This month sees the end of the Thurcoft Big Local project after just over 12 years! 

By Rachel Cole, Senior Projects Officer

In 2011 Thurcroft was selected by the Local Trust, as part of their Big Local Initiative, and received £1 million pound.  The aim of this money was for the local community to get involved in making their community a better place to live, then and in the future.  Where and how this money was spent was entirely up to the local community and has been guided by a Partnership Board which has comprised entirely of local residents and people who are passionate about Thurcroft.   

The Big Local Project launched at the Gala in August 2012 and over the next 6-12 months a steering group/partnership was formed, a community profile was written, lots of consultation took place in the village to speak to residents about the project and to hear their ideas on how they would like the money to be spent.  The first formal plan was then written and submitted to Local Trust.  Since then, plans have been written every couple of years and funding has always been spent on projects identified in the plans.  The three core themes in the Plan have remained the same, Community Pride, Children and Young People and Making Big Local Happen.   

Over the years, lots of exciting things have taken place and many improvements have been made in the village.  Some examples of these are a Big Local information centre, litter picks and skips, allotment, youth clubs, luncheon club, employment advisor/jobs fairs, memorial benches, Covid 19 and food parcels, small grants and events which include gala, ice rink, fireworks, tea dances, day trips, summer play scheme and events for Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.  The greatest achievement was the opening of the Thurcroft Hub in March 2017, this will be the Big Local legacy and will hopefully be successful for many years to come. 

The youth group, events committee and the luncheon club are all now constituted groups, run by volunteers, who can now draw down their own funding to ensure that these services still continue for the community to enjoy in the future. 

A celebration event has been booked and planned for February 2024 where everyone who has ever been involved in the project can get together and celebrate what they have achieved over the past 12 years! 

This has been an amazing project and I feel privileged to have been part of it, I still can’t believe how quickly the years have gone! 

I have met some amazing people in Thurcroft, without the support of the local residents and their volunteering the Big Local project wouldn’t have been the success that it has.   

I wish Thurcroft and all its residents lots of luck for the future, as a community, they should be very proud of themselves!   

“A few from over the years”