City links for North Kesteven chair

The incoming and outgoing chairs of North Kesteven District Council have ties to Lincoln City Football Club. 

The new chair, Cllr Christine Collard (above), is a supporter of Fighting Fit, the county-wide group which helps cancer patients.

During her year-long tenure she aims to raise both funds and awareness to help sustain the initiative delivered by the Lincoln City Foundation, including at the district council’s Better Gym in Sleaford.

It offers continued support for adults through exercise and social interaction, which is provided by specialist trainers, initially through 10 weeks of free sessions.

Cllr Collard, a former nurse, who has both military and NHS service, said: “As a nurse, I know there is very good research-based evidence, that proves exercise, good mental support and social interaction can help promote positive outcomes when people have been diagnosed with cancer.” 

Through her own family experience too she has seen how, through a positive attitude and keeping active, the impacts of medical care can be enhanced for cancer patients. Her two sons have both recovered from cancer, one when just 12 years old and suffering with stage three Hodgkinb lymphoma and the other as an adult with oesophageal and stomach tumours. She firmly believes that in both cases their outcomes were transformed by the kind of physical and psychological support that Fighting Fit provides.

Cllr Collard hopes that through her fundraising efforts more people can be trained up, in order to extend and expand the provision, especially within the district.

During her Civic Year she will be supported by her husband John and by vice-chairman Cllr Matthew Cooper, one of the three members for Waddington Rural.

One of the last acts of retiring chair Cllr Chris Goldson (below) was to send a message of congratulations to Lincoln City FC chairman Ron Fowler celebrating the club’s historic season.

Skellingthorpe member, Cllr Goldson is a lifelong Imps fan, so there was personal as well civic pride in the message.

“There will, I know be thousands of fans living within the North Kesteven area who, like me, never dared to believe in such a remarkable accomplishment. I know I speak for them, and so many more, when I say just how proud we all are of what you have achieved.”

He continued: “These are the final few days of my civic year and it really is my greatest pleasure to close it on such a high point, both personally and with regard to the district, its residents, businesses and the potential that bringing Championship football back to Lincoln brings. 

“As thousands of visiting supporters are welcomed to the city for a game, they will undoubtedly stay and visit more widely, reaching beyond the South Common into North Kesteven to discover everything our beautiful city and wider Lincolnshire has to offer.”