News

Thurrock hosts special conference to share new ways to support children

6 February 2026
More than 100 staff from Thurrock Council and partner organisations attended a special conference showcasing a new approach designed to better support children and families in the borough. 
Held at Orsett Hall Hotel, the event provided an in-depth introduction to the new Families First Partnership Programme, a national initiative led by the Department for Education. 

Corringham event brings cost‑of‑living support directly to residents

6 February 2026
Residents from across Thurrock were able to access a wide range of advice and support to help them manage the rising cost of living at a free wellbeing event held in Corringham. 
Corringham Library hosted the drop-in session on Wednesday 4 February, bringing together Thurrock Council, local health organisations, and partners from the community and voluntary sector to offer practical guidance on how to navigate increasing day‑to‑day costs. 

Over 3,000 young people in Thurrock help Youth Cabinet to set its priorities for 2026

29 January 2026
Young people aged 11 to 18 years old from across the borough had the opportunity to share which topics were most important to them during a special ballot. 
There were a range of topics young people could vote for, including better PSHE lessons, the environment and Transport.
A total of 3,011 young people took part in the Youth Cabinet ballot, and the top three chosen topics were:

Thurrock comes together to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

29 January 2026
Residents of all ages from across Thurrock attended a poignant memorial service in Grays to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. 
Residents, community leaders and local schools gathered at the Herbert E. Brooks Memorial Rest Garden on Tuesday 27 January for the annual memorial service, held to remember the six million Jewish people murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of others persecuted under the Nazi regime and in more recent genocides. 

Get active to stay active

27 January 2026
Impulse Leisure has launched its 2026 season of Stay Active Stay Well classes which will run year-round.
Pilates Classes, Aveley Library & Community Hub
Mondays from 10:30am to 11:30am
Chair-Based Exercise, Aveley Library & Community Hub
Fridays from 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Chair-Based Exercise, Chadwell Village Hall
Tuesdays from 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Chair-Based Exercise, Lansbury Gardens Sheltered Housing Complex Tilbury
Mondays from 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Fresh funding boost supports milestones for Reanimating Coalhouse Fort project

23 January 2026
The Reanimating Coalhouse Fort project has taken a significant step forward due to an award of £10,000 from Historic England’s Capacity Building Grant Programme.
This vital investment will support essential project foundations, such as the recruitment and training of volunteers. The funds will also assist the development of a business plan and long term funding strategy, plus establish a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

Council recoups significant amounts of public money from past investments

22 January 2026
A report to Cabinet on Wednesday 21 January shows that Thurrock Council has now recovered £661m from past investments as part of its ongoing work to reduce debt and stabilise the council’s finances following its financial collapse in 2022.
The Cabinet report sets out the progress made so far and the work still underway to divest the council of its investments and says that a further £131m is expected to be recovered in the coming years, meaning around £800m is aimed for recovery by 2030.

Sign-up for Thurrock News – our monthly email newsletter.

Media enquiries

Journalists and media professionals can make enquiries from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, 01375 652 017 or at communicationsteam@thurrock.gov.uk.

For emergency media enquiries outside of these times, phone 07912 782 470.

The communications team email inbox is not monitored outside of office hours, so email media enquiries received out-of-hours may not be answered until the next working weekday.

We advise our staff, when approached directly by a member of the media, not to answer questions themselves but to refer you to the communications team who will provide our response.

We do not normally comment on individual cases or enquiries relating to council staff.