Months

Happy New Year from all of us at YLL, your essential community magazine for Sleaford and the surrounding villages! We’re sending our very best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2026.

As ever, we’re hitting the ground running. The first magazine of the year is already on its way to you, if it hasn’t landed through your letterbox already, and there’s another full year of monthly magazines to look forward to. Expect plenty of great reads, competitions, local events, recipes and puzzles, alongside our much-loved directory of local tradespeople and businesses.

Have you had a go at our Quiz of the Year yet? Think you can match each of our 12 magazine covers from 2025 to the correct month? Give it a tap and put your memory to the test. Some are obvious… others have even made the people who work here think!

Last year was a busy one inside the magazine too. Throughout 2025 we spoke to wildlife groups and street artists, highlighted community organisations such as Rainbow Stars and Heckington Swimming Pool, explored the history of Cogglesford Mill, donated books to a local school, joined in with the Sleaford 1940s Day, and even tried our hand at bowls at Sleaford Indoor Bowls Club.

Our competitions were just as exciting, with prizes including concert tickets for acts such as Scouting for Girls and Peter Hook. There were food hampers given out, along with pizza, waffles, tickets to local shows, and even a cuddly toy! This month you have the chance to win tickets to Heckington Players' upcoming panto by the way!

Beyond the pages of the magazine, we also had plenty going on. We redeveloped our website to include a growing directory of local businesses, alongside an exciting What’s On calendar packed with events from across the area. September also saw the launch of the Strong Lincs Podcast, hosted by our own Rich and Dan. Keep an ear out for their January episode as they continue releasing monthly episodes throughout 2026.

So, where will 2026 take us? You’ll just have to keep picking us up each month to find out!

If you have a business or event of your own to promote, and you’ve wondered whether YLL could work some magic for you, perhaps 2026 is the year to give us a try. At Your Local Lincs, we’re genuinely passionate about helping local businesses grow, just as we’ve done for countless companies over the past two decades. Our current January magazine actually completes 21 years of YLL dropping through letterboxes across the Sleaford area.

If you’d like to explore advertising with us, don’t hesitate to get in touch via your preferred channel. Many of our advertisers tell us just what a difference their adverts make.

Here’s to a great start to the year, and we’ll see you next time!

Here we are at the final chapter of 2025. Another twelve editions have made their way to you this year, each one packed with local stories, brilliant businesses, handy listings, competitions, and so much more. Thank you for picking us up each month and being part of our journey. Think you can remember all our front covers from the past year? Make sure to play our Quiz of the Year cover quiz and test your memory, just for fun!

To celebrate the festive season, we’ve put together a delicious Christmas hamper for one lucky reader to win in our December edition. You’ll also find another fantastic giveaway inside, tickets to see Miller Magic perform their dazzling Christmas Magic concert.

It’s certainly a busy time of year, but don’t forget to check out the brand-new What’s On section on our website, where we’re gathering all the festive fun in one place. Sleaford Little Theatre head into pantoland with Mother Goose, and later in the month WinterLight returns to the Market Place on Saturday 20th with lantern processions, illuminated woodland creatures, live music and plenty more to enjoy.

If festive markets are your thing, the celebrations continue after the Sleaford Christmas Market. Heckington Windmill hosts its own on the 6th, and Fulbeck Craft Centre follows with theirs on the 13^th, perfect for last-minute gifts and seasonal treats.

With the December magazine now landing on doormats and coffee tables, our team is already hard at work on the January 2026 edition. Yes, we’ll be right here with you for another year! Whether you’re a business wanting to start 2026 with a splash, or a community group with news to share, we’d love to hear from you. We’ve met so many amazing people this year, from community swimming pools and community farms to local wildlife groups to street artists, and we’re excited to see what next year brings.

You can reach us by phone, email, Facebook, or by popping into our Sleaford office. Just note we’ll be closed from 23rd December to 5th January while we undertake our annual mince-pie marathon and recharge for another year of great magazines.

Enjoy the festive magic this month (make sure to check out our trip to the Belton Christmas lights below), have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and we’ll see you again in 2026!

You might notice things are looking a little different around here… Welcome to the brand-new Your Local Lincs website!

