Good News, Local Voices & Community Stories : Bassetlaw News Highlights from the Last Week
Well that's the end of another busy week of news from around Bassetlaw and the surrounding area - as usual we've taken a selection of our published content and shortened them, where possible into one catch-up newsletter.
Why not grab a Sunday morning brew, grab a bourbon and take ten to catch up on our shortened highlights from this week's Bassetlaw Today newsletters.
Covering all things Bassetlaw the full articles can be accessed in our daily newsletters 100% FREE on https://bassetlaw-today.ghost.io/ .
I hope you enjoy the read, please email us if you have a story for us and have a great weekend wherever you are.
Justin Doddy, Editor
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter here if you haven't already and remember to send us your pictures and stories from around Bassetlaw.
Man Arrested Following Suspected Deliberate Bungalow Fire in Worksop
A 34-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life following a fire at a bungalow in Worksop.
Emergency services were called to a property in Rayton Spur shortly after 7.30pm on Wednesday 20 August, after a member of the public spotted flames and dialled 999.
Following enquiries, Nottinghamshire Police arrested a suspect in the early hours of Thursday morning (21 August), who remains in custody for questioning.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE: ‘Insufficient grounds’ for legal challenge against huge solar farm
By: Joe Locker
There are “insufficient grounds” for a legal challenge against a nationally significant solar farm spanning Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
The One Earth Solar Farm and its battery storage facility will cover nearly 4,000 acres either side of the River Trent south of Dunham-on-Trent, near East Markham in Nottinghamshire.
An application was submitted to the Government earlier this year by Danish energy company Ørsted and PS Renewables, which is one of the UK’s largest renewable energy development and construction companies.
On July 8, the independent Planning Inspectorate confirmed the nationally significant infrastructure project had been granted development consent.
Campaigners and objecting authorities had been hoping a judicial review could help stop the development in its tracks, however Newark and Sherwood District Council said on Thursday (August 20) this would be unlikely to succeed.
Snipe Park Maintenance Update
Visitors to Snipe Park are advised that essential improvement works are now underway as part of Bassetlaw District Council's annual maintenance programme.
The Bassetlaw Parks team will be carrying out tree management works around the play area, including coppicing and cutting back some of the willow trees, as well as managing tall reeds and bushes over the coming weeks.
These improvements are designed to enhance visibility across the park, improve CCTV sightlines, and help create a safer environment for everyone to enjoy.
‘Disabled bus pass changes a step in the right direction – but why stop there?’
By: Joseph Connolly, LDRS
Campaigners in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have long been calling for changes to concessionary bus passes.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced he’ll lift time restrictions for disabled bus pass holders across the country, meaning they’ll be able to get on the bus for free 24/7.
Previously, as with any concessionary pass, they couldn’t get on for free before 9.30am on a weekday morning.
Court: Gainsborough man handed protection order after being found guilty of domestic violence
By: Oliver Castle, LDRS
A Gainsborough man has been issued with a protection order after being found guilty of domestic violence.
Harley Freeman, 32, of Nelson Street, in Gainsborough was found guilty of violence and threatening violence towards a woman.
Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard Freeman pinned the victim against a windowsill by the throat and had repeatedly followed her and pushed her, causing grazes to her arms and bottom.
Small Grants, Big Impact Across Bassetlaw Communities
Some of Bassetlaw’s fantastic community groups are continuing to make a real difference thanks to support from the Councillor Community Grants scheme.
These grants may be modest in size, but they have a huge impact—helping local organisations provide activities, bring people together, support wellbeing and create opportunities for residents of all ages.
In Clarborough, the 1st Clarborough Scout Group received £300 from Cllr Fraser McFarland to help replace roof end panels for the group's marquee, ensuring it can continue hosting activities and events for young people.
In Lound, the Lound Pickleball Group was awarded £125 from Cllr Darrell Pulk, Ward Member for Sutton, to purchase equipment and support the club as it welcomes new members and encourages more people to get active.
In Dunham on Trent, the Trentside Forget Me Notts Group received £400 from Cllr Emma Griffin and Cllr Lewis Stanniland to help cover room hire costs and provide craft materials, creating valuable opportunities for people to connect, socialise and support one another.
From Worksop to Bookshelves: One Mum’s Inspiring Journey to Help Children Find Their Voice
Melanie Wallace, a Speech and Language Therapist from Worksop has turned an idea born from reading with her daughter into a published children’s book that is now helping young children develop their communication skills.
Working as the Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist for Rotherham Learning Disabilities Service, she often found herself searching for books that focused on specific language concepts. But time and again, the book she had in mind simply didn’t exist.
Rather than giving up on the idea, Melanie decided to create the book herself.
The result is Let’s Find Betsy Bunny, a colourful board book designed to help young children learn positional words such as in, on, under and behind through playful reading and everyday interactions.
Let’s Find Betsy Bunny is available from www.littletalkerlearning.co.uk and is priced at £7.99.
A piece of the iconic Major Oak has fallen, just two months after experts confirmed the legendary Sherwood Forest tree had died.
