See more about Christmas events in Grimsby and northern Lincolnshire

COMPANIES from near and far continue to throw their weight behind Grimsby Town's future – and The Century Club.

Devised by the club in partnership with the Grimsby Telegraph, the initiative continues to prove a roaring success.

Companies of all sizes, or individuals, can become members of the exclusive club by pledging £200 each, and helping to raise £20,000 for the Mariners' Youth department.

And after Ramsden's superstore kicked off the campaign last month, more businesses from the local area and beyond have followed their lead by donating money.

EWS are one of those to have signed up to The Century Club already, and director Brian Nicholson believes it is a fantastic concept.

He said: "The sustainability of Grimsby Town is very important to the area and we wanted to support them in any way we can.

"Money is so tight at this level, so the best thing clubs can do is to try to bring on the Youth team players so that they can be eventually brought into the first team.

"We've got a box at Blundell Park and have long been supporters of the club, and we always try to help them out in any way we can.

"So when we heard about The Century Club, we wanted to get involved.

"I think it is a great idea and we're pleased to be part of it."

John Venney, managing director at CBM Controlled Building Measures, was also delighted to become a member of the club, which aims to sustain and grow the Youth and Academy sides.

He believes current first-teamers Andi Thanoj, Bradley Wood, pictured left, and Dayle Southwell – who have all passed through the Mariners' Youth system – show the benefits of the set-up.

Venney added: "CBM used to sponsor the School of Excellence shirts so we've supported the Youth set-up at Grimsby for a long time now.

"So when I saw the launch of The Century Club in the Grimsby Telegraph, I thought it was a great idea.

"Anything that encourages people and businesses to support the Youth team can only be a good thing.

"Hopefully, with the help of The Century Club, we will see some home-grown lads progress through to the first team.

"I've been watching Town for years and it is always nice to see local lads representing the club.

"I think if you can field three or four local lads in your first team, it can add a few hundred to the gate on a match-day."

To get involved and become a member of The Century Club for just £200, call Grimsby Town's commercial manager Dave Smith on 01472 608007.

There is just over a week left for budding Grimsby based photographers to win a prize by submitting their snapshots of people, places and celebrations to national photographic competition Community in Focus.

There are two categories in the competition - inspiring images of community life, and photos of projects funded by theBig Lottery Fund making a positive difference to people and communities. You can visit the Big Lottery Fund Grants website for details of local projects.

Check out our examples above and if you feel you can represent Grimsby with some quality photos, send one over!

The competition runs until Wednesday 19 December 2012 , and entries must be submitted via the Media Trust Cam360 website or via the Cam360 iPhone app. All entries must be supplied with a caption explaining when the photo was taken and how it illustrates what is brilliant about Grimsby, or a Big Lottery Fund project. For full details please visit the Media Trust website.

Communities in Focus has been launched by the Big Lottery Fund and national charity Media Trust, in partnership with the Thisis and LocalPeople community websites sites run by Visit Northcliffe Digital - including This Is Grimsby.

To read full article click here .

COUNCIL bosses are pressing ahead with plans to charge residents £80 a year for residents-only parking permits.

However, the controversial 433 per cent increase due to come into force on January 1 has been put back to April.

The delay will allow the council to explore the possibility of allowing residents to pay for their permits in instalments and to consider a concessionary scheme for those on low incomes.

Existing residents-only schemes, which were due to end in the new year, will now continue until April, with no additional charge being imposed.

As reported, the increase provoked an outcry from residents who currently pay £15 a year for permits.

They described the price hike as "extortionate" and chose not to renew their permits next year.

That led to fears of a parking free-for-all in residential areas in the town centres of Grimsby of Cleethorpes.

In response to two petitions submitted by residents from the West Marsh and Park wards, councillors on the regeneration and environment scrutiny panel urged the ruling Labour administration to reconsider.

As reported, it proposed increasing the cost to £40 next year, and then by £10 a year until the scheme became "cost-neutral".

At yesterday's Cabinet meeting, Councillor Peter Wheatley, portfolio holder for environment, said the authority was right to continue with the planned increase.

He said the previous administration had made a mistake by not increasing the price from £15 in over ten years, but said he understood the concerns of those being asked to pay £80.

He said: "We should be moving on this. The parking scheme came to me as the portfolio holder in June this year so it has been a long time coming.

"When this originally went to scrutiny back in 2011 there were no call-ins. But I understand the concerns of those people that have been asked to pay £80 a year.

"I would like to think we are still a listening council and I would like to propose that the £80 charge is delayed and that the implementation of the scheme will not be brought in until April 2013.

