Your chance to enjoy a free heritage walk or museum tour at the launch of exciting new volunteering project

People are invited to the free launch event taking place at the Time and Tide Museum on Blackfriars' Road in Great Yarmouth on Thursday, June 29, from 6pm until 8pm. Her Worship the Mayor of Great Yarmouth, Councillor Penny Carpenter, will officially launch the project, before encouraging attendees to enjoy one of the free heritage walks led by The Shoebox Experiences or join a special out-of-hours tour of the Time and Tide Museum, featuring the new Bare Bones exhibition.

Running until March 2025, Cultural Connections is a two-and-a-half-year initiative which aims to utilise the momentum generated through the two councils' joint City of Culture bid to build on the volunteer offer across Great Yarmouth and East Suffolk. 

The project will use arts, culture and heritage volunteering to improve the wellbeing and life chances of its target groups, with a particular focus on those facing the biggest barriers into volunteering, including young people, those living in deprived areas, people with disabilities and those experiencing social isolation.

Great Yarmouth and East Suffolk is one of four locations which have been awarded a grant from the Volunteering Cities fund to launch the work. The other three locations are Bradford, Conwy and Medway.

The funding of £250,000 will benefit a population of nearly 360,000 people living within the Great Yarmouth and East Suffolk areas. £50,000 of the money will support residents to overcome barriers into volunteering, such as transport or translation support.

Dean Wilson, Community Capacity Manager at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: "Volunteering can really enrich people's lives by helping them build confidence and social networks. It enables them to have fresh and exciting experiences and learn new skills which they can apply to both current and future employment, as well as everyday life.

"By volunteering, people can feel really connected to their place, resulting in an increased sense of ownership and pride in the area where they live. These are some of the reasons we are so excited to have been successful with our Spirit 2012's Volunteering Cities 'Cultural Connections' volunteering project application. We will be able to increase access into volunteering - something that will make a huge difference to volunteers and those they help."

Cllr Emma Flaxman-Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Health and Communities at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: "As a councillor, I am deeply grateful for the invaluable contribution of volunteers in our community. Volunteers are the heartbeat of our community, and their impact is immeasurable.

"Cultural Connections and the funding we have been fortunate enough to be awarded will ensure anyone wanting to volunteer will receive the help and support to enable them to do so."

Cllr Katie Graham, East Suffolk's cabinet member for Communities, Leisure and Tourism said: "Cultural Connections will boost awareness of the volunteering opportunities on offer in East Suffolk and support community groups and organisations to secure the volunteers needed to deliver a huge range of projects to benefit local communities. We will also gain an insight into what motivates people to volunteer, and how we can encourage even more people to get involved in volunteering and make a difference in their local area."

If you would like to attend the launch to find out more and enjoy the heritage walk or museum tour, please register for free tickets to the event online.