Estimated to be up to 1,200 years old and closely linked to the tale of Robin Hood, the Major Oak remains one of Britain's most important trees.
In a statement, officials said changes to the tree’s structure have been expected as it naturally begins to decay. However, they admitted that even experienced arborists cannot always predict exactly when parts of ancient trees will fail.
Did you know, in 2025 there were 1,435 drink and drug driving offences in Nottinghamshire? 1,191 were male and 233 were female.
Remember, drink driving offences don't just include those who drive after the night out, it’s about whether you’re safe and fit to drive the next day too.
Worksop bus operator is shortlisted for two national awards
Stagecoach East Midlands is celebrating after being named as finalists in two categories at one of the transport industry’s most prestigious awards schemes.
The Worksop bus operator has been shortlisted for the National Transport Awards in the categories for Bus Operator of the Year and Frontline Employee / Community Champion of the Year, where Lead Driver, Derreck Smith was named as a finalist.
The National Transport Awards are one of the most important awards schemes in the sector, being independently judged by senior figures from within the industry.
Clumber Park Bus Service – Don’t Miss Out
Looking for an affordable family day out this summer? The Clumber Park summer bus service continues to run daily until Sunday 6 September!
📍 The service connects: 🚉 Worksop Train Station 🚌 Worksop Bus Station 🏘️ Manton Depots 🌳 Clumber Park
With three services each day, it's a convenient and sustainable way to visit one of Nottinghamshire's most beautiful outdoor destinations.
Return tickets are just £3 per person and include admission to Clumber Park!
Running daily until Sunday 6 September
Yellow Weather Warning Issued for the East Midlands
The Met Office issued a Yellow Weather Warning for parts of the East Midlands, with thunderstorms, heavy downpours and prolonged periods of rain expected on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 August.
Nottinghamshire County Council invite Veterans from across Nottinghamshire to a special coach trip to Imperial War Museum North in Manchester on Sunday 18 October 2026.
The trip is completely free of charge, including travel and entry to the museum, and is a great opportunity for veterans to explore it, reflect on the experiences of those who have served and enjoy a day out with other members of Nottinghamshire’s Armed Forces community.
Coach 1 – Mansfield 9.30am departure from Mansfield Civic Centre, NG17 1AU. Arrive at IWM North at approximately 11.15am
Coach 2 – Newark & Worksop: 9.30am departure from Newark Castle House, NG24 1BY. 10.00am departure from Worksop Library S80 2BP. Arrive at IWM North at approximately 11.30am
Coach 3 – County Hall 9.30am departure from County Hall, NG2 7QP. Arrive at IWM North at approximately 11.30am
All coaches will leave IWM North at 4.30pm.
Councillor Grant Support Holiday Hunger Scheme Across Bassetlaw
A local charity is helping to support families throughout the school holidays with essential products thanks to a £1,350 Councillor Community Grant.
From The Heart Charity based in Worksop run a campaign called The Holiday Hunger Scheme which helps distribute food parcels and toiletries to support families experiencing financial hardship during the school holidays and half term breaks.
The scheme has already supported 1,224 children and provided 6,430 meals to families in need across the District and the grant, donated by a group of Bassetlaw District Councillors, will help to purchase more food and essential toiletries.
The Canch Splash Park Update
The Canch Splash Park in Worksop is back open and ready for the Bank Holiday weekend ahead after essential maintenance work has been completed, and mandatory water testing came back clear.
Bank Holiday Rail Chaos Warning for East Midlands Passengers
East Midlands rail passengers were urged to travel only if absolutely essential over the Bank Holiday weekend, as RMT strike action and Network Rail engineering works will severely reduce services to and from London.
EMR said trains between Sheffield, Nottingham and London St Pancras will be extremely busy, with possible queuing at stations and some passengers unable to board their planned service. Sunday is expected to be particularly challenging due to the suspension of LNER services between London King’s Cross and Peterborough.
Witness appeal after two cyclists knocked off their bikes on Blyth Road
Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after two cyclists were knocked from their bikes in a Nottinghamshire village.
The riders were cycling side by side along Blyth Road, towards Blyth, when a motorcyclist allegedly reached out and pushed one of them into the other rider, causing both cyclists to collide and fall into a grass verge beside the road.One cyclist suffered cuts to his arms, while the other was left with pain to his collarbone.
The incident happened at around 5.20pm on Friday 21 August.
More lives will be lost it highways chiefs don’t improve the safety of the A1, councillor warns
By Oliver Castle, LDRS
More lives will be lost if highways chiefs don’t do more to improve the safety of the A1, a councillor has warned.
South Kesteven District Councillor (SKDC) Elvis Stooke (Independent – Belmont) has called on National Highways to close more of the gaps along the A1 as soon as possible, in a bid to reduce the number of accidents and road deaths.
So far, National Highways has closed 14 gaps but a further 41 remain open between Stamford and Newark.
Coun Stooke suggested that these central reservations should be closed with ‘immediate effect’ in order to tackle the issue while highways bosses carry out safety improvements in the longer term.
