News | Thurrock Council

Thurrock International Film Festival 2025: A celebration of storytelling in Grays Town Park

6 October 2025

Thurrock residents are invited to experience a world-class celebration of cinema as the Thurrock International Film Festival 2025 takes place from 17 to 19 October 2025 at Grays Town Park Café (RM17 6PZ).
The festival will bring together inspiring films, community spirit and opportunities for creative exploration — right in the heart of Thurrock.
A festival championing bold and diverse voices

Celebrating Thurrock’s rich and diverse communities

3 October 2025

Thurrock is hosting a vibrant programme of events and activities this October as part of Black History Month.
Across the next month, we’re inviting residents to come along to some amazing local events and celebrate the rich cultural heritage and contributions of Black communities to our borough, and across the country.
Explore black British history through film and archives
Thurrock’s Libraries are offering free access to the BFI Replay ‘Black Voices’ Collection, a curated archive of video content showcasing decades of Black British history.

Statement following yesterday’s Manchester Synagogue attack

3 October 2025

Cllr Lynn Worrall, Leader of Thurrock Council, has issued a statement following yesterday’s attack at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.
Cllr Worrall said: “I was deeply shocked and saddened by the attack that took place at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Greater Manchester yesterday. My thoughts are with the families of the victims of this appalling attack, those who were injured, and the wider Jewish community.

School Flu Vaccination Programme now underway: Complete an online consent form

2 October 2025

Thurrock schools are taking part in this year’s school-based flu vaccination programme, helping to protect children and the wider community against flu this winter.
The programme is delivered by *Vaccination UK, working on behalf of NHS England. All eligible school-aged children will be offered the free nasal spray flu vaccine, which is a quick and painless way to help prevent the spread of flu.

Grays Library Fun Palace: Celebrate community, creativity and connection!

2 October 2025

Grays Library is proud to be part of the national and international Fun Palaces movement, joining hundreds of venues across the globe in a weekend of free, fun, and inclusive activities for all ages.
Date: Saturday 4 October
Time: 9:30am to 12:30pm
Fun Palaces are all about sharing skills and connecting communities, and this year, Grays Library is bringing together local talent, creativity, and wellbeing in a celebration of what makes Thurrock special.

Time to book your next great day out at Grangewaters

2 October 2025

Booking your favourite outdoor activity at Grangewaters just got easier.
Thurrock’s unique year-round outdoor activity and education centre has launched a new standalone website, transforming its booking process.
Now is the perfect time to go online and book your family day out over the October half term.
The easy-to-use site guides you through the fantastic range of activities and courses at the centre, including abseiling, archery, climbing, sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking and bushcraft.

Join Stoptober in Thurrock and start your smoke-free journey today

1 October 2025

Stoptober, the annual national campaign to help smokers quit has launched in Thurrock today (1 October). Residents are being encouraged to take the first step towards a healthier, smoke-free future, with a wide range of free local support and incentives available.
Thurrock Health Trainer Service is on hand throughout October to help residents successfully quit smoking, with a tried and tested approach that includes:

Kynoch Court residents show their generosity

1 October 2025

More than £1,000 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support thanks to a fundraiser hosted by sheltered housing residents in Stanford-le-Hope.
Residents at Kynoch Court worked hard to organise the fundraising evening, and thanks to the incredible generosity of residents, friends and family, £1,100 was raised to support the vital work of the cancer care charity.
The fundraising efforts culminated with Cllr Sue Shinnick, Mayor of Thurrock, paying a visit to personally thank the residents. During the visit, she was presented with a cheque of the money raised.

Thurrock’s proposal for four new councils in Greater Essex submitted to Government

26 September 2025

A proposal for four unitary councils in Greater Essex, to replace the current 15 councils, has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The proposal, put forward by Thurrock Council, carefully considers data, evidence, insight and residents’ views, to strike the right balance of councils that are both financially sustainable and close to communities.

Children take up the challenge

24 September 2025

Our libraries' Story Garden Summer Reading Challenge 2025 encouraged a total of 2,340 children across Thurrock to read over the summer holidays, beating the patricipation figures for 2024.
Story Garden encourages children of all ages to keep reading what they enjoy over the summer which also helps maintain their reading levels for when they return back to school in the autumn.
Congratulations to Kenningtons Primary Academy, which this year won the special Summer Reading Challenge School Shield. Kenningtons had 33% of its pupils complete the challenge.