GRAVESEND welcomed a 30-foot boat built of wooden donations to the town centre this morning (July 18).


Last year, Arts Council England pioneered The Boat Project, asking for donations of unwanted wooden items that could be used to build the giant ship.


Among items donated from Gravesend were a Cinderella coach used in the 2010 pantomime at the Woodville and a toy from the Punjab, donated by Councillor Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi.


The boat, which is laminated to show the 1,200 donated objects from across south east England, is on display in the Community Square all day today (July 18).


Regional Director at Arts Council England Sally Abbott said: “The sense of pride and ownership from communities that emerged since we first announced the project has been truly amazing.”


Each donated item was carefully photographed and recorded, and a book showing exactly where they came from and where they are on the boat is also available for the public to read.