"That will allow officers to investigate the possibility of a flexible payment scheme so people could maybe pay £8 to £10 a month. It will also allow officers to look at the possibility of a concession for those on low incomes."

His proposal was approved unanimously by the Cabinet, which will receive a report from officers early in the new year.

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Andrew De Freitas (Lib Dem, Park), who has campaigned against the planned increase on behalf of residents, said: "I welcome the fact that there has been some movement on this issue.

"If inflation had been taken into account the price would probably now be somewhere in the region of £25.

"But when it comes to helping people on low incomes, the devil will be in the detail."

TEAM manager Sarah Richardson hailed Louth Swimming Club's second-place finish in the final round of the 2012 National Arena Swimming League East Midlands Division One as a "sensational achievement".

The Louth team finished with five wins, ten second and nine third-place finishes, helping them to come second overall in a field of five other teams.

Fifteen-year-old William McIntyre finished with two individual wins and he shared the 'Swimmer of the Night' accolade with the girls 13-year-old and under freestyle and medley relay teams, who also enjoyed two wins.

McIntyre won the 100-metre backstroke 15-years and under race by 0.7 seconds over his closest rivals from the Dereham Otters team before dominating the 100-metre butterfly, winning by a five second margin.

Richardson said: "As usual, William gave 110 per cent in both of his individual 100 metre swims.

"He never looked like he was going to be beaten at any time!"

The girls 4x50m medley team also started the night as they meant to go on.

Marie Schneider led off on the backstroke, to get her team off to a great start.

She was closely followed by Lily Miller on breaststroke, who again put in a great swim, followed by Emma Maw on the butterfly.

With the team in a close battle between third and fourth place, Sofie Schneider then entered the water on the last freestyle leg.

She stormed her way through the opposition, coming in first place, by just 0.5 seconds.

The same four girls repeated their performance later in the evening in another exciting freestyle 4x50m relay, with lead swimmer Miller finishing with a personal best (PB).

Louth's only other winner was 11-year-old Emma Harrop in her favoured 50m freestyle event.

Richardson added: "Emma managed another PB time, beating all the other teams by half a second in the end.

"She was determined not to be beaten and it showed in her strong swim."

Second places went to the boys 13-years and under and 15 years and under 4x50m medley and freestyle relay teams.

Louth's Boys Open 6x50m freestyle relay team rounded off the night in show-stopping fashion by holding off the team from eventual gala winners Lincoln Vulcans A to finish an excellent second.

Richardson said: "Everyone helped massively towards the final outcome on the night.

"With several of our swimmers missing on the night, it was a tall order to finish third, so to come second was absolutely sensational.

"As a result of this stunning performance, we secured one of our highest finishes in the league, which is absolutely fantastic for us."

AFTER nine consecutive defeats, Market Rasen & Louth RUFC are gearing up for a crucial run of fixtures as they bid to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle.

The Red and Greens are fourth from bottom in the Midlands 1 East and five points clear of second-from-bottom Peterborough.

By the end of January, weather permitting, Rasen will face all of their rivals in the bottom half of the table, starting at Kettering on Saturday.

And some good performances against sides at the opposite end of the standings have given the Red and Greens belief that they can halt their losing streak.

Their latest defeat, last weekend, came on home soil against high-flying Peterborough Lions, who are level on points with leaders Old Northamptonians – the team that beat Rasen 37-3 at home seven days earlier.

Rasen lost 20-13 to the Lions at Willingham Road, an encouragingly small margin of defeat against a team that has lost just twice and scored the most points so far this season.

A battling display in an enthralling match saw Rasen go close to snatching a shock victory.

The Lions pinned Rasen back early on, but were thwarted by the hosts' resolute defending.

Matt Sutton's accurate kick gave Rasen the lead on 12 minutes.

Lions centre Max Guseinov should have scored the game's first try, but the Lithuanian international spurned a two-man overlap and was halted by a strong challenge from Rasen full-back Meehal Grint, who was subsequently withdrawn through injury.

But the Lions did score when open-side flanker Chris Humphrey reacted quickest to a loose ball.

The visitors extended their lead when flanker Dank Page went over after an attempted clearance from Sutton close to the Rasen line was charged down.

After fly-half Jaco Steenberg extended the Lions' lead with a penalty, Rasen improved.

But their good driving play went unrewarded as the visitors maintained their 12-3 lead until the break.

Sutton kicked Rasen to within one try of the lead with 30 minutes remaining in the second half after Lions number eight Francois Wiese was yellow-carded for frequent offside offences.

The Red and Greens charged forward, with centre pairing Dave Starling and Adam Beasley making major inroads, but they couldn't pierce the 14-man Peterborough outfit.

