A PAIR of festivals have received grants from Essex County Council’s Chairman Fund.

The Harwich Sea Shanty Festival was awarded £3,000 to continue with work helping people in the town explore its rich maritime history with artwork, poetry and a drama production.

The Harwich Festival of the Arts Trust was given £2,500 to enable them to work with young people and showcase their talents through performances, workshops and displays across a range of musical genres.

The festival will also receive a grant of £3,000 from Harwich Town Council to help stage free lunchtime concerts during the event in June and July.

Council leader Kay Twitchen said: “Essex is a large and diverse county and these awards remind us just how much of an asset we have in our voluntary sector.”