Lowestoft Town Council
Contract Opportunity - Collection and Disposal of Bulky Waste
Lowestoft Town Council is seeking a contractor to manage and deliver its bulky waste scheme. This service is provided to households in Lowestoft by offering a free to access collection and disposal of bulky waste items such as sofas, fridges, wardrobes and play equipment where such households may struggle with the charges ordinarily made for such a service.
The scheme is part of the Town Council’s aim to decrease fly-tipping and restore pride in the town.
If you have the equipment, necessary licences and are interested in submitting a tender for this works, please read the Tender Document and complete the Approved Contractors Questionnaire. These should then be submitted, alongside your quotation and all relevant documents to admin@lowestofttowncouncil.gov.uk.
The deadline for submitting documents is 3rd March 2025.
Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9c9d95c3-79c8-415a-8da8-661dfd117baa
Holocaust Memorial Day, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the arrival of the Kindertransport to Lowestoft marked in Lowestoft
On Monday 27th January, an overwhelming number of people gathered at events across Lowestoft to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.
Three poignant events took place throughout the day, organised by Lowestoft Town Council and supported by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, to make this year’s commemorations the largest yet.
This year’s events saw contributions from Professor Lawrence Goldman (representing Norwich Synagogue), Ormiston Denes Academy, Benjamin Britten High School, East Point Academy and Red Oak Primary School with music from Da Marjanbo, a Hebrew four-piece instrumental band. Support for the events was also provided by the three venues (East Coast Cinema, Lowestoft Railway Station, Kensington Gardens Café and the Friends of Kensington Gardens), and East Suffolk Lines with their discounted travel fares.
A spokesperson for Lowestoft Town Council said “Lowestoft Town Council would like to thank everyone who came along and contributed to our Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations. This is a significant event in our calendar that has grown since the Town Council started leading the event eight years ago.
"With this year’s events receiving more national coverage in part due to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the planning for our events in Lowestoft have been a long time in the making as we aimed to make this poignant event inclusive. We are very pleased with the turn out this year as we expanded our number of events to give more opportunities for local people to gather and reflect.”
Each element of this year’s commemoration had its own focus with the main event taking place at East Coast
Cinema. Here the audience reflected on the Holocaust with Professor Lawrence Goldman delivering a moving story of Miriam, a relative of Professor Goldman’s who escaped from Poland to Jamaica due to the persecution of Jewish people in Auschwitz. Da Marjanbo followed this, providing emotive music, welcoming the chance to express a range of Hebrew prayers through instrumental music. The event then moved to Lowestoft Railway Station where reflections and poems to remember Lowestoft’s link to the Kindertransport were read and wreathes were laid. In the afternoon, Kensington Gardens hosted an event where Red Oak Primary school children read 
out personal reflections and placed 80 decoration candles around the Holocaust Memorial flower bed. Each candle marked the 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Later at 8pm, local people were encouraged by the Town Council to join with the nation in lighting a candle and placing it in their window as part of the “Light the Darkness” campaign.
The Mayor, Cllr Nasima Begum, expressed thanks to all who had attended. She said “the Town Council has worked hard to make the day as inclusive as possible to all, specifically inviting members of the Jewish
Community to take leading roles in the day’s events, bringing the experience of Hebrew music to a new audience and enabling school children to learn and understand more about what happened in their town as well as asking people to recognise more recent genocides, something I know is supported by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. As usual, the Town Council welcomes comments and will build these into the planning of future events”.
On the significance of Holocaust Memorial Day, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust said on social media, “Holocaust Memorial Day shows us where prejudice can lead when it is normalised and encouraged. On this day we remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. We also commemorate the millions more people murdered through the Nazi persecution of other groups, and in the more recent genocides recognised by the UK government, and the genocide in Darfur. Prejudice has not ended and there is much to do to create a better future.”
Read more on Holocaust Memorial Day Commemorated in Lowestoft
A new memorial plaque is to be unveiled on Lowestoft’s South Pier to commemorate the 60th anniversary of a lost fishing trawler.
Commissioned by Lowestoft Town Council, the plaque will name the nine crew members who lost their lives when the Boston Pionair was lost at sea in February 1965.
