Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Bulletin, spring 2024 (edition 94)

Home upgrade grants for residents without mains gas

Residents in the borough without mains gas central heating are being encouraged to apply for free installation of energy efficiency improvements.

The improvements aim to reduce energy costs at the same time as making households warmer and greener.

Residents who are eligible for the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) are encouraged to apply to the scheme to take advantage of the energy-saving and cost cutting measures, for example external wall insulation, cavity wall and loft insulation, solar panels and heat pumps – especially as the energy price cap rose by an average of five per cent from the beginning of the year.

The Home Upgrade Grant funding is available to homes without mains gas as their main heating type, in priority neighbourhood postcodes, and more widely where the annual household income is below £31,000, or where a member of the household receives certain means-tested benefits.

Executive Member for Housing, Councillor Michael Mullaney, said: “The Home Upgrade Grant scheme not only helps residents with the cost of living by reducing their fuel bills, but will also help us towards our target of Leicestershire becoming a net zero county by 2045 by cutting carbon emissions, as well as protecting people from the health risks associated with cold and damp homes.

“With the energy price cap rising by an average of five per cent, it’s the perfect time for residents to get these improvements which will help people to keep warm and could save them hundreds of pounds on their energy bills.

For more information on home upgrade grants, including the full eligibility criteria, eligible postcode areas or to apply visit Green Living Leicestershire Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) (leicestershire gov.uk), or call YES Energy Solutions on 03309 126 199. 

The installation will be carried out by E.ON Energy Solutions.

We’re improving biodiversity to fulfil our climate change pledges

From planting trees to caring for wildflower meadows, the council’s priorities for climate change and biodiversity across the borough have been set out in a new and updated strategy. 

The council’s Green Spaces team is passionate about improving the biodiversity on the sites they manage across the borough. By improving biodiversity on these sites, they hope to encourage a variety of plant and animal life which support healthy ecosystems.

Recent schemes to improve biodiversity include installing 100 bird and bat boxes on council sites, as well as letting grass grow long over the summer months and planting wildflowers. These wildflower meadows significantly increase the number of pollinators such as bees, butterflies and other insects in the area. 

As part of their work, the Green Spaces team also manage a number of sites across the borough’s countryside through grant funding from the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme. 

The scheme ensures the conservation of important grasslands to protect and improve their biodiversity. These sites include Burbage Common, Billa Barra Hill and Manor Farm in Bagworth.

With help from Natural England and The Forestry Commission, the team also manages the impressive woodland at Burbage Common and Woods, as well as Elmesthorpe Plantation. Both locations are Sites of Special Scientific Interest because they are home to some of the best remaining Broadleaved Mixed Woodlands in the UK, which support a variety of rare and threatened plants and animals.

During the winter months when the trees and woodland flowers are dormant, Green Spaces staff and volunteers also carry out a programme of coppicing (cutting certain species of tree near to ground level and allowing them to re-grow over a period of five to ten years) and thinning of certain trees to allow natural light onto the woodland floor. 

This allows rare wildflowers to survive and flourish, and for younger trees to be able to become established.

Another part of the council’s biodiversity strategy includes tree and hedge planting. Over the last few years, the Green Spaces team has planted 10,500 trees and hedging including six ‘tiny forests’ (600 trees planted in a forest area) in collaboration with Earthwatch.

The council has also run a successful free tree scheme over the last two years, with a total of 50,000 trees and hedge packs given out to local residents and community groups.

If you would like to volunteer and support our plans to improve the biodiversity across the borough our Green Spaces Team would like to hear from you. 
Individuals, businesses, charities and schools are all welcome to get in touch: Green Spaces contact form

“The moat is an important historical major feature of our town centre, and these works will ensure its long-term conservation. My thanks to everyone involved.”

Thanks to Green Spaces volunteers

Huge thanks to all of the amazing volunteers, including staff from Hinckley & Rugby Building Society and the Hinckley Lions, who have supported our Green Spaces team over the last few months.

With help from the volunteers, our team has been able to plant even more trees across the borough, carry out much-needed work on hedges at Burbage Common, as well as other works to care for our countryside.

If you would like to volunteer or be involved in future sessions, please contact Green Spaces: Green Spaces contact form

Efficiency work on council properties begins

The Borough Council has started work on improving the energy efficiency of its council-owned properties.