Back to full strength, the Lions struck again when Rasen failed to deal with a penalty that was fell short of the posts.

Rasen lock Ben McCardie was sent to the sin bin for an ill-judged block, and Steenberg made no mistake from the resulting penalty.

A man down in muddy conditions for ten minutes, Rasen continued to play with ambition.

But a telling break from another Lithuanian international, centre Gedis Marcisauskas, created space for winger Jordan Burgess to touch down in the corner. Five minutes later, Guseinov saw yellow for inappropriate comments to the referee.

This time Rasen did capitalise as McCardie, now back on the pitch, peeled off a maul to power over the whitewash.

Sutton converted to give Rasen a lifeline with two minutes remaining.

But the Lions ensured the ball remained deep in Rasen territory and ensured there was no fairy-tale ending for the hosts.

Rasen fans that travel to watch Saturday's match at Kettering will not be charged an entrance fee.

FORMER Cleethorpes overseas star Peter Fulton says a change in mind-set has prompted his recall to New Zealand's Test squad.

The hard-hitting batsman spent a summer at Chichester Road in 2010 and was due to captain the Meggies the following season after an impressive summer.

Fulton scored more than 900 runs, including three tons, in his 21 innings for Clee, chipping in with a handy 17 wickets at an average of less than 24.

However, a shoulder injury ruled out a return to North East Lincolnshire and saw the 33-year-old remain in the Southern Hemisphere.

Fulton played in 10 Tests, 49 ODIs and 11 Twenty20 internationals between 2005 and 2009, and admitted he thought his days representing the Black Caps were over.

However, the right-handed batsman has been recalled for the upcoming tour of South Africa after a three-year gap.

He replaces former skipper Ross Taylor who excluded himself from selection after losing the captaincy to Brendon McCullum.

Fulton has been selected in the Kiwi's squad for two Tests and three T20s, which begin on December 21 with the first 20-over encounter in Durban.

"I really couldn't care less how it came about," he said. "I'm just really excited about having another opportunity.

"It's pretty ironic. I'd come to accept the fact that even though I still wanted to, I might never get an opportunity to play for New Zealand again.

"So I put less pressure on myself and that seems to have worked."

Domestically, Fulton has been in the form of his life this season, having scored more than 504 runs in four first-class matches at an average of 72.

The Canterbury skipper has scored three centuries and passed 50 five times from eight visits to the crease.

BRAD Treacher converted a tricky conversion as unbeaten Grimsby RUFC Under-17s snatched a last-gasp victory in a table-topping showdown against Bakewell.

With seconds remaining, Treacher slotted a kick from the touch-line between the posts as Grimsby clinched a 25-24 triumph and maintained their 100 per cent winning record for the season.

Grimsby opened the scoring at Springfield Road when flanker Sam Fleming set up counterpart Huw Cowper to score, after a quick tap penalty from Treacher.

Bakewell hit back immediately, with a quick-fire try from the restart levelling the score.

A penalty from Treacher put the young Blues back in front.

And after Bakewell took the lead for the first time through their second try, Fleming capitalised on a loose ball as Grimsby responded.

The Blues led 13-10 as the second half kicked off, and both teams continued to wrestle for the lead.

Bakewell went ahead through a converted try, before a good drive from the Grimsby pack crossed the whitewash.

Bakewell went back in front soon after, following a kick deep into the Grimsby 22. A fortuitous bounce put full-back Rob Bell under pressure and a failed clearance enabled Bakewell to score.

The visitors hung on to their six-point lead until the final minute of the match, when Grimsby made the crucial breakthrough.

The Blues worked the ball through phases and gained good ground through some powerful rucking and driving.

Then Cowper pounced and dived over the line to score.

With Grimsby still one point behind, Treacher slotted home to conversion as the Blues clinched victory.

YOUNGSTERS got their first taste of competitive swimming as Cleethorpes and District Swimming Club (CADs) held their annual Minnows and Sprints gala.

The event gave the club's under nines a chance to rub shoulders with older, more established swimmers, as well as sampling the atmosphere of a competitive gala.

This year, around 140 of the club's swimmers took part, with the 'Minnows' contesting 25-metre sprints and older swimmers competing over 50 metres.

Bethany Crump (22.42 seconds) and Beth Lister (22.90) fought out a close finish in the eight-year-old girls 25-metre butterfly event, with Evie Barber coming home in third place.

Meanwhile, Lucy Woodliffe, Sophie Wilikinson and Amy Brown secured the '1,2,3' in the nine-year-old girls 25-metre butterfly.