We’re thrilled to unveil our refreshed online home. The new site is designed to be easier to navigate and packed with even more useful local information at your fingertips. While our A5 magazine can only hold so much, our website allows us to expand and complement what you see in print. Our Local Business Links directory is growing all the time, featuring local businesses and organisations arranged into simple, easy-to-browse categories. We’re currently adding our magazine advertisers, and soon we’ll be opening the directory for more businesses to join.

In the What’s On section, you’ll find upcoming events grouped by area: Sleaford, Villages, and Further Afield. You’ll also spot our Groups listings here (just like in the magazine) covering WI groups, hobby clubs, social meet-ups, and support groups. If you run one of these groups and would like to expand your listing on the website, just drop us an email at info@yourlocallincs.co.uk. We’d love to help you share more information with the community.

So, what’s featured in this month’s magazine? November brings Remembrance, so we’re sharing the Royal British Legion’s details for this year’s events. Be sure to take a moment to visit the beautiful poppy displays at Cogglesford Mill and in Monument Gardens by the Wyvern Barrier. We also have three fantastic competitions, including the chance to win tickets to the Christmas Lights Trail at Belton Estate. Head to our Competitions page to enter, though you may still want to grab a magazine to find the answers! And yes… Christmas is getting closer. Inside you’ll find plenty of festive mentions, including details of the Christmas Tree Festival and the Sleaford Christmas Market taking place at the end of November.

We also visit Fairfield Community Farm in this issue, and you can hear more about that in the November episode of Strong Lincs, arriving early in the month. Check out a few more snaps of our visit below!

We hope you enjoy exploring the new site and discovering everything Your Local Lincs has to offer, both online and in print. This is just the beginning, and we’ll continue adding new features, listings, and content in the months to come. Thank you for supporting your local community, local businesses, and local stories. We’re so glad you’re here. Let’s keep growing together.

Have a great month and we’ll see you next time.

YOUR LOCAL LINCS TEAM

October is a month where the world seems to shift around us. The air turns crisp, mornings grow misty, nights creep in early, and nature begins its grand performance of colour. Trees blaze with reds and golds, scattering leaves like confetti. It’s a time that feels both reflective and festive, the calm before winter sets in.

The month brings us Lincolnshire Day right at the start and Halloween right at the end, and make sure you don’t forget the clock change on Sunday 26^th! On the subject of change, you’ll soon be noticing one or two changes in our world beyond the magazine.

As you’ll see in October’s edition, we’re excited to announce our association with a brand new Lincolnshire podcast which has only just launched, Strong Lincs. This show, hosted by our very own Rich along with his good friend Dan, aims to shine an even bigger light on our county. September’s edition delved into the heart of this summer’s Heckington Show, while October’s edition features a seasonal theme with a chat with a local paranormal investigator. It’s fun, it’s local, and we hope you’ll listen in. You can catch it on the major podcast platforms with episodes appearing monthly… just like the magazine!

Back to the October magazine, and we’ve got a spooky season vibe going on this month, with Halloween decorations, explorations of witches, and a competition to win a copy of the debut album by local band Paradox of Ravens. With a name like that, you know they’re going to be pretty dark and gothic! That’s not the only competition this month, so make sure to pick up the magazine to see what else you could win. As we ever, we’ve got all the regular features this month that you look forward to.

With these shorter days creeping in as we hurtle towards winter, thoughts are now turning to Christmas. We always have one foot in the future in YLL Land, so if you’ve got anything planned for the festive period regarding your advertising campaign, whether it’s an event, your business, or your service, it’s best to get in touch with us NOW! Our pages fill up fast this time of year because our advertisers know that our magazine gets the word out there

Have a spooktacular month and we’ll see you next time.

YOUR LOCAL LINCS TEAM

September might feel like a long month. It certainly looks like a long month given that its name contains the most letters out of all the months, yet, as the traditional ‘back to school’ month, it’ll surely come as a small mercy to some that it’s only 30 days long.

We hope the transitions of this month, as kids go back to school or change school, or even stop going to school entirely and head onto the next chapter of their lives, go as smoothly as they can. Although school days are long behind us here at YLL, it still feels as though every day is a school day. In this month’s edition, we take a look at two local links to history as we visit the lost hall of Aswarby, and also look into local tales connected to the famous vessel Titanic. You’ll have to pick up the magazine to find out what link we have to this ship right here at YLL HQ!

