News | Thurrock Council

Thurrock memorial to remember the 39 Vietnamese victims five years on

22 October 2024

On Sunday 27 October a memorial event will be held to remember the 39 Vietnamese people whose bodies were found in Eastern Avenue, West Thurrock, having tragically died at the hands of a criminal people smuggling gang.
Revd Canon Stephen Myers, Mayor of Thurrock Cllr Kairen Raper, Cabinet Member for Community Partnerships Cllr Val Morris-Cook, and Thurrock Council Leader Cllr John Kent will join the families of victims at West Thurrock Memorial Ground, where a memorial and 39 trees remember all those who lost their lives that day.

New adoption survey reveals there's no such thing as a 'normal' family

22 October 2024

There’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ family, according to 65 per cent of Brits – this comes as National Adoption Week (21-27 October) has launched this week to increase understanding of modern adoption and show that ‘the journey to a family is not always a traditional one’.
The survey by You Can Adopt has also revealed that the vast majority of the public (87 per cent) feel it’s important to teach children that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that this promotes acceptance of children from non-traditional family units (60 per cent).

Youth Cabinet Engages in Youth Debates for Local Democracy Week

21 October 2024

Thurrock Council’s Youth Cabinet took part in a session of Youth Debates at the Civic Offices in Grays on Tuesday 15 October, part of Local Democracy Week.
The debates centred around important issues that affect young people such as work experience opportunities and the need for a curriculum that better prepares young people for life.
Cllr Ryan Polston, was in attendance for the event to listen to our Youth Cabinet's discussions and hear their ideas.

Shop owner prosecuted for selling counterfeit cigarettes

18 October 2024

The owner of a shop in Grays has been ordered to pay more than £3,000 after Thurrock Council’s Trading Standards Team found counterfeit tobacco and vapes.
On Tuesday 15 October 2024, Basildon Magistrates Court ordered Diyar Yousif, 44, of Homemead Close, Kent, to pay £1,132 in fines, £1,963 costs and a victim surcharge of £772. Mr Yousif pled guilty to five offences including failing to comply with tobacco and vape regulations.

Community visits for National Hate Crime Awareness Week

18 October 2024

The Thurrock Community Safety Partnership (TCSP) has been out in the borough offering safeguarding support and community safety information about hate crime for National Hate Crime Awareness Week.
TCSP representatives and Essex Police visited Lansdowne Primary Academy in Tilbury, South Essex College, Grays, the Amazon Warehouse in Tilbury and hosted an information stand in Grays High Street to raise awareness to children, young people and adults about hate crime and how to report it.

Fake Parking Ticket Text Messages

18 October 2024

Thurrock Council’s Counter Fraud and Investigation Team has issued a warning about a new scam involving fraudulent parking ticket fines. Several members of the National Anti-Fraud Network (NAFN) have reported incidents where members of the public have received fraudulent text messages claiming they owe a parking fine.

Thurrock schools take to the stage to celebrate Black History Month

18 October 2024

Over 60 students from across Thurrock performed at the Thameside Theatre in Grays on Thursday 17 October to celebrate Black History Month.
Students from Thames Park Secondary School in Grays, Warren Primary School in Chafford Hundred, and Woodside Academy in Grays came together to participate in a range of performances celebrating black history.
Each school was given a brief to create a performance around what black history meant to them. The evening featured a diverse array of entertainment including African drumming and dance, choir songs and drama performances.

Thurrock Council partners with over 100 local authorities for a new fostering campaign

17 October 2024

Thurrock Council have collaborated with over 100 councils to produce a powerful new fostering film which showcases the impact fostering can have on everyone who is involved.

‘Everything’ is the seventh film produced by a growing partnership of councils and children’s trusts to promote local authority fostering. The ‘Everything’ project is the largest collaboration yet, with participants from Cumbria to Devon and Lancashire to Essex.

Mayor pays tribute to Margaret Jones, the first Mayor of Thurrock

16 October 2024

Cllr Kairen Raper, Mayor of Thurrock, has paid tribute to Margaret Jones, the first Mayor of Thurrock, who sadly passed away on Tuesday 15 October.
Cllr Raper said: “It is with great sadness that I learnt of Margaret Jones’ passing. For more than five decades Margaret has been an important figure in public life in the borough. She was the first Mayor of Thurrock in 1974. Today the flag at the Civic Offices is flying at half-mast as we mourn her loss.

Thurrock awarded new funding towards Aveley affordable housing redevelopment

15 October 2024

An affordable housing project in Aveley will benefit from more than £700,000 of government funding to kickstart the redevelopment of three blocks of flats into modern, high-quality homes.
On Tuesday 15 October 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced it had awarded Thurrock Council £734,370 to rejuvenate the council-owned brownfield site in South Ockendon into a thriving estate.