Summer of Play, the initiative between the borough council and Alive West Norfolk, is returning to west Norfolk for the third year in a row. Children and young people in the area can take advantage of several free and low-cost activities through the summer holidays.

More funding has been allocated by the borough council this year to fund an extensive programme of activities from general swimming in Downham Market to soft play in Hunstanton and much more. 

The following activities have been reduced to as little as 50p with an Alive Concession card or £1 with an Alive Card* and are available to all west Norfolk residents:

The borough council has joined forces with Radio West Norfolk to organise a West Norfolk Battle of the Bands competition. The winner will get to perform on stage at next year’s Festival Too.

Entries are now open, bands have until 14 August to register online at west-norfolk.gov.uk/hunstantonevents or at radiowestnorfolk.co.uk. The final, to pick the winning band, will be held in Hunstanton on Saturday 16 September 2023 as part of the Hunstanton Rocks weekend, a two day free music festival.

Roger Partridge, Events Coordinator for the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, explains: “We have a strong local music scene in west Norfolk and there are many fantastic groups in the area. This competition will give bands a platform to highlight their music to an enthusiastic audience on the Green in Hunstanton, with the ultimate prize of performing on stage in front of thousands of people at next year’s Festival Too.

On 24 February it will be a year since President Putin began his illegal invasion of Ukraine, an act that has had global consequences.

A national moment of reflection is planned on Friday morning at 11 o’clock, which King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council will be observing. The council will be flying the Ukraine flag and the Corn Exchange and the Custom House will be lit up in the colours of the flag in the evening.

Locally around 400 refugees have been helped by the borough council and its partners during the past year, after escaping the violent destruction of their homes and lives.

Our councillors have been reflecting on what the war has meant for the people who have sought refuge here, the UK generally and our borough itself.

Coinciding with Valentine's Day and the opening of the historic King's Lynn Mart in the town's Tuesday Market Place, Love West Norfolk Day provided people with an opportunity to celebrate what they love about this beautiful borough.

The theme this year was again Green Love West Norfolk, encouraging people to really think about and celebrate their environment, from beautiful beaches, to rolling countryside, nature reserves and areas of outstanding natural beauty, and of course the big skies that are so popular with star gazers.

People started posting images with the hashtag #lovewestnorfolk ahead of the day itself, showcasing the things they love about the area, and lots of groups have requested Love West Norfolk litter-picking kits, to help make their local environment even more beautiful.

Local architectural excellence and craftsmanship was celebrated last night. The Mayor’s Design Awards winners were announced at a special ceremony held at King’s Lynn Town Hall.

An initial 72 entries and 52 site visits were shortlisted down to 35 nominated schemes for awards in ten categories.

Mayor of King's Lynn & West Norfolk, Cllr Lesley Bambridge, said: "The awards ceremony was a great evening, a celebration of our push for better design and innovation and construction standards across our borough. We've worked closely with architects, contractors, developers, and their clients to achieve this aim, and we are glad to reward buildings and schemes that illustrate this focus on quality and innovation.

Flags were waved, boats walked down the high street, there was dancing and sea-shanties sung in King’s Staithe Square, along with a festival regatta on the river as part of the 12th King’s Lynn Hanse Festival.

Cllr Graham Middleton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Business, Culture and Heritage at the borough council, said: “The sun was shining and the crowd flocked to see the parade of flags through town and the entertainment on stage in King’s Staithe Square.

“I would like to thank King’s Lynn Hanse Group, Wells and King’s Lynn Coastal Rowing Club, Stories of Lynn, King’s Lynn Town Guides, the teams at the Minster, Hanse House, Marriott’s Warehouse, Clifton House Tower and The Place for making this a great event again and for encouraging people to visit King’s Lynn and enjoy what the town has to offer.”

A floral display has been created in King’s Lynn to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen.

Created by Jason Wells with help from Sam Martin, who work for the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk, a specially created badge bed in Tower Gardens marks the occasion with flowers. There are a mixture of plants such as Begonias, Pelargoniums, Marigolds, Dahlias and some Cannas as centre pieces.

Cllr Brian Long, Cabinet member for Corporate Services, said: “The message in the Tower Gardens display is to mark the historic occasion of the Queen’s 70 years of service and I’m pleased that everyone in the borough can visit and see it. These plants add a nice splash of colour to our green spaces. It looks stunning and should be in place for people to come and see until early November.”

Over 6,000 new trees have been planted near Lynnsport in King’s Lynn. A further 500 trees have been replanted in King’s Reach.

Cllr Paul Kunes, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “This is the first large-scale planting programme as part of the borough council’s strategy to tackle climate change and offset carbon dioxide emissions.

“We started the year by planting a small number of whips in The Walks, followed by more than 400 trees being planted in Sedgeford. It’s a great way of helping our environment, through planting native species, and will help towards being net carbon zero by 2030."

Two buildings in King’s Lynn have been listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England, in recognition of their historic and architectural importance. 

One of England’s earliest reinforced concrete buildings, on St James Street near Greyfriars Tower, has been listed at Grade II, as has the former Lloyd's Bank at No1 Tuesday Market Place. 

The listings are a part of the Heritage Action Zone scheme in King’s Lynn which is working to make the most of the modern medieval town’s historic buildings and areas to boost the local economy. 

Heritage Minister Michael Ellis said: "These new listings in King’s Lynn prove that heritage treasures are not just ancient monuments, medieval churches or Georgian houses but that they are found in the most unlikely of places. 

“This is a superb example of how buildings of historic importance can be used by local businesses and I am pleased it will now be protected for future generations.” 

The Walks, Tower Gardens and Mintlyn Crematorium in King's Lynn and Esplanade Gardens and Boston Square Gardens in Hunstanton have been recognised by the Green Flag Award Scheme as some of the very best in the world. 

They are among a record-breaking 1,797 UK parks and green spaces that have received a prestigious Green Flag Award/Green Flag Community Award – the mark of a quality park or green space. 

This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.