Doncaster Echo - April/May 2024

Celebrating everything good in doncaster and surrounding areas

INTRODUCTION

Hello and welcome to your April/ May edition of Doncaster Echo.

Spring has arrived, and those nights are getting lighter.

Here at Doncaster Echo, we have been busy gathering some brilliant offers from local businesses for you, as well as finding some excellent local stories you may not be aware of.

This month, we speak to Leesa Sharpe who owns the highly successful clothing store LJ’s Boutique to find out more about how Leesa was determined to not let the pandemic affect her business.

We also speak to Emma Ackroyd from Bessacarr who is set to compete in The Moonwalk Iceland, a 26.2-mile walk in the Lake Myvatn region to mark 10 years in remission from breast cancer.

As always, our friendly team is just an email or phone call away to help you with all your advertisement needs and answer any questions you may have.

We will see you again in June, but for now sit back with a cuppa and enjoy your latest instalment of Doncaster Echo. @doncasterecho

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A Doncaster-based entrepreneur has supercharged her women’s clothing business to a multi-million pound empire in just three years

When the pandemic hit, Leesa Sharpe, managing director of LJ’s Boutique, was forced to close down her high-street boutique in Armthorpe and focus all her energy into the online side of her business.

Leesa told Doncaster Echo: “Being told to close was quite scary because, like many people at that time, I didn’t want my business to fail. I knew I had to diversify and made the big decision to work harder on the e-commerce route, which started with me sitting at home every night creating Facebook videos.

“We have always had a website running alongside the boutique but at the time the boutique was more

LJ’s Boutique specialises in plus-size fashion for women offering contemporary styled comfortable clothing ranging from size 12 to 28

popular than the website. By the time we were allowed to reopen, the website had grown a massive 871%.

“In 2019 I had two employees, myself and a parttime team member. We now currently have 14 members of staff, as well as two outlets, one in Armthorpe and one in the Yorkshire Wildlife Park as well as the warehouse for online orders.”

LJ’s Boutique even supplies to the celebrities - the main one is TV chef Rustie Lee who they supply twice a month, and Alison Hammond was worn their best-selling Lolita summer vest top. Their record sales’ week saw them ship 1,558 parcels from their website and 1,020 sales from their boutiques.

They also supply fabulous handbags, shoes and gorgeous accessories, featuring designers from the UK and Italy creating stylish ideas for gifts, all offered within surroundings that provide the ultimate indulgent retail experience.

Leesa puts her incredible success down to

sheer hard work from the LJ’s team and a good investment in marketing. She has also set some lofty ambitions for the future of the business as it looks to scale up the operation further and reach its target of having 75% of its stock manufactured in the UK.

Discover our care homes in Doncaster offering residential and dementia care. We have an experienced Wellbeing team who organise and encourage social interaction with a range of activities, as well as offering residents the chance to explore the community and nearby areas with its regular minibus service. With everything that you or a loved one needs; our experienced, friendly team are here to help you.

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Yorkshire Loft Ladders come in.

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Yorkshire Loft Ladders come in.

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50 sq ft of boarding and a light all fully fitted in less than a day from just £277 + VAT. But it’s not just the affordability of the package the company offers that makes Yorkshire Loft Ladders stand out as manager Warren Ingleson explains:

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50 sq ft of boarding and a light all fully fitted in less than a day from just £277 + VAT. But it’s not just the affordability of the package the company offers that makes Yorkshire Loft Ladders stand out as manager Warren Ingleson explains:

‘Our watchwords are Quality,

‘Our watchwords are Quality,

Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen so our customers are assured of the best job. Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and Value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford. Our business relies on referrals and we got a huge amount of our calls from people who have been referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen so our customers are assured of the best job. Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and Value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford. Our business relies on referrals and we got a huge amount of our calls from people who have been referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’

So, if you want to make use of your loft space, however big or

small, call Warren on 0800 612 8359 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!

lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’ So, if you want to make use of your loft space, however big or small, call Warren on 0800 612 8359 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers

FROM A POLICE

Praise for ‘significant’ impact of Doncaster operation targeting city’s drug dealers

“I’ve been doing this job for 20 years and I’ve never been involved in a police operation that’s had a more significant impact than this one.”