Grants for Worksop Businesses
Through the Government’s Pride in Place Programme, Worksop has secured £20 million over 10 years to support town centre regeneration.
To help create a more vibrant high street, £120,000 in Business Support Grant funding is available in 2026/27 to bring empty properties back into use and support local businesses.
Three grants are available to Worksop High Street businesses with more information and how to apply found on the Bassetlaw District Council website:
Let's get behind one of our own firefighters
Next month, Worksop Fire Station firefighter Ben Shepherd will travel to the USA to take part in the Memorial Stair Climb, marking the 25th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11.
This incredible challenge honours the 343 firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice while responding to the World Trade Center attacks. It is a powerful tribute to their courage, bravery, and unwavering commitment to serving others.
Ben is taking on this challenge not only to remember those heroes but also to raise funds for a worthy cause. We are incredibly proud of his dedication and determination.
If you would like to support Ben and help him reach his fundraising goal, please consider making a donation.
❤️ Donate here: https://tinyurl.com/pvpnr5ma
Classical music among problem-solving measures resulting in big drop in ASB incidents at McDonald's
A successful joint effort to tackle and reduce youth antisocial behaviour (ASB) at a McDonald's restaurant has seen a 75 per cent drop in incidents.
Local officers have put a range of measures in place since implementing a problem management plan in January to address ongoing issues at the McDonalds in Mills Way, Manton, Worksop.
This work has included obtaining funding for body-worn video cameras which have been provided to staff, serving as a visual deterrent to offending and providing them with added support.
The restaurant has also implemented a number of measures from McDonald's own internal toolkit to help deter ASB.
These include playing classical music during the evening, disabling free Wi-Fi and charging facilities at designated times and placing a member of staff at the entrance to manage access during key periods.
The number of reported ASB incidents at the restaurant peaked at 12 in March, but since then there has been a significant reduction with no incidents reported throughout May and just three reported in July.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE: ‘I was being rejected from jobs at least twice per week’
By Joseph Connolly, LDRS
Kai Burdett was unemployed for 18 months.
“I was applying for a couple of jobs per week minimum,” says the 20-year-old. “I got rejected time and time again.”
But earlier this year, his work coach at the Job Centre told him that he no longer needed to look.
He was going to be one of the first young people in the UK to get work under the government’s new “Jobs Guarantee” scheme.
The project, which has just begun, will see the government fund 90,000 jobs between now and 2029, for every single 18-to-24-year-old who has been on Universal Credit for at least a year and a half.
Kai was going to work at Boots.
“I think within two weeks of telling me, they found me the job,” he says.
Roles on offer are matched to the individual’s skillset, says the Department for Work & Pensions.
After a tour of the premises, Kai was told he’d been hired, and started around a month ago.
Now he works nine til two, Monday to Friday, as a warehouse operative in Nottingham, making sure orders are correct and sending them off to be delivered to customers’ homes.
“I get open boxes and I make sure everything in there is correct, put paper in to make sure nothing moves around when it’s being transported, stick the Royal Mail label on and then they’re transported shortly after that.”
Kai, like others, was put on the scheme – which is compulsory and not a choice for those on Universal Credit – because of how long he had been unemployed.
He admits that unemployment made him lazy and he struggled mentally – but that “socialising again” and “getting into the routine of doing work” have changed things for the better.
“I feel a lot better about myself now than I did when I was at home,” he says. “When I wasn’t working I’d be waking up at 2pm or 3pm and I’d be up all night. It definitely changes a lot inside your head.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden met Kai, and other young people like him, at Boots’ HQ in Nottingham on Wednesday, August 26, to see how they were getting on in their new roles.
He says work is the answer to a lot of young people’s confidence, belief and mental health issues.
“It was amazing for me to hear their stories,” he said. “You can already see how it’s changed their confidence in themselves, their sense of belief. This is about giving young people hope and the people I’ve met on this visit are full of hope. It was great to see.
“When you’ve been out of work for 12 or 18 months it’s usually harder for you to get a job. Your confidence goes down, your mental health goes down and your belief in yourself suffers.
“Work is the answer – or training or more education. Purposeful activity is the answer. Work is good for you. It’s bad to be sitting at home isolated. I see this not only as an economic thing but as a response to greater instances of mental health problems for young people.”
Kai says the job is going well – and thinks that the guarantee scheme will “help the future of the UK”.
“I wish finding a job wasn’t as difficult because there’s a lot of people out there who were like I was, struggling to find one. I want the UK to be a better place in the future and with this employment crisis it’s not going to be easy.
“But this scheme is really going to help the future of the UK. I think it can go far.”
The government is set to spend £2.5 billion on the Jobs Guarantee over the next three years.
They are funding up to 25 hours of work per week at the National Minimum Wage, as well as pension contributions, for the first six months of a role.
Companies such as Boots have opted in to help provide the jobs, with financial incentives for doing so.
The scheme has been rolled out in six areas of the UK so far, including the East Midlands, with a focus on places with the highest levels of youth unemployment.
It will be expanded to the rest of the country later this year.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
