RESIDENTS in Stourport and visitors to the town are being urged to vote for their favourite boat design in a competition which runs at Tontine Gardens.
The Emily Jordan Foundation charity created the boats for Stourport Forward and they were then bought by businesses, schools and community organisations.
Participants were given free rein artistic licence to design their vessel on the theme of ‘what Stourport meant to them’.
People can now vote for their favourite design between now and September 23 either in person on open days, using a voting slip and ballot box, or online.
The competition began on Monday and the remaining open days are from 10am to 2pm on Tuesdays, August 19 and 26 and September 9, 16 and 23.
The boats can also be viewed between 5pm and 10pm on Thursday, August 28, and from 10am to 4pm on Saturdays – September 6 and 13.
The event is one of several projects by Stourport Bramble which has received a three-year funding programme from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The scheme, which runs until 2027, is aimed at enabling Stourport Forward, operated by Stourport Forward, to organise lots of projects to engage and inform the local community with the town’s heritage.
Gill Edwards, the project manager of of Navigate Stourport, said: “We have had some fantastic designs and already had hundreds of votes.
“Some of the designs are focused Stourport in general, while others have captured the upcoming carnival centenary.
“The Georgian Canal is what the town is built upon – we are a canal town. Without that waterway, there would be no Stourport so engaging people with our history is very important.”
There are 10 boats in total and the winning design will be announced after September 23 when all the votes have been counted.
The first prize being a free trip for up to 12 people on the Bramble working heritage boat.
The organisers are also planning, if there are more than 12, to provide an activity for as many people as were involved in the winning boat design project.
Visit facebook.com/FriendsBramble for more information, to see the designs and click through to vote online.
Alternatively, pay Tontine Gardens a visit during the open day times.
