ChristineOSullivan

The Plowright Theatre's panto Jack and the Beanstalk has been a massive success this Christmas, with over 13,600 tickets sold so far and it looks set to break previous records for panto ticket sales at the Plowright Theatre. Ticket sales at the end of last year's panto season reached an impressive 13,144 but already this year the number currently stands at more than 13,640 - and there are still many performances to go.

It's fantastic news to hear that so many people are taking the opportunity to come and see the fantastic panto we are showing this year at the Plowright Theatre. Everyone has worked so hard on this production and it really is a great show for everyone to enjoy.  One of the best things about this panto is that it appeals to a range of people. These shows are always a big hit with families who enjoy spending the time together. But it's not just children who love seeing a panto, adults really enjoy it too, which has been proved by the huge numbers of adults coming along to see Jack and the Beanstalk.

There are still tickets left and Jack and the Beanstalk runs into January so everyone should take this opportunity to see this show - it really is a lot of fun.

Young people in North Lincolnshire will be able to see shows at the Plowright Theatre for free thanks to a £10,000 award from Arts Council England. The award is part of the Free Theatre initiative announced by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and sport.  North Lincolnshire Council applied to take part in a national pilot scheme designed to give away 618,000 free theatre tickets to under 26 year olds over the next two years. The Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe has been successful with its application and will receive a £10,000 award.

Arts Council England is piloting the free theatre scheme - which will be named in the new year - to encourage more younger people to theatres. The organisation says attendance at arts events tends to drop in the 18 to 26 age range, so launched the initiative to target young adults and their families.

The announcement that the Plowright Theatre is to get a £10,000 award and has been selected to take part in this scheme is fantastic. There's such a range of performances that take place at the Plowright that suit every taste. From comedy stand up and fish and flicks through to live music, superb theatre and family entertainment. It's definitely a case of once someone's been once, they want to come back. If this scheme can open up the theatre to some of our younger residents and let them see for themselves entertainment at its best, then they will want to come back time and time again.

We also recently unveiled the new Baysgarth Leisure Centre in Barton which has a brand new 20-metre swimming pool, gym, and sports hall. It has been a huge success, with a big increase in the number of people using the facilities. This shows just how committed we are to giving people in North Lincolnshire the best leisure facilities.

We aim to make sure our leisure facilities are the best they can be to keep communities in North Lincolnshire thriving. To be assessed by APSE against hundreds of other councils in the country and come out on top is a fantastic achievement.

Congratulations to all staff at Ancholme Leisure Centre, as their excellent contributions have been instrumental in achieving this recognition.

Normanby Hall is always a very attractive place to go and now we have made it even easier for couples to enjoy the park's attractions. I have spoken to a number of people who felt it was unfair that a couple must pay for a family season ticket at the park. So, acting on those wishes, I have agreed a new season ticket specificially aimed at couples.

For just £11, couples can visit the Park's attractions as many times as they wish. The council will also introduce an early bird discount on traditional season tickets. So families will get £1 off if they book before 1 June 2009.

Every year at around this time, the council sets its prices for next year (April 2009 to March 2010) for Normanby Hall Country Park. It does this to ensure that the correct prices are included in promotional material that goes to print this month. The council sets all other fees and charges in February. So from 1 April 2009 a family season ticket will increase by just £1, to £19. But if people buy before 1 June 2009, they will get it at this year's price of £18. Other prices for Normanby Hall Country Park for next year include:

• Adult - £5 (concession £2.50)
• Child - £2.50 (concession £1.25)
• Over 60 - £4.50 (concession £2.25)
• Group season ticket (up to 20 people) - £39.

I am delighted that we are able to introduce a new couples season ticket to Normanby Hall Country Park. This represents fantastic value for money, along with the family season ticket, which if people buy early, can get them at this year's prices. I feel we are providing top quality performances and attractions that rival others and by continuing to improve and develop, we can offer a greater service to our visitors.

I am pleased to blog that Ancholme Leisure Centre in Brigg has been officially recognised as one of the top seven most improved and top six best performing centres in the country. The Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) is a local government body that hosts a front line performance and benchmarking service. Over 900 leisure centres across the country provide APSE with information on usage, income and expenditure in the form of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). APSE then benchmark each centres KPI performance against similar centres. This allows the leisure centres to plan improvements to the way they are operated.

Ancholme Leisure Centre has been commended for its improvements in the past. This year it has once again been nominated for the prestigious 'Most Improved' category. In itself this is a fantastic achievement. However, this year the leisure centre has gone one better and is also a finalist in the 'Best Performer' category.  Winners are set to be announced tonight at a ceremony in Blackpool.

I am so pleased that our leisure centres are receiving the recognition they deserve. Not only have we been commended on the performance of our facilities but also on the improvements made. Improving the services available to people in North Lincolnshire is a priority and recently we signed up to the free swimming for over 60s and under 16s scheme which will make a big difference to those who will benefit from it. We also recently unveiled the new Baysgarth Leisure Centre in Barton which has a brand new 20-metre swimming pool, gym, and sports hall. It has been a huge success, with a big increase in the number of people using the facilities. This shows just how committed we are to giving people in North Lincolnshire the best leisure facilities. We aim to make sure our leisure facilities are the best they can be and to be nominated for two APSE awards is great news. Congratulations to all staff at Ancholme Leisure Centre, this is a fantastic achievement.