THURROCKk Museum has been awarded more than £140,000 and is planning to engage more with the borough's diverse communities.

The museum service, provided by Thurrock Council, will receive £144,531 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its new Routes to Roots: Sharing Thurrock's Heritage with Communities New and Old project.

A statement on behalf of the museum from Thurrock Council says 'it aims to work with local organisations including Welcome to the UK: Grays Hub and Thurrock Adult Community College to enhance the language skills of new residents by creating cultural and historical connections and offering them a safe space to grow;.

The statement goes on to say: "Long-term residents will benefit from the experience through mentoring opportunities and a connected sense of pride in Thurrock.

"An educational programme will be piloted linking to the curricula of TCHC GAPS Thurrock and Thurrock Adult Community College service users.

"The museum service, which will deliver the programme in five phases until mid-2027, will also team up with Together Productions to co-curate a project showcase with participants and capture cultural conversations with the support of storyteller Usifu Jalloh."

Cllr Val Morris-Cook, cabinet member for community partnerships, said: "This is marvellous news. Thank you to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for awarding this grant to Thurrock Museum.

"Thurrock has a strong historical identity which should be shared, celebrated and preserved for future generations to benefit from. Thanks to National Lottery players, this project will bring new, diverse and long-standing communities together and offer a sense of belonging, boost community spirit and strengthen work-related skills."

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Hala Mohamad, from Welcome to the UK, said: "We are thrilled to see the Routes to Roots project come to life and are proud to have been involved with Thurrock Museum. Our members are so excited about the opportunity to volunteer and support this initiative, which celebrates heritage and inspires communities to connect with their roots."

Curtis McKenzie, from TCHC Group, said: "The Routes to Roots project being facilitated by Thurrock Museum presents a fantastic opportunity for young people in the community to actively be a part of the local heritage it embodies and encourage positive development of their employability skills for future endeavours."

Keeley Donati, Principal, Thurrock Adult Community College, said: "Collaborative working on the Route to Roots project between Thurrock Museum and Thurrock Adult Community College will provide an amazing opportunity for the college's learners and other Thurrock residents to learn about Thurrock's heritage and develop employability skills through volunteering opportunities."

Alexandra Godfree, Head of Programmes at Together Productions, said: "Together Productions is excited to be partnering with Thurrock Museum on 'Routes to Roots'. We know how powerful Heritage and the Arts can be in bringing people together across generations and walks of life, and can't wait to join our community on this journey of discovery and exploration."