PR251

For Immediate Release

20 September 2006

Cultural achievements in Great Yarmouth are being used to herald a new cultural strategy for the East of England - A Better Life.

The Borough’s museums, the restoration of Nelson’s monument, the Townscape Heritage Initiative and projects lead by the SeaChange Trust and Great Yarmouth Sports Partnership are all used to show how culture can help reinvigorate the economy and generate positive new ideas.

A Better Life was launched on September 13 at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, by Living East the cultural consortium for the East of England whose members include Screen East, Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Eastern arms of Arts Council England, English Heritage, Tourist Board, MLA and Sport England.

The strategy aims to promote cultural activities (which include everything from the arts, tourism and architecture to sport) as a way to build communities, and economic development, as well as aid aspects such as diversification.

In a brochure created for the launch, Great Yarmouth is featured as having used culture as a catalyst for regeneration - “Culture has helped to engage people, reinvigorate the economy and generate new positive ideas of what the town has to offer – to both locals and visitors.”

It features five of the town’s museums as examples of cultural investment – Time and Tide, Norfolk Nelson, Elizabethan House, Tolhouse and the English Heritage Row houses.

It also uses projects undertaken by Great Yarmouth Borough Council including the Middlegate Community Garden where collaboration with a number of partners saw local people, young offenders and the Probation Service work side by side to re-landscape the area.

The Great Yarmouth Sports Partnership and the SeaChange Trust, both supported by the Council in partnership with local organisations, also came in for praise with sport and art projects used to help address social issues such as inclusion, crime diversion and community regeneration.

The successful maritime festival, heritage walks, repair of 90 historic buildings through the Townscape Heritage Initiative all illustrate the breadth of work being carried out in the Borough.

“A decade of investment in the Borough’s cultural facilities and activities has had far-reaching impacts,” said the Council’s Chief Executive Richard Packham. “It has improved and diversified our tourism appeal, helped build more active and cohesive communities and created a strong sense of place and civic pride.”

A point of view born out by A Better Life which trumpets the cumulative effect of the Boroughs achievements as: “Truly transformational. Great Yarmouth now has dramatically enhanced self-esteem and pride and is seen as much more than a traditional holiday resort. As a result, its visitor profile is changing.”

“Recognition at regional level helps highlight the success which has been achieved to date in the Borough and provides positive encouragement for further cultural development,” added Community Service Section Head Marie Hartley.

“Sport and art play an important part in lifting people’s esteem, creating better communities and enriching the quality of people’s lives.”

“Future growth in the cultural sector, through working with partner organisations, will continue to make the Borough of Great Yarmouth a good place to live and work.”

Find out more about cultural activities in Great Yarmouth.

To learn more about A Better Life go to www.livingeast.org.uk.

For further information Contact Community Service Section Head Marie Hartley on 01493 846354.

Picture caption:
Sport plays an important part in Great Yarmouth’s success story.

Issued by:
Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513