Great Yarmouth’s Wellesley Recreation Ground, which contains what is thought to be the oldest wooden football grandstand in Britain, and possibly the world, is set to be brought bang up-to-date with the addition of a new state-of-the-art artificial pitch area - and local residents and visitors are invited to have their say. During a fun ‘access-all-areas’ event on Saturday, 21 August, everyone will get the chance to look at the exciting plans for the site, to see its untapped potential and contribute their thoughts on how the historically-important ground could be sympathetically improved for greater community use. Those unable to attend on the day can fill in the online survey. Run by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, the ground is home to Great Yarmouth Town Football Club and Great Yarmouth &…

Community and voluntary groups, arts and cultural organisations, businesses and individuals across the Great Yarmouth Borough and East Suffolk Council areas have given an enthusiastic welcome to the coastal region’s entry into the race to become the UK City of Culture in 2025. The two councils confirmed their joint bid on Monday July 19, backed by 150 letters of support from key players and community representatives of important sectors across the region. Excitement has also been expressed on social media for what would be a game-changing opportunity, giving a huge boost to the tourism and hospitality sectors as they emerge from the pandemic and putting the whole area and its 70 miles of coastline into the spotlight as a major cultural destination. Suffolk Chamber of Commerce president Paul Briddon said…

South Norfolk Council’s Leisure Centre in Long Stratton has achieved a rating of ‘excellent’ from Quest – the industry’s go-to scheme for quality assurance.The assessment focussed on the Leisure Centre’s recovery from the pandemic and its ongoing Covid-19 security measures. A range of areas were put under the spotlight including cleanliness and hygiene, how effectively the Centre was managed, the customer experience and community engagement. South Norfolk Councillor Alison Thomas, Cabinet member for Better Lives, said: "The team at Long Stratton Leisure Centre have worked extremely hard to keep our customers safe during this pandemic and its fantastic they have received this top accreditation as recognition. It’s also an assurance to all our customers that they can continue to keep fit and healthy in a Covid-secure environment.”