The energy efficiency of all council properties has recently been assessed, with each home given an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating, from A to G.

The council is working towards achieving a minimum Band C rating for all properties by 2035.

To help achieve this, the council has secured government funding under the Social Housing Decarbonisation fund wave 2.1 to install external wall insulation to 100 properties over two years. The project has been match funded by the council, with the total cost budgeted at £3.1 million.

In addition to external wall insulation, replacement of existing doors and windows are being carried out, along with additional works to roof lines and ventilation.

The first phase of the project took place on 46 solid-walled properties across Barwell and Burbage, which all had poor energy efficiency ratings. These works were completed in December 2023. 

Phase two will begin in April 2024, with works set to begin on a further 54 solid-walled properties in the Hinckley area.

In addition, the council will continue to carry out planned improvement works to their properties, including energy efficiency measures. 

These projects include re-roofing programmes, which includes loft insulation top-ups where needed, as well as window and door replacement programmes, and the installation of more efficient heating systems. 

Executive Member for Housing, Councillor Michael Mullaney said: “This is an excellent project. 

“It helps the environment at a time when tackling climate change is a top priority. 

“It also helps make tenants' homes more energy efficient and helps reduce energy costs at a time when rising energy bills have become a big burden for many people. 

“A plan that helps protect the environment and helps people through the cost of living is certainly a positive one.”

Spring 2024 what’s on

March 

Tuesday 5 to Saturday 9
NTPD, The Lady in The Van. Concordia Theare, Stockwell Head, Hinckley. Tickets: Tuesday to Friday: Adults £12.50; Student / OAP £11. Saturday: All seats £12.50. 10% discount for 10 plus group tickets for any single performance. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or tel. 01455 615005/01455 613345.

Friday 8 and Friday 29 
Hinckley Rock n Roll Club, Jive Nights. Wykin & District Social Club, Frederick Avenue, Hinckley. A night of Rock ‘n’ Roll music, Jive, Bop and Stroll dancing. With top DJs playing the best music. Time: 7.30pm to 11pm. Tickets: £5. Optional Jive lesson 7.30pm to 8.15pm, £5 per person, bring a dance partner. Tel. 07811 632779/01455 840052, email: dandeatkins@yahoo.co.uk 

Sunday 10 
Mothering Sunday all-age service. Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Vicarage Road, Hinckley. Join us for services for all ages as we think about God’s love for us when we are lost and found. Time: 10am.

Friday 15
Toby Capwell, The Scoliotic Knight: Encounters with Richard III. Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park. Join Toby Capwell as he discusses his encounters with one of the most captivating and controversial of all English Kings and his work with Philippa Langley in the years before the discovery of the grave in Leicester. Time: 7pm to 8pm. Tickets: £8 pre-booking essential. Tel. 01455 290429, email: bosworth@leics.gov.uk

Saturday 16 to Sunday 17
BADS, Lilies on The Land. Concordia Theare, Stockwell Head, Hinckley. Based on one hundred and fifty letters and interviews with original Land Girls, along with songs from the period. Tickets: £10. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or tel. 01455 615005. 

Monday 18 to Thursday 28
Hinckley & District Photographic Society Exhibition. The Atkins Gallery, Lower Bond Street, Hinckley. Local amateur photographers’ exhibition. The Atkins Gallery is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. 

Wednesday 20 to Saturday 23
Tinhatters, Spring Awakening. Concordia Theare, Stockwell Head, Hinckley. Spring Awakening is an iconic piece of theatre with some of the most amazing music ever written, being a crossover between, folk, rock and even gospel and is all about the transition from child to adulthood. This show is supporting YoungMinds, a charity for young people struggling with life’s challenges today. Due to content age 16 plus is suggested. Tickets: £16. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or call 01455 615005. 

Saturday 23 to Sun 7 April
Hinckley BID Easter Bunny Hunt, Hinckley Town Centre
Follow the clues to find the Easter bunnies on 10 business windows in the town centre. Every entrant wins an Easter treat along with entry into a prize draw for a £50 town centre voucher. For more information, visit Hinckley BID (hinckleybid.co.uk) 

Saturday 23 to 13 Sunday April
Hoppy Easter Hunt, prizes to be won. Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park. £2 a sheet, pick up a sheet from the shop or ticket office. Tel. 01455 290429, email: bosworth@leics.gov.uk

Sunday 24
Dr Nicola Tallis Talk: Young Elizabeth: Princess. Prisoner. Queen. Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park. Dr Nicola Tallis will discuss her latest book. There will be a Q&A after the talk and a chance to get your book signed. Time: 2.30pm to 3.30pm. Tickets: £8 pre-booking essential. Tel. 01455 290429, email: bosworth@leics.gov.uk

Friday 29
Good Friday Service. Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Vicarage Road, Hinckley. Why Jesus’ death was good news for us. A service of discovery for all-ages. Time: 10am.

