💚East Grinstead Town Council has today learned that the town has not been shortlisted in the inaugural UK Town of Culture 2028 competition.
💫With an incredible 398 expressions of interest submitted from towns across the UK, only 15 places were selected to progress to the next stage of the competition. Reaching this stage was always going to be highly competitive, and we congratulate the shortlisted towns on their success.
💚While this is, of course, disappointing, it in no way detracts from the tremendous effort that went into preparing East Grinstead’s bid or the valuable ideas, partnerships and community insight gathered throughout the process.
❤️‍🩹The engagement process brought together local organisations, businesses, community groups, artists, volunteers and residents to celebrate what makes East Grinstead unique. It showcased our rich heritage, vibrant cultural offer and ambitious vision for the future, while strengthening relationships that will continue to benefit the town for years to come.
🫶Rather than marking the end of a journey, the bid has provided a strong foundation on which to build. Many of the projects, partnerships and ambitions developed through the process will now be explored further as part of the Town Council’s ongoing commitment to supporting culture, creativity and community life in East Grinstead.
🗣Town Clerk, Sam Heynes said:
“Naturally, we are disappointed not to have reached the shortlist, but we are immensely proud of the bid we submitted. The process has shown what can be achieved when our community comes together with a shared ambition. We have developed exciting ideas, forged new partnerships and gained valuable insight into the opportunities ahead. We are determined that this work will not be wasted and look forward to taking many of these ideas forward over the coming years.”
🙏East Grinstead Town Council would like to extend its sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the bid. From those who attended workshops and shared their ideas, to our partners , volunteers, businesses, cultural organisations and residents, your enthusiasm, creativity and support made this possible. And a special thanks to Chequer Mead and Community People for working on the application with us.
😊Although we will not be continuing in the UK Town of Culture competition, our ambition for East Grinstead remains unchanged. We will continue working with our partners and community to develop new cultural opportunities, celebrate our remarkable heritage and ensure East Grinstead continues to thrive as a vibrant place to live, work and visit.