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The district fast becoming a multi-cultural home

Simon Dedman
BBC political reporter, Essex
Reporting fromThurrock
BBC A composite photo of three people. From the left is a Romanian man in his mid 20s; in the middle is a Nigerian man in his early forties; and on the right is a British-Nigerian woman in her twenties. All are smiling looking straight at the camera.BBC
Marin Gobjila, Adekunle Omirin and Rachael Onafuye have all put down roots in Thurrock

Thurrock is home to more people born outside of the UK than any other district in Essex. A total 21% of its 176,000 residents were born abroad, compared with the 12% recorded 14 years ago. With its mix of urban sprawl and marshland countryside on the banks of the Thames, what attracted people here and how has it changed?

Getty Images A man in a coat and with white hair walks past an eastern European grocery store in Grays, Essex, on January 18, 2023. There is fruit on display outside the shop, which is called "europa".Getty Images
A European supermarket, Romanian cake shop and Romanian accountancy firm can be found on Grays High Street

Half of the people born outside of the UK in Thurrock are European, according to the 2021 Census.

Over the last decade, the number of Romanians in the district has gone from about 300 to 5,200.

Walking down Grays High Street, there is now a Romanian supermarket, cake shop and an accountancy company catering for the community.

This is the firm that Marin Gobjila opened a year ago.

"I believe here you can find cheaper rents and places to work that brought our community closer to areas like Grays," says Mr Gobjila, who moved to Essex four years ago.

"It's cheaper than London.

"Amazon is the main thing [Romanian] people go to [for work]."

Family feel

Silvian Marin, who is in his early forties, looking straight at the camera smiling, appearing with short shaven hair and wearing a black hoodie. A car park is behind him.
Silvian Marin says Romanians moved to Thurrock to raise their families as it is cheaper and quieter than London but close to the capital for work

Romanian Silvian Marin came to work in the UK in 2012. He and his wife later moved from London to South Ockendon.

He now runs his own travel and transportation company.

The 42-year-old says Romanians typically moved to Thurrock to raise their families, and had "integrated in the community".

"When I decided to purchase a house, we decided to look for somewhere very quiet and where we can send the kids to the park by themselves. It takes me 25 minutes to get to central London. I think most Romanians had the same idea."

Alongside the Romanian businesses are several hairdressers and barbers aimed at African communities, Asian food stores and Turkish restaurants.

Bubble tea and bao buns are available, but you can still get the ubiquitous Essex pie and mash.

'Really changed'

Gillian Rainbow wearing a navy blue leopard print top and wearing a green apron. She has curly blonde hair and is wearing sunglasses. She is standing outside in front of a cafe.
Gillian Rainbow was born and raised in Thurrock, and says a lot of older people have moved away

Gillian Rainbow was born and grew up in Thurrock and says the area has "really changed" in the last 15 years - and, in her view, not for the better.

"There's not as many locals as there used to be. Things have really changed," explains the 62-year-old, who volunteers at the Grays Town Park Cafe.

"It's not as vibrant, it's not as homely. It's just got so many different things.

"If you walk into Grays, it's mainly chicken shops, takeaways and charity shops.

"Whereas before there were clothes shops, ironmongers - you could get everything you wanted. Now you can't."

On the growth of new communities in the area, Ms Rainbow says: "It's not bad, it's OK.

"A lot of the older people that were Thurrock-based have moved out and have gone more rural.

"They wanted to go more quieter because it is a busy place."

'Fabulous place'

Getty Images Women walk down the high street in Grays on January 18, 2023. They are wearing black coats and one is holding a walking stick.Getty Images
There are hopes to make better connections between Grays High Street and the railway line down to the River Thames

Austin Bedeau describes Grays as "a fantastic area".

He has seen Thurrock change since he moved here from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire a decade ago.

"It's really developed, it's more multi-cultural," he says. "We've got people from all cultures walking around enjoying and embracing the culture that's around us.

"It's a fabulous place to live."

'Strong community'

Ruth Onafuye is looking straight at the camera and smiling. She is wearing a blue cardigan and is sat in an office.
Ruth Onafuye's Nigerian-born parents moved to Tilbury 30 years ago - one of the first Nigerian families to come to Thurrock

After England, Nigeria is the country where most people living in Thurrock were born - representing 3% of its population.

The total number of Nigerians has increased by 62% between 2011 and 2021 - up to 5,500 in the district.

Ruth Onafuye's family moved to Tilbury from London in the 1990s.

Growing up, she says they were the only Nigerians living on their street for five or six years.

"All of a sudden, Nigerian families started flocking in."

Ms Onafuye - who is laughing over biscuits with her sister Rachael in the Thameside Complex - recalls: "Our dad likes to think he was a trend setter

"He is always like 'ah they came because we came!'."

The pair are both teachers and run their own education business.

PA Media Women in colourful dresses dance at a reception following the arrival of a Thames Clipper at the Port Of Tilbury with 100 NHS workers and 100 people with Windrush connections to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush. Picture date: Thursday June 22, 2023.PA Media
The Empire Windrush brought hundreds of Caribbean migrants to the Port of Tilbury in 1948, and the 75th anniversary was celebrated at the port in June 2023

For Nigerian-born Adekunle Omirin, the large African community already in Essex was the main pull factor for his partner and two daughters, who are from Hendon in north-west London.

"Family, community, was very key. The Nigerian community is very, very strong round here.

"I wanted an enabling environment where my kids can play in the park because compared to what you have in north London, with all the police vans, it is a very busy place."

The 42-year-old says food was a big factor too: "For someone like me I still love to eat our African dish - I would not live somewhere where I could not easily get it!"

Racheal Onafuye, 26, agrees: "When we were quite young we were still going to Upton Park to do our hair for so many years.

"But for 10 years - we found our Essex hairdresser who is down the road and she moved from London."

Elsewhere in Essex

Harlow has the second highest proportion of people born outside of the UK in Essex. Most are European with about 2,100 people born in Romania and 1,800 born in Poland.

On the other hand, 94.7% of residents in Rochford were born in England.

It is in stark contrast to London, where 41% are born abroad.

Essex district % population born outside of the UK in 2021

  • Thurrock 21%
  • Harlow 18.3%
  • Colchester 14.5%
  • Epping Forest 13.9%
  • Southend-On-Sea 12.5%
  • Chelmsford 11.9%
  • Basildon 11.8%
  • Brentwood 11.2%
  • Uttlesford 8.7%
  • Braintree 7.2%
  • Tendring 5%
  • Castle Point 4.8%
  • Maldon 4.5%
  • Rochford 4%

Source: Census 2021

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