Let’s start celebrating our borough

She says Thurrock is an exciting place in exciting times, with some remarkably talented people, but she also says Thurrock puts itself down – time after time.

I am saying it is now time to start celebrating our successes. Thurrock is an exciting place, so let’s shout about it far and wide.

Our schools are improving at a remarkable rate, but too often we concentrate on the negative instead of the possibilities and the lessons learned. It is high time we recognised some of the outstanding teaching that goes on in our schools – and starting from now we will.

Our borough is on the verge of creating thousands of jobs as the Port of Tilbury expands, Lakeside is set to create a new leisure facility and grow to meet the challenge of Westfields and London Gateway Port is ready to welcome its first ship soon.

I have said time and again it is crucial that Thurrock’s youngsters are able to get the new jobs that will be created, especially the managerial and highly skilled jobs. To do that our young people need the best education possible.

I was delighted to visit the new Ormiston Park Academy, in Aveley, last week. It is a state-of-the-art school that takes your breath away and will give the students there the very best environment in which to learn.

For our older students, the new South Essex College Campus, in Grays, is on schedule to open  next September, again offering the very best facilities for our young people. In Purfleet, the Backstage Centre is training the next generation of theatre technicians for the nation.

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