PERSPECTIVE:

In this issue, Doncaster Inspector Adrian Luscombe talks to us about the effect of an intensive and meticulously planned 18-month operation targeting the city’s drug dealers

The operation so far has resulted in 25 people being jailed for over 60 years, with major drug lines disrupted in the process. Doncaster South NPT Insp Luscombe says the impact of this scheme cannot be underestimated.

“The operation has been a huge success and I cannot stress enough the impact it has had in helping to dismantle drugs lines across the city and particularly in Doncaster South NPT,” Insp Luscombe said.

“If I could have written a list of people I’d want removing from the area, I’d say that almost all of the key ones are gone, going or have had their operations heavily disrupted thanks to months of hard work, planning and intelligence gathering.

“Next month, I’ll have been doing this job for 20 years and in that time, I’ve never been involved in a police operation that’s had a more significant impact than this one - it’s been massive.

“It was evident that drugs were funding the activities of organised crime groups (OCGs) in the area and by wiping out their suppliers, it creates a vacuum which we are now in a position to consolidate.”

Insp Luscombe says previous voids left by members of OCGs being imprisoned or disappearing from the area have been filled quickly, but thanks to a new Clear, Hold and Build (CHB) Strategy, they are now in a position to prevent this from happening.

He said: “In the past, certain key OCG members have

been jailed or gone away which has created a void that has soon been filled.

“Now, with this strategy in place we’re moving from a successful Clear phase to a Hold process which enables us to build on the gains we’ve made and start doing some preventative work so people are less vulnerable to OCG involvement.

“It has created a vital breathing space for us to work and the longer we go without OCG involvement in these areas, the more time it gives us to build for the future.”

Insp Luscombe has admitted that while much of the drug dealing may not have been seen in public, its consequences will have been felt by those living in the south of the city and his team is determined to build on this operation to stop this from happening again.

He said: “A lot of people won’t have been aware that this criminality has been happening because it goes on behind closed doors, but we know that it has been and others will have seen the damaging side effects and the crime it funds.

“I hope residents living in the southern areas of the city can feel safer knowing these drug dealers are now behind bars and together we can work to build safer and thriving communities for our future generations.”

If you are worried about drug-related crime in your area, or if you think someone may be a victim of drug exploitation, please call us on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Local woman to compete in The Moonwalk Iceland for breast cancer awareness

Over 10 years ago, Emma’s world was turned upside down when she returned from holiday, and while checking out her tan, noticed her left breast was lower than the other one which didn’t seem quite right.

Emma was referred to Doncaster Royal Infirmary for further tests where she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35. Emma told Doncaster Echo: “It was a huge shock, your life just falls apart as soon as you hear those words.”

Almost 10 years on, now aged 44 she is preparing for The Moonwalk Iceland fundraiser challenge to mark 10 years since her diagnosis. Emma will be walking as part of a team of eight called Accelerate Boobilicious, all from Doncaster, including her mother-in-law, Jo Horgan.

The event, organised by breast cancer charity Walk The Walk, sees people wear decorative bras as they take on the route whilst raising money.

Emma’s proud husband Jonathan and three children, aged 13, 20 and 22, will be following

Emma Ackroyd from Bessacarr is set to compete in The Moonwalk Iceland, a 26.2-mile walk in the Lake

Myvatn region to mark 10 years in remission from breast cancer

her journey and she will be joined for the walk by friends from a local gym, Accelerate Coaching, where Dave and his team have being training and preparing Emma and the girl for their challenge.

Emma told Doncaster Echo: “I’m thrilled to be celebrating the fact that after 10 year I’m still here. I used to be quite timid and would be bothered about what people thought of me. Now, I just don’t care.

“My message to everyone is just to be vigilant. I was very young and breast cancer was the furthest thing from my mind. Whatever your age, you should check your breasts regularly. You need to know what your ‘normal’ is, to be able to know when something isn’t right and get it checked out.”

If you would like to support Emma, her family and friends on this amazing journey, you can donate here: https://giving. give-star.com/microsite/walkthewalk/ themoonwalkiceland2024/team/35a030f3a010-4b4c-8dbe-42131d6ffe3b

ADULT EDUCATION

ONLINE COURSES

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Spotlight!

