RESIDENTS are being invited to a community event to help plan how a £1m Lottery grant will be spent.

The Big Local Big Event will be held at the Trinity Centre in North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, from 10.30am to 2pm on Monday, February 17.

The day aims to bring residents of North Ormesby together to shape plans for Big Local, the £1m Lottery-funded programme to improve the area.

The event, called High Hopes and Hot Dogs, is open to everyone who lives or works in North Ormesby.

People can drop-in at any time during the day. There will be a creative, fun area for children and a youth zone, as well as sessions for adults.

Free drinks and refreshments will be served throughout the day. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

The North Ormesby Big Local Partnership has been collecting views and opinions from local residents, children and young people on the project over the last few months.

Clear priorities have emerged about what the money should be spent on, for example housing, the environment and young people.

The Big Event aims to give people chance to find out more about the priorities and to have their say.

Reverend Dominic Black, chairman of the Big Local Partnership, said: “Big Local offers North Ormesby a tremendous opportunity to take control of our own destiny as a community.

"We have learnt a lot about the challenges people are facing in the last few months, now we need local people’s inspiration on how we can best use the money to make a lasting difference.”