Empowering the Community, How the Lions Club of Rutland CIO Distributed Over £8,000 in 2025

Empowering the Community, How the Lions Club of Rutland CIO Distributed Over £8,000 in 2025

In a powerful display of community spirit and local philanthropy, the Lions Club of Rutland CIO has released its Community Service Donations summary for 2025. The report reveals that a staggering £8,120 was raised and distributed to a wide variety of local causes, ranging from youth sports and choral music to emergency family support and holiday cheer.

The funds are the direct result of a year of tireless fundraising efforts by the Lions and the generous contributions of the Rutland public. From the magic of the annual Santa’s Sleigh rounds to the excitement of local firework displays and tombola stalls, every penny collected has been reinvested into the heart of the county.

A significant portion of the 2025 grants focused on providing local organisations with the tools they need to thrive. Notable contributions included:

• Voluntary Action Rutland: Received the largest single grant of £2,000, specifically earmarked for Family Emergency and Youth Opportunity Funds.

• Cottesmore Royals: Awarded £600 to fund essential nets and a new spectators shelter, enhancing the experience for local sports fans and players alike.

• Rutland Youth Choir: Granted £500 to assist with the purchase and printing of music, ensuring the arts continue to flourish in the region.

• School Awards: £600 was distributed to recognise achievements, with a focus on supporting the Ketton Scouts and Cancer Research.

The Lions Club of Rutland CIO also placed a heavy emphasis on supporting the vulnerable during the winter months. The Rutland Food Bank received £500 to provide blankets for their Christmas food hampers, while Sunflowers, the Rutland House Community Trust, and Gt Casterton School received combined grants of nearly £800 to ensure local families and residents received gifts during the festive season.

While the club remains fiercely local, they also recognised the need for international solidarity, contributing £750 to the Lions Club International Disaster Relief Fund. This balance ensures that while Rutland is supported, the club’s impact is felt by those in crisis worldwide.

Driven by Volunteers, Supported by You

The Lions Club expressed their deep gratitude to the residents of Rutland, noting that these grants are only possible because of the community's participation in events throughout the year.

In a further win for the club, they recently secured funding through the Tesco ‘blue token’ scheme, which will be used to update the iconic Santa’s Sleigh a staple of Rutland's holiday season ensuring it remains ready for many more years of service.

Get Involved

The Lions Club of Rutland CIO is always looking for fresh faces to join their mission. Whether you want to become a full member or simply volunteer a few hours of your time at an event, your contribution can make a tangible difference in the lives of your neighbours.

• Email: rutlandlionsuk@gmail.com

• Message: Contact their official social media page to learn more. https://www.facebook.com/lionsclubrutland/

Active Policing in Oakham & Barleythorpe

Community safety is a 24/7 commitment, and the latest update from the Oakham & Barleythorpe Dedicated Neighbourhood Team highlights exactly what it takes to keep Rutland’s busiest hubs secure. From tenancy enforcement to missing person searches, the past week has been a masterclass in diverse, partnership-led policing.

The team’s schedule reflects a "holistic" approach to crime prevention—addressing issues before they escalate into serious criminal offences.

The week kicked off with a focus on housing and civil order. On Wednesday and Thursday, officers collaborated with Rutland County Council (RCC) and local housing associations. This resulted in a tenant being addressed for a breach of tenancy and a resident in Barleythorpe agreeing to an Anti-Social Behaviour Contract (ABC). These contracts are vital tools for maintaining neighbourhood peace without immediately resorting to criminal prosecution.

On Friday, the focus shifted to restorative work. Officers visited a victim of assault to provide a detailed update on their investigation, ensuring that those affected by violence feel heard and protected.

The weekend saw local officers stepping out of the immediate beat to support the wider region. This included Football Duty at the Leicester City ground on Saturday and joining a critical search for a missing person across the Rutland and Melton area on Sunday.

A key theme of last week’s activity has been the collaboration with the RCC Community Safety Partnership. Officers have been engaging directly with local youth, offering guidance and support to steer young people away from anti-social behaviour and toward positive community involvement.

Why Neighborhood Policing Matters

Neighborhood policing isn't just about making arrests; it’s about visibility and building trust. By working with partners like the RCC and housing associations, the police can tackle the "root causes" of local distress, such as, Persistent noise and neighbour disputes. Anti-social behavior in public spaces. The safety and wellbeing of vulnerable residents.

How to Get Involved

The Oakham & Barleythorpe team remains committed to being accessible. If you have concerns about your street, or if you have information regarding local issues, you are encouraged to reach out directly to the neighborhood team.

"Being visible, working in partnership, and supporting residents remain at the heart of Neighbourhood policing."

https://www.leics.police.uk/area/your-area/leicestershire/melton-rutland/oakham-town-and-barleythorpe/stations-contact-points-and-offices/our-priorities

New Face on the Beat, PC Holly Bland Joins Rutland North

The lanes and villages of North Rutland have a new pair of eyes watching over them. Leicestershire Police recently introduced PC 1741 Holly Bland as the dedicated Beat Officer for the Rutland North neighbourhood. With a "patch" covering 24 distinct villages, PC Bland is stepping into a role that balances traditional community policing with the specific challenges of a rural landscape.

