Residents in South Normanton are being asked to vote on whether they want the Parish Council to purchase the old Zion Church in the town.

They strongly believe that the building should become a long-term asset for the Parish and not be redeveloped for housing, industry or retail. Instead they want to purchase the building and redevelop it to be used as a youth and leisure/activities based centre with provision for user groups ranging from pre-school to senior citizens. 

Have you ever wondered how that broken chain on a child’s swing gets fixed? Who cleans up all that litter from your nearby playground? Or how that slide miraculously never seems to be out of order?

Well, in the first of our series of ‘Behind the Scenes’ where we look at Council services and how they are delivered we joined up with Playground and Open Spaces Warden, Paul Jessop to see what he does and how he keeps our playgrounds safe for children to enjoy.

Maintaining good mental health is vital for us to lead a happy and productive life - but it’s probably easier said than done.

And it can be especially difficult for men who often feel they need to hide the way they feel. A new mental health support group called ‘Bottled Up Blokes’ has started in South Normanton with the aim of helping men to open up in a safe and supportive environment.

Shirebrook, like many other towns and villages across Bolsover District thrived on coal. The pit was the main source of employment and the town grew.

And although the colliery closed almost thirty years ago in 1993, this did not stop the camaraderie in the town and a group of former miners started a fundraising campaign to raise money for a sculpture to be erected on the Market Place remembering the town’s coal mining heritage and all those that worked there.

Having already raised £165,000, Bruce Towers tells us a bit more about the project and what the sculpture will look like.