Sophie Skyring

The Eastern Daily Press publishes 37 recent death notices and funeral announcements from Norfolk, recording the deaths of local residents and providing brief tributes, family details and funeral information. Readers are directed to the full online notices to leave messages of condolence or access additional announcements.

St Peter and St Paul Church in Swaffham will host the Ralph Allwood Singers on August 28 as part of the Convivium Concerts series, featuring young singers from several leading musical institutions and works by composers including Stanford, Harris, Howells, Vaughan Williams and Bruckner. Tickets cost £15 at the door or £12.50 in advance, with proceeds supporting the church. The wider programme includes a flower festival, a Songs of Praise service and an organ recital by Paris-based concert organist Gabriel de Laharpe, with collections supporting restoration of the church’s historic organ.

The Jolly Sailors pub in Brancaster Staithe has been shortlisted as one of six finalists in the Best Pub for Families category at the 2026 Great British Pub Awards. General manager Simon Parkin said the recognition rewarded the team's efforts to create a welcoming and enjoyable environment. The winner will be announced in Leeds on September 23.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn has announced three finalists for its 2026 John Voaden Volunteer of the Year Award: infant-feeding volunteer Elizabeth Judge, cardio-respiratory volunteers Faith Hawksworth and Olivia Moore, and chaplaincy volunteer Sister Jane Russell. The public will choose the winner, with voting closing at midnight on August 21. More than 189 volunteers support the hospital daily, and the awards ceremony is scheduled for October 6 at King’s Lynn Corn Exchange.

Tony Pointer has marked 50 years of service at Holt Fire Station, where he began as a 19-year-old and served 31 years as watch manager. Estimated to have attended more than 7,000 incidents, Pointer was honoured at a special station event attended by senior Norfolk fire officials and councillor Pat Gould. His father Herbert served at the station for 29 years, and his son Ricky joined the crew in 2002. Although Pointer retired from Highways England, he has no plans to stop firefighting or serving the community.

A conservation project at The Willows in Downham Market is using handheld scythes and traditional grassland management to restore biodiversity. The method removes cuttings rather than allowing them to enrich the soil, reducing fertility and creating better conditions for wildflowers and diverse plant species. West Norfolk Council is working with Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the Downham Wildlife Group, with the project expected to support pollinators, increase plant diversity and involve the local community in environmental stewardship.

Amanda Thomas, a former finance consultant who runs Eye Gardens near Diss, won the People’s Choice Award and a Silver Gilt medal at the first RHS Sandringham Flower Show for her Butterfly Sanctuary Garden. Created with Butterfly Conservation, the garden featured nectar-rich plants, native hedging, a wildlife pond and a garden room, while promoting pollinator-friendly gardening and the Big Butterfly Count. Thousands of visitors attended, and Thomas’s 15 years of work on pollinators and climate change informed the project.

Hester Grainger will perform her one-woman show ADHD Unfiltered at the Corn Hall in Diss on Thursday, September 24. The interactive event explores late diagnosis, masking and everyday experiences of ADHD, combining discussion, humor and emotional reflections, followed by a question-and-answer session. Grainger, diagnosed in her forties, has coached hundreds of people and co-founded the neurodiversity consultancy Perfectly Autistic.

The 2026 Fakenham Arts Festival opened on August 1 and will run through August 28, presenting work by more than 45 artists across about 60 town-centre venues. Organized by Active Fakenham, the free arts trail includes displays in shops, businesses and community spaces, along with a children’s trail, artist meet-and-greet market stalls, workshops, films and refreshments. Organizers highlighted a new passageway display near Fakenham Parish Church and said it could become a year-round exhibition space if successful.