottinghamshire Police, that potential has been transformed into an important role protecting and supporting the community.
"We are incredibly proud to have played a part in Reggie's journey and are delighted to see another rescue dog showing just how much they can achieve.”
Courtesy of Nottinghamshire Police
Drink drive campaign highlighted as Newark man charged after e-bike crash
A man has been charged after another man was injured in an e-bike crash.
Officers were patrolling in Newark when they came across an injured man in the street at 11.44pm on 21 August.
They were in Albert Street heading towards the town centre when they spotted a crowd surrounding an injured man on the floor.
Two men had been riding an e-bike at the time of the crash, with the pillion passenger thrown to the floor. He was taken to hospital with a minor back injury.
Alfie Matthews, aged 19, of Stone Close, Newark, has been charged with drink driving and driving without a licence or insurance.
He has been released on bail and is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 18 September.
Nottinghamshire Police's ongoing campaign 'drink driving kills…' focuses on the everyday consequences of driving under the influence.
In the last year, 1,435 people were convicted of drink or drug driving offences across the county.
They will all have faced very serious personal and professional consequences as a result of their conviction and driving ban.
The new campaign focuses on those everyday consequences, exploring the shame, embarrassment, and inconvenience of losing your licence.
For more information about the campaign, visit the force's website here.
PC Ciara Moore, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
"Tackling drink driving and preventing serious harm on our roads remains a top priority.
"Officers were on scene quickly, and a man was arrested shortly afterwards. A second man was taken to hospital, fortunately, with only minor injuries.
"We will continue to take robust action against anyone who puts others at risk in this way, and I would encourage members of the public to please find out more about our campaign."
Content courtesy of Nottinghamshire Police.
✨ A Special Night of Music for a Very Special Cause ✨
🎶 Supporting Bassetlaw Hospice 🎶
If you've not got yours yet, there's still time to join what promises to be a wonderful evening of music while supporting an incredible local cause.
The Musicality Singers are hosting a Special Concert for Bassetlaw Hospice on Friday 4th September at 7pm at The Well Church & Community Centre, Retford (DN22 7BD).
Bassetlaw Hospice provides vital palliative care and support for people living with cancer and progressive long-term conditions, helping patients and their families achieve the very best quality of life during challenging times. As an independent charity, the hospice relies heavily on fundraising and community support to continue delivering its invaluable services.
Come along, enjoy a fantastic night of music, and help raise essential funds for a charity that makes a real difference to so many local families.
🎟️ Ticket Information
- Adults: £8
- Under 16s: £5
Tickets are available from:
- Mags: 07592 447139
- Debbie: 01777 710444 (option 3)
- The Well Church & Community Centre
To find out more about the hospice and the amazing work it does, visit the Bassetlaw Hospice website.
Please share with friends and family and help support this very special community fundraiser. 💜🎵
Thanks so much for reading our local newsletter and for supporting us. We’re committed to providing Bassetlaw with the quality local news service it deserves, but sustaining this work may come with some challenges. Our team is currently discussing how to make Bassetlaw Today financially viable in the long term, and one option we’re considering is introducing a subscription model to help cover our costs.
We want to be open with you about these conversations so you’re aware that a fee may need to be introduced in the future. If that happens, we hope you’ll continue to stand with us and support the publication.
Have a great day and I look forward to seeing you read our next newsletter.
Justin Doddy, Editor
Bassetlaw Today
P.S. Your feedback about this newsletter is important to me. You can email me your feedback to news@bassettlawtoday.co.uk
