A new app aimed at attracting visitors to Hadleigh is to be launched as part of a new initiative to boost tourism.

The Love Exploring app will introduce new trails, games and visitor information for Hadleigh, Lavenham, Sudbury, Needham Market and the Dedham Vale area.

This summer, high streets and tourist locations across Babergh are preparing a host of events and activities as they welcome residents and visitors back to their high streets and places safely following the lifting of covid restrictions.

Shops, restaurants, pubs and visitor attractions in high streets around the county have faced unprecedented closures, and now, with the help of additional funding, Babergh has been able to support towns and villages to create beautiful spaces and reopen safely this summer.

The Welcome Back Fund created by Government using monies from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is designed for Local Authorities to help towns reopen, host events and activities and improve and beautify community spaces while keep visitors safe.

The events and activities being delivered this summer will showcase the best that the districts' towns and villages have to offer, providing fun days out for families and welcoming back residents as well as visitors who are exploring the area for the first time.

Events include craft fairs in Hadleigh and Sudbury, Green Sundays in Sudbury which offer fun eco-friendly activities and workshops, and a community bounce back event in Needham Market to connect local businesses back into the community.

Visitors will be able to celebrate the silk and textiles heritage of Babergh with guided walks and outdoor workshops around Sudbury.

To help improve the local environments, towns and villages will be able to request planters and benches for public spaces, additional bins and litter picking kits to help manage any increases in litter over the summer season.

Cllr Michael Holt, Babergh District Council cabinet member for economic growth said: "With many more people choosing to spend more of their holidays at home this year, we want to help create a buzz, making our towns and villages even more appealing to both residents and visitors.

"We have some wonderful and unique places to visit and I hope both residents and visitors will explore everything we have to offer."

In addition to the local activity, Babergh has appointed additional support within the public realm teams to provide more street cleaning in our towns and to support popular visitor locations in more rural locations in partnership with the Dedham Vale and Suffolk Coast and Heaths Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

For more information visit: www.babergh.gov.uk