In the boy's category, Connor Ewens and William Gaskell finished first and second respectively in the eight-year-old boys 25-metre butterfly, with Oliver Bradley (18.24) and Harvey Harris (22.58) taking the top two places in the nine-year-old category.

Seven-year-old Riley Knoyle swam impeccably to finish first in the 25-metre backstroke, with Finlay Buxton taking first place in his debut event,

Knoyle continued to dominate the girls seven years and under category as she went on to be placed first in the breaststroke and freestyle.

The 50-metre breaststroke age group event saw ten-year-old Lucy Krofchak underline her potential with a time of 42.24.

Meanwhile, Caitlin Hunt gained her first club medal with a third-place finish in the girls 10 and 11-year-old age group.

Elsewhere, in the breaststroke age group racing, Caitlin Bower and Oliver Webster once again showed how it should be done.

The programme was brought to a close with the freestyle events.

Buxton swam to first place in the 25-metre seven-years-old and under category, which ultimately saw him awarded the 'Top Seven Year Old Boy' accolade.

Beth Lister also had a sub-20 second swim in the 25-metre freestyle, while Oliver Bradley put in a time of 16.56 in the boys nine-year-old age category as he took the top nine-year-old boys title.

For more information on CADs or to get involved visit www.cadsclub.co.uk or call 07758 876295.

A DEPLETED Grimsby RUFC side battled hard but were well beaten at high-flying Kesteven.

The Blues, forced to field numerous second-string players, lost 41-3 to the Midlands 3 East (North) promotion chasers.

After falling to a second successive defeat on the road, Grimsby will hope they can overturn third-placed Melbourne at Springfield Road on Saturday.

But the players that filled the void for Grimsby last weekend impressed against the Grantham-based side, and staked a claim for selection.

Two young Kesteven centres, perhaps destined for greater things such was their ability, were irrepressible against the Blues.

The hosts' midfield display left Grimsby gasping for air at times as Kesteven's outside centre ran in five tries.

But the Springfield Road lads never gave up and made Kesteven work hard for every point.

The Blues' three points came from the boot of Brad Watson, pictured. He converted a penalty awarded when winger Phil Dann was tackled off the ball chasing his own clever chip and run.

Grimsby asked questions of Kesteven in and around the forward pack – veteran Neil Corry, playing out of position at lock, and Ben Pharaoh, at scrum-half, caused them problems in the ruck.

Hooker Matthew Pettiford had another strong game for Grimsby, as did Justyn Hill on his return from injury.

Despite the final score, the match was in the balance during the first half. But it was quality finishing from the Kesteven backs that proved the difference.

Props Colin Matthews and Jason Stead, along with lock Jim Livermore, were brave in defence for the Blues, encouraging their team-mates to show heart.

The hosts were impressed by Grimsby's attitude until the final whistle – when time was up, the Blues chose to keep the ball in play, rather than kicking out, and launch one final attack. Unfortunately, that allowed Kesteven's in-form centre to have the final say. He intercepted a pass and ran in the hosts' final try, which was converted.

After their tough home clash against Melbourne on Saturday, Grimsby will travel to derby rivals Lincoln, who are bottom of the table.

YOUNG talent pushed experienced rivals all the way as Grimsby Snaprats and Lincolnshire Lightning suffered defeats in the Humber Development Basketball League South.

Grimsby Gators claimed the derby bragging rights after a 64-49 victory over Snaprats at Oasis Academy Wintringham.

Lincolnshire Lightning, the under-16 arm of Grimsby Snaprats Community Basketball Club, lost 50-47 to Scunthorpe Steelers at Havelock Academy.

The young Lightning lads enjoyed a fantastic scrap against an older Scunthorpe team.

They were 21-4 down by the end of the first quarter, but rallied to force a close finish.

Lightning scored 14 points without reply to reduce the deficit to 27-22 at half-time.

A low-scoring third quarter meant it was all to play for in the final period.

And a superb 16-point run by Lightning saw them strike back to level the score with two minutes remaining.

But Scunthorpe yielded enough expertise to squeeze over the line by a three-point margin.

Snaprats, an under-19 team, ran out of gas against Gators.

The visitors led by three points after the first quarter. By the end of the third quarter, the margin was down to just one point.

But Gators turned the heat up in the final quarter and pulled away for a commanding win.

Lightning's scheduled match against P&O Pirates was postponed and will now take place in the new year.

For information on joining Snaprats, contact the club's head coach, Robin Russell, at r.russell10@hotmail.com

LOUTH Netball Club was in sizzling form to beat East Trans in ice-cold temperatures at Oasis Academy Wintringham.

The Grimsby & District Senior Netball Winter League Division Four clash ended in a 31-4 triumph for Louth.