Transitions may be going on in the realm of schools this month, but they are in the realm of recreation too. The Sleaford Oktoberfest event traditionally takes place this month, but have you heard of its name change? It’s now called Sleaford Festival, and you can read all about this in the September magazine where you also have a chance to win tickets and much more to this year’s festival.

By the way, if you saw our article last month about our visit to Sleaford Bowls Club, you’ll be able to have a go yourself this month as they’re holding an Open Day on the 7^th! You can see a little video of our visit on our Facebook page.

In our other competition this month, we’re looking to spread a little happiness for Thinking of You Week. We’ve got greeting cards and other craft items up for grabs that you can use to send a handwritten card to someone special. You’ll be able to escape the digital world for a moment and send someone something physical!

As a producer of magazines, we know all about the power of print, and how having something physical in someone’s hands can really get your message across. Whether you’re a local business looking for customers, or a local group looking for new members, so many people come to us because they recognise how we spread the word to the 20,900 homes and businesses in our area so effectively. If you’ve got a business you’d like to educate Sleaford and its surrounding villages on, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re only a phone call / email / Facebook message / office visit away.

Have a great month and we’ll see you next time!

YOUR LOCAL LINCS TEAM

The summer holidays are here and so are the good vibes. We’re still basking in the jubilation of the Lionesses winning the Euros and doing our nation proud at the end of last month. On that same weekend, we were enjoying the 157^th Heckington Show and experiencing all the great things the show is renowned for: animals, fireworks, live music, competitions, and much more. Make sure to check out our video of the things we experienced at this year’s show.

In our August edition you can see the other places we’ve been out and about to in the community. There’s a gallery of photographs we took at the 1940s Day (are you among them??), and we also make a trip to Sleaford & District Bowls Club where we were given an introduction to the sport. We’ve got a video of this one too so you can see how badly our bowling efforts were!

Are you planning to get away this month? If not, then remember that NKDC are bringing the seaside to us. From the 20^th you can experience Sleaford On-Sea in the market place, with free helter-skelter rides, music, and entertainment taking place on the 23rd.

This month also sees VJ Day on the 15^th and there are services taking place to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War. All the information you need is in the magazine.

We’ve got two great competitions for you this month. Savoy Cinemas are giving away 5 sets of tickets, and you can also win a pair of tickets to see a top Queen tribute band at the Embassy Theatre in Skegness. Head over to our Competitions page and make sure to get your entries in!

Each month we welcome new advertisers to our magazine. In August's edition, for example, you’ll find a page for the new restaurant on Northgate, Gurkha Square Express. We were lucky enough to be invited down there for their grand opening. You can take it from us that you need to visit them! We may have eaten a little too much because it was so delicious.

If you have a business you’d like put in front of the people of Sleaford and surrounding villages, then we’d love to hear from you. With September looming and its back-to-work vibe, now is the perfect time to talk to us about what advertising on our pages can do for you.

Enjoy the summer and we’ll see you next time.

YOUR LOCAL LINCS TEAM

What an eventful time it has been in Sleaford and surrounding area recently, with events such as the Lincolnshire Show and the ever brilliant RiverLight Festival taking place last month. We’ve put together a highlight reel of the RiverLight finale day that you can see below. At the end of last month, we also saw Sleaford Town Council's annual 1940s Day take place at the William Alvey School in Sleaford, and guess who were a part of it? Yes, it was Your Local Lincs truly, in our 1940s garb and hairstyles. We had such a fantastic day talking to all the people who swung by our stand, giving out sweets and goodie bags. We’ve decorated the office with the lovely bunting that all the young artists coloured in for us. Look out on Facebook for photos and video from the day. Thanks to everyone who came over to see us, and maybe look out for us at future events?!

But what about this month? The fun doesn’t stop because July, of course, sees the return of the Heckington Show. When you pick up the latest YLL, you’ll see this month’s competition is to win some tickets for the event, so make sure you get on to that! Have you heard that over at The Playhouse they’re having a new cinema system installed? We’re actually going to have a cinema in Sleaford once again, a quarter of a century since Sleaford Cinema closed! Remember that each month our What’s On section lets you know about the great stuff like this going on in our area.

