THETFORD is set to get another statue depicting its rich history after news of a successful lottery bid. Community groups in the town are celebrating after receiving £24,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a sculpture at a new garden.

THETFORD is set to get another statue depicting its rich history after news of a successful lottery bid.

Community groups in the town are celebrating after receiving £24,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a sculpture at a new garden.

The money, awarded to Keystone Development Trust, will help transform a derelict plot of land on Staniforth Road, near Charles Burrell Humanities School, into a bright and colourful community garden.

The focal point of the area will be a metal sculpture in tribute to Thetford's famous Charles Burrell steam-engine works.

Over the next six months, students from the town will be working with an artist to design and construct the sculpture and will research what plants are appropriate for the garden, prepare the site and do all the necessary ground work.

The group will also research the history of the Charles Burrell works and will be given a budget for plants and materials for the garden. The project comes after work began earlier this year following a £1,000 community award from O2.

Terry Jermy, community arts co-ordinator at Keystone Development Trust, said: “We are delighted to be awarded this money. There is already a statue in Thetford for both Thomas Paine and Maharajah Duleep Singh and there are plans for a Captain Mainwaring sculpture for Dad's Army. I am delighted that there is also now going to be a piece of public artwork in tribute to the other pillar of Thetford's history - Charles Burrell.”

Charles Burrell Humanities School, Rosemary Musker High School, the Barnham Action Group and the Charles Burrell Museum are also involved in the project.

For more information, call 01842 821643.