PUPILS from Graham James Primary School helped to add some much-needed greenery to the front garden of the neighbouring new Corringham Integrated Medical Centre (IMC) building, which is set to open in the spring.

"It's a great result to have the school involved in finalising the new centre as the new build aims to bring together health, care and community services, all focused on supporting wellbeing across the entire breadth of the Corringham and Stanford-le-Hope community," said Brid Johnson, Operations director of the North East London Foundation Trust which will run the centre.

The Corringham IMC is one of four planned new integrated medical centre across the borough. The others are at Tilbury, where the former fire station has been demolished to make way for a new building, Grays and Purfleet - where spades have yet to hit the ground.

Ms Johnson said: "Moving toward 2022, and building on events such as our planting ceremony, we'll be focused on the continued involvement of our local community in the development process for each of our new IMCs.

"Communities will be offered an opportunity to be involved in naming rooms within the buildings and schools will help to inform the visual elements of the new build – reflecting the importance of local community, being stronger together and focusing on self-care and wellbeing."