Friday 29
Good Friday Reflective Service. Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Vicarage Road, Hinckley. Take time to reflect on the death of Jesus with music, poetry, and bible readings. Time: 6pm. 

Saturday 30
The Backbeat Beatles. Concordia Theare, Stockwell Head, Hinckley. The Backbeat Beatles return to Hinckley for their fourth visit. The show will celebrate 60 years of the ‘Please, Please Me’ debut album.  Tickets: £18. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or Tel. 01455 615005. 

Saturday 30
Easter Eggstravaganza. Jubilee Hall, Radford Park, Masefield Close, Barwell. Time: 12pm to 4pm. 

Sunday 31
Easter Celebration with Communion. Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Vicarage Road, Hinckley. A service of celebration at Easter with children’s activities. Time: 10am. 

April

Wednesday 3 
Roman Warrior Academy. Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park. Youngsters required to join the Roman army.  Dress up as a Roman soldier, learn sword fighting skills and be ready for battle. Tickets: £5 per child pre-booking essential. Times vary. Children must always be accompanied by an adult. Tel. 01455 290429, email: bosworth@leics.gov.uk

Thursday 4 to Saturday 6
The Dance Factory, Dance it 2024, Concordia Theatre, Hinckley
Celebrating 18 magical years of The Dance Factory. Tickets: £13. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or tel. 01455 615005.

Saturday 6
Wire Tree Workshop. Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park. Create your own wire tree ornament. Wire and equipment provided alongside a selection of bases for the tree. However, you are welcome to bring your own base that may have sentimental value. Time: 10am to 3pm. Tickets: £50 covering all materials, pre-booking essential. Tel. 01455 290429, email: bosworth@leics.gov.uk

Sunday 7 
Spring Fayre. Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park. Explore a wide range of handmade and locally sourced artisan products. From food and drink to bespoke gift ideas, handmade and locally sourced products. Time: 10am to 4pm. Free entry, car park charges apply. Tel. 01455 290429, email: bosworth@leics.gov.uk

Friday 12 to Friday 19
Nuneaton Festival of Arts. Atkins Gallery, Lower Bond Street, Hinckley. The Atkins Gallery is hosting Nuneaton’s Festival of Arts whilst Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery undergoes extension work. More information on Nuneaton Festival of Arts (nuneatonfoa.org.uk). Atkins Gallery is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

Friday 12 and Friday 26
Hinckley Rock n Roll Club, Jive Nights. Wykin & District Social Club, Frederick Avenue, Hinckley. A night of Rock ‘n’ Roll music, Jive, Bop and Stroll dancing. With top DJs playing the best music. Time: 7.30pm to 11pm. Tickets: £5. Optional Jive lesson 7.30pm to 8.15pm, £5 per person, bring a dance partner. Tel. 07811 632779/01455 840052, email: dandeatkins@yahoo.co.uk

Friday 19 and Saturday 20
Sitting Pretty, a romantic comedy by Red River Theatre, Argents Mead, Hinckley.
Fri 1.30pm and Sat 20 April 11.30am, 12.30pm and 1.30pm. Free entry.

Tuesday 16, Thursday 18, and Saturday 20
Stanley Opera, Faust by Charles Gounod. Concordia Theatre, Stockwell Head, Hinckley. Full of marvellous tunes and plenty of laughs. Tickets: £15. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or tel. 01455 615005.

Saturday 20
St George’s Day parade and family fun, Hinckley town centre. The parade will leave St Mary’s School at 1.15pm and finish at St Peter’s Church. Family fun will include Tom the Tale Teller, St George on Stilts and an armour experience. 

Sunday 21
Matt Ford, Salute to Sinatra and the Kings of Cool. Concordia Theare, Stockwell Head, Hinckley. Award winning singer Matt Ford and his band perform the hits of Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Michael Bublé, Dean Martin, Matt Monro and many more. Tickets: £22. Time: 7pm. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or tel. 01455 615005. 

