THE Tilbury Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board is looking for local people who can help shape how £20m of funding is used to improve neighbourhoods and lives in Tilbury.

The Board will help empower local people to shape the future of their neighbourhood and will work with the Tilbury community to develop a Pride in Place Plan setting out how £2m per year will be spent over the course of a decade.

Craig Austin was recently appointed as Chair of the Board and now expressions of interest are being sought for voluntary members to join the board for an initial period of two years.

Borough businessman Mr Austin, who is also chair of Tilbury Community Forum, said: "This is money that must be spent on improving lives and neighbourhoods in Tilbury, and who knows better how to do that than the people that live here?

"The board will make real decisions and direct spending where we know it can have the greatest benefit. If that sounds like something that appeals to you then we would love to hear from you.

"No formal qualifications are required, as long as you care about Tilbury and are willing to give up some of your time to help make sure that projects create the greatest benefit for local residents and neighbourhoods, then we want to hear from you."

"The Tilbury Pride in Place Funding is a fantastic opportunity and I want to make sure that our board has local voices to make sure that it funds the right projects for our communities."

Cllr George Monk, Cabinet Member for Deregulation, Efficiency and Civic Pride, said: "This is a game changing amount of investment in Tilbury, and it's really important local people are in the driving seat of how it is spent to benefit the people who live there.

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"I would urge anyone who is passionate about Tilbury to think about joining the board – it's a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in your town's future."

Jen Craft, MP for Thurrock, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of delivering lasting improvements for Tilbury.

"The Pride in Place project is about putting local residents at the heart of decision making, because it's the people who live here who know what's best for the area.

"With a strong community-led board, we can ensure this investment reflects local priorities and creates real change for Tilbury. If you live or work in Tilbury, and want to play a leading role in shaping its future, please apply to join the board."

To make an expression of interest complete the online form found at consult.thurrock.gov.uk/tilbury-neighbourhood-board