The Boston Pionair, under the hand of skipper Brian Moyse, left Lowestoft on 6th February 1965. When no word was heard from the crew on 14th February, a large-scale search operation was conducted in the North Sea before the boat and its nine-strong crew were pronounced lost at sea.
To mark this occasion, the Boston Pionair memorial plaque will be unveiled at 1:30pm on Thursday 6th February. All are welcome to attend.
Ahead of the unveiling, all are welcome to go to the United Reformed Church, London Road North from 10am-12noon for refreshments and the chance to see a display, courtesy of Lowestoft Maritime Museum.
This plaque is the latest in a series of similar plaques commissioned by Lowestoft Town Council to remember some of the tragedies encountered throughout Lowestoft’s maritime heritage. Other commissioned plaques have commemorated the “Guava”, “Reclaim” and everyone who took part in Operation Dynamo.
The project to bring the Town Hall back into community use has received a further funding boost thanks to an increase in funding support from East Suffolk Council which further strengthens their commitment to supporting Lowestoft Town Council to bring this building back to life.
This decision, approved by East Suffolk Council's Cabinet, sees East Suffolk Council budget for an additional £300,000, increasing their direct investment to £1,2million. This follows the recent news by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to provide a total of £4,457,512 of funding towards the project.
With this funding now in place, work on the building is set to begin in February 2025 with the Town Hall reopening in Summer 2026.
The work will see the Town Hall renovated with provision for a compelling and innovative heritage hub, gallery space with a changing programme of exhibitions and events, wedding and reception venue with catering facilities, co-working space for sole traders and small businesses, a café, and additional community event space. Improving the accessibility to the Town Hall is included within the plans with a more open reception area, accessible toilet facilities, including a Changing Places room and a lift. The Town Hall will also become the home for Lowestoft Town Council, hosting the Council meetings and staff offices and Suffolk Registrars.
Cllr Nasima Begum, Mayor of Lowestoft said “I wish to thank East Suffolk Council for agreeing to provide further support to the Town Hall regeneration. We are at a very exciting stage of the project with work due to begin within the next month and this additional support will help bring this iconic building back into public use.”
Cllr Caroline Topping, Leader of East Suffolk Council and Heritage Champion, said: “A lot of effort has already gone into this project to bring Lowestoft Town Hall back into use as a community asset and heritage venue.
“Alongside an additional grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, East Suffolk Council’s contribution will help to meet funding targets and take this transformational project forward. We look forward to seeing the building open to the public once again.”
The Lowestoft Town Hall Project is a Lowestoft Town Council initiative supported by National Lottery players via The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Other significant funders for the regeneration include Towns Fund and East Suffolk Council.
Read more on Further Funding Boost To Town Hall Project As Major Works To Start Next Month
Lowestoft Town Council is delighted to announce that the Town Hall regeneration project has successfully secured a grant increase from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The increased award will see an additional £1.2million in grant funding to help revitalise the iconic Town Hall and bring it back into community use. This follows on from the initial grant of £3,257,512 from the Heritage Fund announced in September 2023, bringing the total funding to £4,457,512.
Cllr Nasima Begum, Mayor of Lowestoft said “I am delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund have increased their support to help bring the Town Hall back into use. It is fitting that this announcement comes on the Heritage Fund’s Heritage Treasures Day as we aim to restore our own heritage treasure, which holds such a special place for so many local people. On behalf of Lowestoft Town Council, I wish to thank everyone who has contributed to this project by responding to consultations, engaging with our heritage events and through bringing their expertise and passion.”
Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands and East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We’re excited to be supporting Lowestoft Town Council with a significant grant to transform the Town Hall. Thanks to National Lottery players and total funding of nearly £4.5million, the communities of Lowestoft and beyond are seeing a local landmark be revitalised into a bustling community space.”
With this funding now in place, and with the support of other funders, work on the building is set to begin in February 2025 with the Town Hall reopening in Summer 2026.
