NEARLY £30,000 has been awarded to a council for a festival to celebrate the many glories of the River Crouch.

Arts Council England is giving the money to Rochford District Council to fund a programme of activities on both sides of the river this summer.

The events will involve towns and villages on both sides of the river in a spectacular week running from Saturday, June 27 until July 4.

The aim is to celebrate a distinctive and beautiful corner of Essex and the river which runs through it, laying the foundation for what organisers hope will be an annual River Festival.

Ashingdon Parish Council and the town councils in South Woodham Ferrers and Burnham have already contributed to the project, with a further £20,000 coming from the Royal Opera House’s children’s arm, Essex County Council, Essex and Suffolk Community Rail Partnership and a charity called the Rosca Trust.

River Crouch Celebrations organisers are urging people in the communities on either side of the river to come an art and design workshop which will create large silk flags to represent their own towns or villages at the celebrations.

Each flag will feature places and characteristics of an area, with suggestions also wanted for the design of the flags.

The eight finished flags will be carried on a 100-mile public walk along the banks of the Crouch later this summer.

The celebrations are being coordinated by Rochford District Council’s arts team and Essexbased international arts company Kinetika.

For more information, search for “River Crouch Festival” on Facebook

FESTIVAL EVENTS

COMING SOON

Schoolchildren are working with professional artists to create art and projects about their area and its relationship to the river.

Workshops at which silk flags will be designed and painted – one for each location.

JUNE 27-JULY 4

A 100-mile public walk, covering both banks of the Crouch. The public can join at any point.

An invitation to the public to share images, stories and memories of the local area and River Crouch in a digital archive on Facebook

JULY 4 A celebratory feast day in Hullbridge, organised with Riverside School PTA as part of the school’s the annual summer fair.

DESIGN SESSIONS

TUESDAY, MAY 5 Champions Manor Hall, Hullbridge Road, South Woodham Ferrers – 1-3pm WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 – Ashingdon and East Hawkwell Memorial Hall, Ashingdon Road, Ashingdon – 2-4pm

FRIDAY, MAY 8 Canewdon Village Hall, Lambourne Hall Road, Canewdon – 1-3pm.