In her introductory message to the community, PC Bland highlighted three core pillars that will define her patrols and initiatives. These priorities weren't chosen at random; they are a direct response to the concerns voiced by local residents:

• Road Safety: Tackling speeding and dangerous driving across the county’s winding rural routes.

• Burglary Prevention: Protecting both residential homes and local businesses from intruders.

• Rural Crime: Addressing the unique threats faced by the agricultural community, including the theft of livestock, machinery, and farm equipment.

"I’m keen to hear about the local issues that matter to you so we can tackle them together," PC Bland shared, emphasising that her strategy is built on community collaboration. 

 The Rutland North team is making a concerted effort to move away from "one-size-fits-all" policing. By using digital feedback tools, the force is inviting residents to influence local priorities.

Residents are encouraged to use the official Leicestershire Police feedback portal to share their views. PC Bland stresses that these submissions are not just formalities they genuinely shape where the team spends their time and resources.

As the darker evenings persist, PC Bland has issued a "quick-fire" guide to keeping property safe. Her advice serves as a reminder that simple habits are often the strongest deterrents:

1. Lock Up: Ensure doors and windows are secured, even for short trips.

2. Illuminate: Use timer switches or leave a light on to give the impression of an occupied home.

3. Secure Assets: Farmers and hobbyists should double-check that tools, bikes, and agricultural kits are stored under lock and key.

4. Report It: Residents are urged to report any suspicious activity, with PC Bland reassuring the public that they are "never wasting time" by flagging concerns.

Whether you see her in a patrol car on a country road or chatting at a village event, PC Bland is eager to integrate into the Rutland way of life. For those interested in following her progress or attending local meetings, the latest neighbourhood updates can be found on the Leicestershire Police website.

https://www.facebook.com/LPRutland

HMP Stocken Slammed After "Systemic" Tampering With Fire Alarms Leads to Prisoner Death

By Local Democracy Reporter Rutland 

A "systemic" culture of tampering with life-saving fire equipment at HMP Stocken has been exposed by a Rutland coroner following the death of a 42-year-old inmate.

Richard Charles Hunt died from smoke inhalation on July 11, 2025, after setting fire to his single-occupancy cell on the prison’s I Wing. A scathing Regulation 28 "Prevention of Future Deaths" report, issued by Assistant Coroner Miss F. Butler, has now revealed that the alarm meant to alert staff to the blaze had been deliberately sabotaged.

The report details a harrowing timeline in which Mr. Hunt’s cell smouldered for approximately two hours before he was discovered. His rescue was described by the coroner as "fortuitous," occurring only because an officer conducting a check on a different prisoner nearby happened to smell smoke.

While a fault indicator had been triggered on the wing’s control panel two hours earlier, the audible buzzer designed to alert staff to emergencies failed to sound. A subsequent inspection by ADT Alarms found that a rubber glove had been stuffed between the connectors of the control panel to silence the buzzer.

This was not the first time such a failure occurred involving Mr. Hunt. Just four months prior, on March 19, 2025, he had set fire to a cell on K Wing. In that instance:

The Coroner’s investigation suggests the problem is not limited to a single wing but is a prison-wide issue. Inspections across the HMP Stocken estate found, The control panel on L Wing had been vandalised. Units in other wings, including the Segregation Unit, had been "deliberately forced open". A critical lack of central oversight, as wing-level fault panels do not link to the prison’s main Control Room. Miss Butler was blunt in her assessment of the prison's safety protocols: "Maintenance system is futile if staff are going to deliberately tamper with that system to disable the buzzer which is designed to alert them as to risk. This is not an isolated occurrence and is systemic across the HMP Stocken Estate".

The report has been sent to the Governor of HMP Stocken, HM Prison & Probation Service, and the Crown Premises Fire & Safety Inspectorate.

The coroner Butler gave the governor of HMP Stocken until December 3 to respond to her report but two months on from that deadline, she is yet to receive a response.

Click below for full report:

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Richard-Hunt-Prevention-of-future-deaths-report-2025-0498_Published.pdf

In 2021, career criminal Richard Hunt appeared in court and was sentenced to a 10-year prison term followed by an additional five years on licence for a "pre-meditated and cruel" robbery. Targeting a vulnerable toy collector with a brain condition, Hunt used the promise of rare models to gain entry before launching a brutal assault. He struck the victim with a chair, bound his hands, and placed a pillowcase over his head to steal £13,000 funds the victim had painstakingly saved for a cruise. This conviction was merely the latest chapter in a violent history that includes 17 convictions for 43 offences, dating back to 2002. Hunt’s rap sheet reveals a pattern of preying on the vulnerable, including a 2009 incident where he kidnapped a woman at knifepoint and a 2017 mugging at an ATM, marking him as a persistent threat to public safety.