If you’ve got something brilliant going on, an event or you're setting up a new shop or service, and you would like the people of Sleaford and surrounding villages to know you're there, Your Local Lincs can help you do that! Make sure to get in touch with us to see what advertising on our pages can do for you. Team YLL are ready to take your call, email, social media message, or even welcome you in person. So many of our advertisers come back to us to say what a difference their adverts make.

Have a great month and we’ll see you next time.

YOUR LOCAL LINCS TEAM

June is the month that it all seems to happen. Later on in the month, we reach the lightest days of the year, and so it’s no surprise that the RiverLight Festival is again scheduled around the summer solstice. You would have seen the leaflet for it in last month’s magazine, and this month we chat with local artist Imogen Joyce who’s been making flags with members of the community at the Hub in preparation for the festival. Having been at the RiverLight programme launch evening, we’ve been going through it and picking out all the things we want to see at this year’s smorgasbord of art, performance, music and more.

There’s another big event taking place this month that has also become a regular fixture in our town in recent years, and that is the Sleaford 1940s Day organised by the Town Council and the William Alvey School, and this year we’re actually going to be a part of it! Make sure to pop down and say hello. We’ve tested out our brand new gazebo and been busy preparing various activities for you. It’s going to be a new thing for us so we’re really looking forward to it. There’s so much stuff going on there on the day: re-enactments, Morris dancing, people in 1940s attire (ourselves included!) and the Blighty Belles who we also chat to in this month’s magazine.

And let’s not forget the Lincolnshire Show, taking place on the 18^th and 19^th. We’ve got family tickets up for grabs this month, but you’ll have to pick up the June edition to find the answer to our question!

Cogglesford Mill are running a couple of projects to commemorate our armed forces, with Armed Forces Day of course taking place this month. You can read all about that in the June edition, or why not pop in there and have a chat with them? While you’re visiting, you’ll likely get to see the new family of swans who nest right by the mill. We posted some photos and a video of the cygnets as they took their first swim in the Slea after hatching only a day or two previously. Make sure to follow our social media channels for even more content like this. Our swan video made quite the splash, racking up thousands of views!

If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge and diving into our pages with some advertising, then remember we are always on hand for a chat! Your Local Lincs is a magazine that our readers look forward to receiving each month. Whenever we’re out there ourselves bringing it to them, we see their eyes light up as they receive the latest edition. If you’d like to get your business in front of them, then we are only a phone call / email / Facebook message / office visit away!

Enjoy all the festivities and shows this month and we’ll see you next time.

YOUR LOCAL LINCS TEAM

May seems to be continuing with the theme set by the previous month with plenty of sunny weather and bank holidays! With Easter appearing late this year, the days off are still coming thick and fast, but this downtime hasn’t stopped us putting together another bumper edition for you full of great content: articles, what’s on, exploring places and chatting to people in our community.

Although it actually took place in March, our interview with the artist of the new mural in town, Peachzz, features this month. Remember to check out the video version of our chat with her below. We also dropped in on our local toad patrol group (this year’s campaign has now ended and we hear that the first toad spawn has been spotted in the ponds!), we’ve been chatting to our local Morris dancing group, we dropped in on the community swimming pool in Heckington (fortunately not literally), and we attended the Children of Courage Awards. There’s no time for days off in our world!

This month sees World Bee Day on the 20^th and you can read the buzz about that. There’s great theatre going on from both Sleaford Little Theatre and the Heckington Players, and we give you the chance to win tickets to the latter’s production! Miller Magic are back with a Tribute to the Swing Era (you can win tickets for this too!), the Sleaford Model Railway have an exhibition, and let’s not forget about Sleaford Live which happens from the 2^nd to the 11^th.

Each month we’re able to put out magazines that the community look forward to thanks to our advertisers. If you’re a reader, then make sure to mention us if you contact any of them. If you’re a business that’s thinking of advertising with us, remember that not only will we help get your name out to all our readers, you’ll also help to power this much-loved and much-valued resource for the community. We’ve been going for 20 years now, and in that time, we’ve become a monthly fixture and the go-to place for business listings, community listings, what’s on, and championing the people and places that make our community the great place it is. If you’d like to be a part of this, then we’d love to hear from you.

Have a great month and we’ll see you next time!

YOUR LOCAL LINCS TEAM