Wednesday 24 to Friday 26
Jasper Carrott with special guests, Strictly Abba. Concordia Theare, Stockwell Head, Hinckley. Tickets: £30. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or tel. 01455 615005.

Saturday 27
The Ultimate Classic Rock Show. Concordia Theare, Hinckley. Dust off your air guitars for an evening of the very best classic rock anthems from legends past and present. Tickets: £27. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or tel. 01455 615005. 

Friday 20
The Sound of Simon. Dixie Grammar School, Market Bosworth. The UK’s finest Simon & Garfunkel tribute act with video show. Time: 7.30pm. Tickets: £12.50. Book online (bosworthfestival.co.uk)

Monday 29 to Wednesday 8 May
Nuneaton Festival of Arts, Photography Section. Atkins Gallery, Lower Bond Street, Hinckley. The Atkins Gallery is hosting Nuneaton’s Festival of Arts whilst Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery undergoes extension work. More information on Nuneaton Festival of Arts (nuneatonfoa.org.uk). Atkins Gallery is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

May

Friday 3
Comedy Night. The Dixie Grammar School, Station Road, Market Bosworth. Adult humour suitable for 18 plus. More details about the comedians will be released near the date. Tickets: £12.50 advanced booking and £15 on the door. Book online and more information (bosworthfestival.co.uk)

Sunday 5
Ratby Co-operative Mid Band, current Leicestershire Brass Band Association 3rd Section Champions under the direction of Nicholas Garaman. Hollycroft Park, Shakespeare Drive, Hinckley. The band returns to Hollycroft Park to perform an eclectic mix of music from the big screen, classics and marches. Time: 3pm to 5pm. Free entry.

Tuesday 7 to Saturday 18
AOS. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Concordia Theare, Stockwell Head, Hinckley. An amateur production by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd. Lyrics by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Tickets: TBC. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or Tel. 01455 615005.  

Friday 10 and Friday 31
Hinckley Rock n Roll Club, Jive Nights. Wykin & District Social Club, Frederick Avenue, Hinckley. A night of Rock ‘n’ Roll music, Jive, Bop and Stroll dancing. With top DJs playing the best music. Time: 7.30pm to 11pm. Tickets: £5. Optional Jive lesson 7.30pm to 8.15pm, £5 per person, bring a dance partner. Tel: 07811 632779/01455 840052, email: dandeatkins@yahoo.co.uk

Saturday 11 
Music in the Mead, 1pm to 3pm. Enjoy an afternoon of music from Take it from the Top.  Free entry. Bring a picnic, deckchair and enjoy. 

Saturday 18
Music in the Mead, 1pm to 3pm. Enjoy an afternoon of music from Click. Free entry. Bring a picnic, deckchair and enjoy.

Sunday 19
Burbage Common Open Day, Burbage Common Road. Time: 10.30am to 4.30pm. Admission is free but there may be a small charge for some activities. Check page 16 for full details.

Thursday 23, Friday 24, and Saturday 25
Wendy Morton, Dance the Night Away. Performance from local dance academy. Concordia Theare, Stockwell Head, Hinckley. Tickets: £13. Book online (concordiatheatre.co.uk) or tel. 01455 615005.

Saturday 25 May
The council’s 50th birthday celebration, Holycroft Park
A birthday party to remember with live music, family fun and food stalls. 12 noon until 8pm. For further details and exact timings check the council’s social media channels. Free entry. Licensed bar available.

Saturday 25 to Sunday 2 June 
Mythical Monsters Hunt. Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park. Sheets can be purchased from our shop or ticket office. Tickets: £2. Tel. 01455 290429, email: bosworth@leics.gov.uk

Sunday 26
Mind the Gap. Hollycroft Park, Shakespeare Drive, Hinckley. A six-piece band including saxophone and keyboards. A lively performance featuring covers from the 80s. Time: 3pm to 5pm. Free entry. 

Monday 27
Knight School. Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park. Youngsters required to join Knight School. Learn how to fight gallantly and you will be rewarded with a certificate. Suitable for ages five to 14 years. Time: 11am to 12pm or 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Tickets: £6 pre-booking essential. Children must always be accompanied by an adult. Call 01455 290429, email: bosworth@leics.gov.uk

Last updated: 28/02/2024 16:27