Grimsby Together: project takes next step in creating brighter future for town

‘Grimsby Together’ will help to change the town for the better – and is being led by those who live here, who work here and who believe in our communities.

Aided by Our Future – an organisation that invests itself in supporting communities to effect long-term change – working in partnership with the Greater Grimsby Board and North East Lincolnshire Council, Grimsby Together will look at how to best invest the Plan for Neighbourhoods grant funding.

The Government’s Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) last year changed the focus of the Long-Term Plan for Towns funding scheme.

Now called Plan for Neighbourhoods, 75 areas – one being Grimsby - were awarded a total funding pot of £1.5-billion (up to £20m for each area over 10 years) with a focus on involving communities in decision making of how and where the money should go.

Now, Grimsby Together are pushing on with people who have a passion for the town coming together to see how the funding can best be used. The second round of workshop meetings are now underway, with one of the first working groups focused on "thriving business and town centre", led by E Factor Director Mark Webb, exploring physical and digital connectivity amongst other things.

“Today’s workshop really focused on bringing together what can only be described as fans of Grimsby, people have invested themselves, their businesses and their lives into this town.

“We want to understand what is possible for Grimsby and make sure this town gets what it deserves,” said Mark.

He added: “The whole project is about making sure there is a strong voice for the future of Grimsby.”

Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy, Devolution and Skills, Cllr Philip Jackson, said: “Grimsby Together is a great opportunity for our town. We are already undertaking one of the biggest transformations in the area’s history in our town centre with the redevelopment of Freshney Place, and this can only be a positive addition to that.

“Grimsby Together will help to shape the future of different areas of our town and it is great that investment will be led by the ideas of local organisations and people who are dedicated to improving the lives of residents and visitors.”

Emily Bolton Co-Founder and CEO of Our Future, added: "What stands out most to me is the commitment and love for the town that binds the people involved. Our 8 working groups and taskforce are made up of 80 local leaders, coming together across different sectors.

“They are all working in the collective good of the town and care deeply that we are building a thriving place for future generations. It is a joy to work alongside them developing the plan for Grimsby’s future that we can all own and bring to reality.”

More workshops will be taking place throughout September, discussing key themes like the environment, communities and housing. The public are also invited to an event on Thursday, 25 September, from 3pm-6pm at Grimsby Central Hall to listen to these ideas and have their say on how Grimsby can be improved.

For more information and how to get involved in Grimsby Together, visit https://www.our-future.io/grimsby-together- external site