Saturday 20 April 2024

The Baths Hall

Spotlight! The Big North Lincolnshire Talent Show takes over The Baths Hall on Saturday 20 April 2024. After over 60 applicants, video auditions and live auditions we have our final talented 12.

Flyn Watson - StreetBeat - Gabriella Binoy Taiko Drummers - Hot Gospel - Poppy Elouise

September 6th - LBC - Ruby Lewin

Oliver Calpin - Lyford - Scarlett Kirwan

We are also very excited to announce that Darren Johnson (AKA Annie Fanny) is hosting this special evening.

*Anyone who makes the purchase of tickets to Spotlight is automatically entered into a prize draw to win a family ticket to Panto. £8.50 plus fees

Barry Steele - The Roy Orbison Story Saturday

Saturday 11 May 2024

Plowright Theatre

Barry Steele and a fabulous cast of musicians and singers will take you on a musical journey from ‘The Black and White Night’ right through to The Traveling Wilburys We invite you to experience the unforgettable sound of a generation with Barry Steele alongside an extraordinary ensemble of talented musicians and singers who pay homage to the timeless music of Roy Orbison, The Traveling Wilburys and his many friends When it comes to authenticity and true musical mastery, there’s only one name you need to know: Barry Steele

£27.50 plus fees

Jools Holland

Friday 17 May 2024

The Baths Hall

Pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, television presenter, and multi-platinum recording artist, Jools Holland, performs at The Baths Hall, accompanied by the sound of his unforgettable Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

Featuring Gilson Lavis, with special guests Imelda May and Toby Lee.

And guest vocalists Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall, and Sumudu Jayatilaka.

Performing a show that reaches through decades, prepare to enjoy the greatest boogie-woogie party in town.

£55 - £65.00 plus fees

And His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra

Hall Fencing Timber Supplies, is a family run business, stocking a wide range of timber fencing products.

Decking • Sleepers • Postmix • Fixings

Cappings • Timber Posts • Trellis • Timber Gates

HOROSCOPES

Aquarius

(20th Jan-18th Feb)

You are stepping well out of your comfort zone this month, a huge well done for taking the leap and doing something you wouldn’t usually.

Pisces

Gemini

(21st May-20th June)

You have not connected with your family much this past month, set aside some time to visit them and check on their health and wellbeing.

April/May

Libra

(23rd Sept-22nd Oct)

(19th Feb-20th March)

Begin to see people for who they really are. You may think you know someone, however, they are about to stab you in the back.

You are smashing work at the moment and the hard work is not going unrecognised! Keep it up and a promotion is on its way.

Aries

(21st March-19th April)

Cancer

(21st June- 22nd July)

A huge, dramatic change is about to happen in your life in the upcoming weeks. You will need to remain calm and not rush into a big decision.

Taurus

(20th April-20th May)

A friend needs a little extra TLC this month but doesn’t want to reach out. Check on everyone to see if they’re okay.

Your friendships are going to begin to change a little. Not to worry, it’s just time to reflect on who the true ones are.

Scorpio

(23rd Oct-21st Nov)

Some good news is on its way. This may be life changing or just make your day, however, that positivity is just around the corner.

Leo

(23rd July-22nd Aug)

Make sure you remember your roots, success has come very easy to you at the moment but remember things weren’t always this way.

Virgo

(23rd Aug-22nd Sept)

You are doing a great job at focusing on your health and well-being, keep up the good work, it’s really starting to pay off.

Sagittarius

(22nd Nov-21st Dec)

You aren’t in the mood for company or to listen to gossip. You have too many important things on your mind.

Capricorn

(22nd Dec-19th Jan)

You recently made a life-changing decision which in the long run is going to hugely improve your life. Be patient and persevere.

World Book Day 2024

Last month, it was every parent’s favourite day… World Book Day! Whether you forgot and had to throw something together last minute or pride yourself in turning your child into the best fictional character ever, we showcase some of this year’s best World Book Day costumes.

Here are the top costumes from our readers who sent in a picture of their child via our Facebook page. Please make sure you have given our page a like to ensure you get all the latest updates from Doncaster Echo.

wash & blow dry

cut & blow

full head colour

half head highlights

full head highlights

eyebrow wax

under arm wax

half leg wax

eyebrow tint

eyelash tint

Chloe Lee

mobile hair & beauty

Chloe Lee hair & beauty