| Students and staff at Franklin College have been sharing what makes Grimsby special for them – and what the town could achieve if its bid to become the UK’s first Town of Culture in 2028 is successful. |
| The conversations took place as part of engagement work at the college, with some students choosing to be filmed for a video backing the bid, and others preferring to talk about their experiences of the town. Grimsby is one of four towns shortlisted in the large towns category for the UK Town of Culture 2028 title, alongside Basildon, Birkenhead and Rotherham. The final bid must be submitted by 30 November 2026, with the winner announced in March 2027. The winning town will receive £3 million to deliver a 6-month programme of cultural events in 2028. “Proud to be from Grimsby” Lucy Bulbeck, a student at Franklin College, said: “I think Grimsby is under-presented – its heritage is so rich. I’m proud to be from Grimsby, there’s more to offer than you think around here. There’s lots to do, especially apprenticeship opportunities. Something that has been good has been the opening of Horizon Youth Zone; it’s a great place for families and children to connect.” Charlie Jarnett said: “The new Horizon in Grimsby has been amazing; I really enjoy it. I play music in there or hang out with friends – there are opportunities to meet people, and people of all ages can connect, new places like Innoflate are exciting for the town. What I would change would be to increase the number of shops, add new parks and better security. It’s getting better for young people.” “Untapped possibilities” Rickeana McCurdy said :”There is a great deal of history that’s overlooked in this area, the archaeological finds uncovered in Freshney Place reveal how much history hasn’t yet been promoted – it could improve those areas. There’s a great deal of pride in having Europe’s central powerhouse of fishing history. Look at how many factories are providing food across the world – we often take for granted how essential that is to our identity as an area. There are untapped possibilities that getting the bid would allow to be celebrated, for people to be proud o where the come from.” She added: “It’s under-presented, we don’t sing about it enough, so often people leave and don’t realise what great things are here, not only in Grimsby but also Cleethorpes. The Armed Forces weekend shows the strength of the community, and there are all the cultural events going on – from Grim Festival to Festival of the Seas, the markets, arts and crafts, theatre, music concerts, open mic nights to poetry events. We have greater representation than we’ve ever had, but we have the power to have a live voice, GY28 would give us the platform to shout about it, and get more people interested in coming to Grimsby. We have so many fascinating small stories we haven’t shared, which could draw people in from all over the place.” Reuben, a finance assistant at the college, said: “It’s good for the town – trying to make it better with Horizon, and more opportunities for younger generations. The Airshow demonstrates the impact on community for such a small town to organise. It’s a shame there are no shops, so if we get funding it will hopefully give us something to get involved in – events, international food markets, for schools and colleges to get involved.” How to get involved Residents, businesses and community groups are being encouraged to back the bid by using #GY28 in social media posts, completing the short GY28 survey, or attending upcoming engagement events. For more information about the bid and how to get involved, visit GY28 – Grimsby’s bid for UK Town of Culture 2028 Other students and staff were recorded on video, sharing their feelings regarding GY28: https://youtube.com/shorts/7a60ZIv8be4?feature=share |
3:19 pm, Tuesday, 20th October 2026 - 11 minutes ago
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