Love Your Town: Words on the Way - The Great North East Lincs Poetry Trail celebrating love for our towns, ourselves, and each other

We are excited to announce the launch of Love Your Town: Words on the Way, an inspiring new poetry trail that will take you on a journey through the heart of North East Lincolnshire, in partnership with Grimsby based organisation REDSAIL as part of the Love Your Town events.

The trail, which will span the towns centres of Grimsby, Cleethorpes, and Immingham, is a unique celebration of love—love for our communities, love for ourselves, and love for each other. Each town will have its own unique trail.

The trail will officially open on Saturday 8th February 2025 through to Saturday 22nd February offering a series of poems displayed in retailers across the three towns. Participants will search for the poems and find a clue within the writing. Once all clues have been found, participants can submit their answers online to be entered into a prize draw. The project invites local residents and visitors alike to experience poetry in unexpected spaces, sparking reflection and fostering connections with the places we call home.

Love Your Town: Words on the Way is currently seeking poetry submissions from poets of all levels and ages. The trail will showcase the work of local people and others connected to our towns, with the potential opportunity to have your writing exhibited after the event too. The poetry will explore the theme of love for our towns through a range of voices and perspectives. Whether through verses celebrating community spirit, local landmarks or tradition, or personal stories of growth and connection, the trail aims to promote a sense of pride and belonging. Are you interested in submitting a poem? Submission guidelines: Love Your Town - Words on the Way Submissions guidelines.pdf - Google Drive

“We are thrilled to bring this exciting project to life,” says Alex and Sam from REDSAIL. “We strongly believe that there is a poet in all of us, and it only takes a nudge to bring them out of our shell. There's no greater inspiration for words than the love for our local communities, and NE Lincolnshire has community pride in abundance. This project will offer a much-needed opportunity for people to pause, reflect, and celebrate the community bonds that unite us all.”

The trail is open to all ages and will be free to explore. To guide visitors along the trail, maps and details of the poem locations will be available online and on leaflets on the Love Your Town event days - Immingham (Sat 8th Feb), Grimsby (Sat 15th Feb) and Cleethorpes (Sat 22nd Feb).

Join us in February to experience the transformative power of poetry and celebrate the love that makes our towns thrive. Whether you're a lifelong resident or a first-time visitor, Love Your Town: Words on the Way offers a chance to reconnect with the places we live, the people we love, and ourselves.