Both teams battled well amid cold and windy weather on the court.

Matches in divisions one and two had to be cancelled because of the weather, but the bottom two tiers were in action.

Louth dominated the game from the off, thanks to effective teamwork.

They were able to make a smooth progression through the court and deliver the ball accurately to their tall goal shooter, Sam Young.

Shooting was difficult at times, but Young was able to retrieve rebounds to score on the second or third attempt.

East Trans played well around the court but were unable to make their shots count.

Goal attack Abbi Thompson is usually impressive in front of goal, even from distance, but she and her fellow shooter struggled to net in the blustery conditions.

Louth goal defence Pippa Dowse and goalkeeper Danielle Gibbs applied pressure and got the upper hand. They worked hard and communicated well to cut out passes into the circle on many occasions. They also won most of the rebounds on offer.

East Trans stayed positive and never gave up fighting, showing great sportsmanship and teamwork.

But Louth, too strong on the night, bagged the spoils and lie second in Division Four, two points behind leaders Brigg Ladies.

See more about Christmas events in Grimsby and northern Lincolnshire

RESIDENTS of the Foyer YMCA, in Grimsby, will eat well this Christmas thanks to the Humberston Lions Club.

The centre caters for people aged between 16 and 25 who are in education or training, and provides accommodation for the vulnerable residents, with 24-hour support staff on hand.

The Lions have donated 26 festive food parcels to help these young people.

Foyer project manager Andrew Hornsby said: "They often want to buy presents for friends and family, but cannot afford to with bills and rent too; food parcels take away a big cost.

"Also, some residents don't see their families and will spend Christmas here.

"These parcels may be the only present they will get and it shows that someone cares."

Humberson Lions president Fred Smiles said: "This is first time we have delivered parcels to the Foyer.

"They provide a great opportunity for young people who need to get back on their feet and back to training, education or work.

"We support and help the community where we can, the food parcels can make a big difference to people's lives."

ANGRY residents living near a farm claim a council is not doing enough to stop smells which are blighting their lives.

People living in the Legbourne Road and Kenwick Road areas of Louth say smells coming from nearby Southfield Farm are still intolerable.

After complaining to East Lindsey District Council's environmental health team, officers started investigating and working alongside the cattle farmer for a resolution.

Annalise Johnson, environmental team manager at the council, and Matt Stephens from the Environment Agency attended Louth Area Committee to give an update.

But members of the public were left angry that no new information was given, with one man claiming it had been a wasted evening.

Mr Stephens said the Environment Agency responded to an incident of water pollution on October 23 relating to the farm where minor levels of ammonia were reported in a watercourse. This is not linked with the farm's slurry lagoon.

The farmer was given three weeks to come back with a voluntary action plan.

He said: "The farmer has been very co-operative and he has sent us back an action plan. We do intend to visit the site next week and we have been given assurances that practices will be changed so it does not happen again."

Ms Johnson said council officers are continuing to work with the farm following the complaints.

She told how work is taking place to investigate air quality due to the smell but said she believes it is unlikely to be at levels which are harmful, adding that the farm now has its own consultants addressing the problems.

"There is no call for any further legal action to be taken at this time," she said.

"This does not mean we are going to stop. It is an ongoing process and the farmer continues to give full co-operation to East Lindsey officers."

One member of the public claimed they get no response from East Lindsey when they complain.

They said: "We get no response from ELDC whatsoever with no reply to phone calls. We are being completely fobbed off."

Another said: "Every time we are told the smell is tolerable when it is not."

Mrs Johnson replied: "When the original complaint came in, you could not stand anywhere near the lagoon. The last few months you can tell they have treated it."

She added that out of 40 evidence diaries sent by members of the public, only one has been returned.

Councillor Stuart Watson said the council should be more proactive in collecting these diaries from residents.

SCHOOL league tables should provide a guide for parents as to how individual establishments are performing.

But that is where the judgement, solely on league tables, should stop.

All responsible parents or carers of young children will want to make the correct choice when it comes to education.

And as said, yes, tables are useful in their ability to point where good results are coming from.

They indicate that a school is being well run and that the appropriate measures are being put into place to ensure success in core subjects.

But read between the lines and there is more to a successful school – much more.

It is vitally important that the values and beliefs that parents have are shared by any school or teaching staff.

And, of course, the teachers must be right for the pupils – relationships in the classroom can make all the difference between success and failure.

Parents have a duty to investigate all the options for their children and understand the needs of the individual.

They can then be matched against the different schools to ensure their children will be happy and learn in an environment that is as suitable for them as possible.

Is your child happy at school. Let us know by commenting on this story at www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk where a full and detailed breakdown of the results appear.