The work will see the Town Hall renovated with provision for a compelling and innovative heritage hub, gallery space with a changing programme of exhibitions and events, wedding and reception venue with catering facilities, co-working space for sole traders and small businesses, a café, and additional community event space. Improving the accessibility to the Town Hall is included within the plans with a more open reception area, accessible toilet facilities, including a Changing Places room and a lift. The Town Hall will also become the home for Lowestoft Town Council, hosting the Council meetings and staff offices and Suffolk Registrars.
The Lowestoft Town Hall Project is a Lowestoft Town Council initiative supported by National Lottery players via The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Other significant funders for the regeneration include Towns Fund and East Suffolk Council.
Read more on Town Hall Project receives further funding from National Lottery
From everyone at Lowestoft Town Council, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, however you choose to celebrate it.
Please note that the Town Council Offices will be closed today (Friday 20th December) from 5pm until Thursday 2nd January 2024 at 9am.
During the festive period, we hope that you will continue to enjoy our parks and facilities. The tennis courts will remain open during this period and can be booked online: https://www.lta.org.uk/play/book-a-tennis-court/
If you need to contact the Town Council in an emergency during this period please call us on 0330 053 6019 and leave a message. Messages received will be monitored regularly alongside our admin@lowestofttowncouncil.gov.uk email address.
Any incidents of anti-social behaviour or vandalism should be reported to Suffolk Police on 101.
Lowestoft Town Council, the Marina Theatre Trust and East Suffolk Council are pleased to announce that The Input Group have been awarded the contract to deliver the works to upgrade the Marina Theatre building in Lowestoft.
The project will see one of Suffolk’s leading venues for theatre, music and comedy be significantly upgraded with the creation of a new theatre entrance within a new link building between the existing Victorian Theatre and the more modern existing box office. The new link building will incorporate a lift to give access for all visitors to all floors of the Theatre, new toilets and a relocated and expanded box office facility.
Speaking about the project, the Mayor of Lowestoft, Cllr Nasima Begum said: “I am delighted that a contractor has been appointed to deliver these works. The improvements will bring significant upgrades to the Marina Theatre which I hope will improve the experiences for everyone who visits and works at the Theatre.”
Sam Vallerius, General Manager of The Marina Theatre said: “The Marina Theatre Trust are pleased to be moving forward with these plans that will improve the level of service we are able to offer our customers. The improvements, which were highlighted in an audience consultation, will see us become a more accessible and updated venue. We extend our thanks to Lowestoft Town Council and East Suffolk Council for their support on this project.”
Cllr Sarah Whitelock, East Suffolk Council’s cabinet member for Communities, Culture, Leisure and Tourism said: “We are pleased to see these improvements progressing, which are funded through Lowestoft’s £24.9m allocation from the Government’s Towns Fund, secured by East Suffolk Council. These works will further enhance the theatre and increase access for everyone, as well as complementing the major redevelopment work being undertaken by East Suffolk Council at nearby Battery Green.”
Throughout the year the Marina Theatre hosts a variety of shows including their monthly Comedy Club and their upcoming and ever-popular Christmas Pantomime. The theatre also offers cinema screenings, community classes and a café. The works will not impact on the Pantomime Season.
The Marina Theatre Project is a Lowestoft Town Council (as building owners) Project, in partnership with the Marina Theatre Trust and East Suffolk Council, with funding from UK Government’s Towns Fund.
Read more on Contractor Awarded Works For Marina Theatre Project
Following on from another successful Creative Writing and Visual Arts Competition to mark Black History Month, the winning entries and schools were invited to an awards ceremony at the Hotel Victoria last Friday.
The competition, organised by Lowestoft Town Council, encourages local schools and their students to think about the inspiring people of Black and Ethnic Minority heritage - past and present.
This year’s competition saw entries celebrating the likes of Bukayo Saka, Mae Jemison, Mary Seacole and Usain Bolt with entries coming in the forms of diary entries, fact sheets and raps in the creative writing competition, and African hand art and pointillism in the visual arts competition. For 2024, the age categories were expanded so that submissions could be judged more fairly against similar work.
In the overall school competition, the Creative Writing Category was won by Oulton Broad Primary due to the high quality and variety of entries that they submitted. For the second year in the row, Phoenix St Peter’s Primary School was awarded the Visual Arts Award thanks to their colourful whole school display.
