Greenwich is set to be taken over by a cultural explosion of events during August and September, launched to kick-start the borough's economy, thank all the key workers and to allow people to celebrate after months of lockdown.

A summer series of leisure, learning and culture events are coming to south east London during the next two months in the form of a new festival called 'Royal Greenwich -It's Time'.

The event is a result of Greenwich Council joining forces with Visit Greenwich and South East London Chamber of Commerce, who all say they want to "bring our communities together again" after five months of isolation.

From Thamesmead and Abbey Wood, to Eltham and Greenwich Town Centre, the festival will feature special activities, events and offers for locals "to enjoy in a safe and socially distanced way."

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"We want to remind residents that they live in a wonderful place, one that millions of people travel to from all over the world," said Barrie Kelly, CEO of Visit Greenwich.

"This is an opportunity to restart our visitor economy with our local audiences knowing they will be more confident to visit places on their doorstep."

The celebration will run from August 1 until September 30, open to everyone who lives, works or studies in the borough. More information will be released at the end of the month.

It has been timed to complement a number of upcoming events in the borough, including Greenwich Comedy Festival, Open House London, Totally Thames and the Greenwich & Docklands International Festival which is going ahead, albeit it in a reduced format.

Danny Thorpe, the leader of Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “Covid-19 has affected our borough in ways we could never have imagined, and we know it’s been a tough time for many residents and businesses.

"Royal Greenwich – It’s Time is a way to celebrate our residents for staying at home to stop the spread of the virus and thank all the key workers who have kept the borough going.

He added: "It’s also a way for us to kick-start our borough’s economy again, inspiring confidence among our residents to get back on the high streets and explore local attractions on their doorstep.

“With a whole range of events and activities planned, the festival promises to be a cultural extravaganza that unites residents from across the borough and supports our businesses to speed up the recovery of our local economy.”

The council said coronavirus has had an "immense detrimental impact" on tourism globally, and after a record years in terms of value and tourist numbers in 2019, the local visitor economy is now in freefall.

From 1 August, residents will be able to find out about events, activities and offers that are part of Royal Greenwich – It’s Time on the Visit Greenwich website.