Great Yarmouth is to receive a large financial boost to help it increase its tree canopy in a scheme designed to engage local people with nature and inspire a new generation to plant and protect urban trees.
The borough is one of seven locations which are project partners in Trees for Cities, which has secured funding of over £1.2 million from the Government’s £40 million second round of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, a multi-million pound boost for green jobs and nature recovery.
Historically, Great Yarmouth town was richly planted with many urban orchards, avenues of trees and planted areas, and the planned programme of tree planting will help re-establish these areas with avenues and landmark trees, giving local residents who have limited access to green spaces a sense of connection with the natural world and providing a lasting legacy for future generations.
In addition to the Trees for Cities grant of £75,546, the project in Great Yarmouth will also receive funding from the Towns Deal, and further financing is being sought. It will see the planting of 500 semi-mature trees over the next two winters, joining up different areas of the town and dovetailing with wider landscaping works for the redevelopment of the Market Place and The Conge. It will also provide for the maintenance and care of the trees for three years as they establish themselves, and bring a range of volunteering and training opportunities as part of the Community Renewal Fund project.
The Trees for Cities urban greening project specifically focuses on increasing tree cover in small coastal cities and towns with low tree canopy cover and high levels of socio-economic deprivation. The charity is planting 55,000 trees across 83 locations in seven coastal towns and cities. In Great Yarmouth, it will work with the Great Yarmouth Borough Council to deliver community tree planting events, including celebration of the Queen's Jubilee.
The other participants in the project are Bexhill on Sea, Brighton & Hove, Hull, Portsmouth, Ramsgate and Stockton.
Leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Cllr Carl Smith said: “The importance of enjoying time outdoors and connecting with the natural world became more apparent to so many of us during recent Covid lockdowns. We are hugely grateful to receive this funding. It will help not only to enhance the urban environment in the town and progress our plans to make Great Yarmouth a greener place, but also bring health benefits to residents and visitors alike.”
David Elliott, chief executive of Trees for Cities, said: “We know that planting trees in cities has a hugely positive impact on people and our environment and that there is a strong correlation between low canopy cover and social deprivation. This funding will help us and our partners work together with local communities to provide green jobs and cultivate lasting change in neighbourhoods and coastal communities for generations to come.”
Free bus passes are being offered to Ukrainians being hosted by families in Great Yarmouth, thanks to a tie up between the local council and First Bus.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council leader Carl Smith heard first hand from families staying in the town how difficulties with transport was making it difficult for them to settle in and asked First Bus if they could help.
Now thanks to their generosity, Ukrainian guests will now be able to apply for a free one month pass for travel across the borough, and as far out as Norwich or Lowestoft.
Head of operations and engineering Chris Speed has donated an initial 20 passes for the scheme, which is being coordinated by the council.
One of the first families to benefit from the passes will be Mariana Peda and her two children Anastasiia and Vitalii. They are currently staying with hosts Sheila Daniels and Brian Huggins in Bradwell, having arrived from Sokal in west Ukraine around a month ago.
Work to create a new library, university and learning centre in the heart of Great Yarmouth has stepped up a gear thanks to a £3.5m partnership with the University of Suffolk and East Coast College.
Plans were unveiled in 2020 for a new education and community hub in the former Palmers department store in Great Yarmouth Market Place, including an enhanced Norfolk County Council public library. Last year Great Yarmouth Borough Council bought the building and began initial planning for the new centre.
Now East Coast College and the University of Suffolk have formally committed to the scheme, with a £3.5m contribution that will see the college teach degree level courses at the new centre, accredited by the university. The University of East Anglia is also backing the project, with plans to offer remote learning facilities for its students, alongside professional development courses.
Residents and visitors to the borough are being invited to stretch their legs and delve into the rich past of Great Yarmouth to explore its history as a seaside resort, fishing port and market town.
Great Yarmouth’s official heritage guides are offering nine walks to explore the borough’s beautiful historic buildings, admire architecture and hear some colourful stories of local characters.
All walks are written and designed by Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s heritage guides, who guide participants off the beaten track and out into the local area to discover more about what went before in Great Yarmouth.
A reusable cup scheme has been launched today as part of a drive for a Norfolk resort’s greenest ever holiday season.
Cafes and restaurants in Hemsby, near Great Yarmouth, will offer customers a reusable cup from today to help put an end to single use disposable takeaway cups.
Tea and coffee drinkers will be encouraged to borrow a ‘Hemsby Cup’ in return for a £2 deposit, use and then return back to any participating café to get their money back.
The launch at Richardson’s Yacht Club on Beach Road heard how each cup can be used over 1,000 times and is fully recyclable. Nine businesses in the village have signed up to the scheme, which is free for businesses to participate in.
Norfolk’s newest leisure centre is now recruiting for its top team as plans gather pace for its opening this summer.
The new £26m Marina Centre on Great Yarmouth’s seafront will boast a six-lane swimming pool, learner pool and leisure water with flumes; along with a gym, sports hall, indoor climbing zone, community spaces and a café.
With only a few months to go until its planned opening in late summer, an exciting recruitment campaign is underway to find some outstanding individuals who will play a crucial role in the opening of the new centre and providing excellent customer service to the residents and visitors.
The centre will be operated by Freedom Leisure - one of the most successful and growing not for profit leisure and cultural trusts in the UK - on behalf of Great Yarmouth Borough Council.