MALDON MP John Whittingdale will be on hand to open up jubilee celebrations for a small village after it secured funds to run events to celebrate the occasion.

The Bradwell Wind Farm Community Fund, administered by the Essex Community Foundation, has been awarded a grant to cover the costs for Bradwell-on-Sea's ambitious and diverse celebrations for the Queen's platinum jubilee.

The grant will go towards funding the history display and art exhibition, scarecrow festival, and children’s street party.

The festivities will be opened by Maldon MP John Whittingdale, who will begin the festivities by opening the history display and art exhibition on Thursday June 2, at 1pm, which will stay open throughout the extended weekend.

The art exhibition is a display of artwork, including paint, glass, and paper, created by local people.

Part of the grant will also pay for specially commissioned works to be made by a painter, a potter and a pair of flower arrangers on the theme of 'Jubilation'

Following this, on the evening of June 2, there will be ‘Bradwell in Old Photographs’ - a talk given by local historian Kevin Bruce, at 7.30pm, with doors open at 7pm.

On Friday, June 3, there will be a Bradwell Jubilee Concert, held in St Thomas's Church at 7pm, including classics such as Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory.

Next up is the scarecrow festival which is a long-standing tradition for the community, and St Cedd's School PTA will be running the scarecrow competition for the first time.

There will be rosettes for the best, which in the past have been for the most humorous or inventive.

Finally, there will be the children's street party, which will see children dressing up in formal attire and wearing their homemade crowns to enjoy sandwiches, cakes and cold drinks.

Another of their contributions to the platinum jubilee celebrations are portraits of the Queen, which will be on display in the church of St Thomas throughout the bank holiday.