The individual award winners were:
Creative Writing – Year 5-6
Winner – Matilda (for her rap about Rosa Parks)
Runners-Up – George and Edward (who both wrote about Bukayo Saka)
Creative Writing - Year 10-11
Winner – Samuel (who wrote a lovely reflection on how brave Mary Seacole was)
Runner -Up – Sophie (for her beautifully written piece about Mary Seacole)
Visual Arts – Nursery-Reception
Winner – Lena (for her drawing of a bus, depicting the story of Rosa Parks)
Visual Arts – Year 1-2
Winner – Harry (for the use of vibrant colours and shapes)
Runners-Up – Billie and Jashwika (for their use of different patterns)
Visual Arts – Year 3-4
Winner – Pippa (for her use of intricate details)
Runners-Up – Ethan (for his use of colour) and Jessica (for her use of different mediums to depict Mae Jemison)
Visual Arts – 5-6
Winner – Ozzie (for the use of delicate details and patterns)
Runners-Up – Yvie and Maisie (for their use of different mediums to portray Kamala Harris and Lewis Hamilton)
The awards ceremony also included a video message from Lowestoft’s Olympic Medallist Anthony Ogogo who shared his personal story of growing up in Lowestoft as someone with Black and Mixed Race Heritage, and a series of poems and short stories form the author Ivya Scott who also works with the Suffolk Windrush Community.
Speaking at the awards, Cllr Nasima Begum, Mayor of Lowestoft, said “Once again, we have been amazed by the number and quality of the artwork and creative writing that has been submitted. This competition is now in its fourth year, and I am proud to see that it keeps growing with more variety of entries.”
Read more on Awards Ceremony Celebrates Black History Month Competition
Thousands of people gathered at the War Memorial on Royal Plain to mark Remembrance Sunday on Sunday 10th November.
This annual service, organised by Lowestoft Town Council, pays tribute to the nation's brave servicemen and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in fighting for our freedom. The service was led by Revd Canon Simon Stokes with the Deputy Lieutenant Deborah Cadman leading the wreath laying. The two-minutes silence at 11am was marked with the firing of the 105mm (L118) Light Gun from F (Sphinx Parachute Battery, 7thParachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery.
Music for the occasion was provided by the English Brass Quintet.
Speaking about the service, the Mayor of Lowestoft, Cllr Nasima Begum, said “It was an honour to be a part of this poignant occasion. Thank you to everyone who attended and took part, especially to the standard bearers and everyone involved in the parade. Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day has a special meaning to so many within our community and it is a privilege to see so many gather together to pay our respects.”
On Armistice Day, two smaller services, also organised by Lowestoft Town Council, took place at the War Memorial, Royal Plain and at Lowestoft Cemetery which included short readings given by local schools.
On Sunday 10th November, Lowestoft will be marking Remembrance Sunday with its annual Parade and Service.
The service, taking place by the War Memorial on Royal Plain, will start around 10:50am following the parade which will make its way along the promenade from Claremont Pier. The parade is being led by soldiers of F (Sphinx) Parachute Battery Royal Horse Artillery, 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.
The two-minutes silence at 11am will then be marked by the sound of gun fire from the 105mm (L118) Light Gun from F (Sphinx) Parachute Battery Royal Horse Artillery, 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.
The wreath laying this year will be led by the Deputy Lieutenant for Suffolk, Deborah Cadman, OBE. Following the wreath laying, anyone wishing to lay a personal tribute at the War Memorial will be welcome to do so.
The service sheet is now available to download from our website for anyone wishing to follow the service on a digital device or print it off at home.
East Suffolk Council have kindly arranged for free parking to take place between 8am and 1pm on Sunday 10 November in Royal Green, Claremont Pier, Kirkley Cliff, Clifton Road, Belvedere Road and Britten Centre car parks.
On Monday 11th November, there will be two short services to mark Armistice Day. These will be taking place at the War Memorial, Royal Plain, and at Lowestoft Cemetery. Both will start shortly before 11am in time for the two-minutes silence.
