Festival funding being ‘buried’

Festival funding being ‘buried’

19 April 2017

PROPOSALS to give community groups more financial security when they organise festivals and events are being “buried” it has been claimed.

A local politician has accused Newry, Mourne and Down Council officials of refusing to deal with two proposals that would remove the “obstacles and bureaucratic delays” that surround funding for major community festivals.

Councillor Cadogan Enright wants the council to approve two proposals that he believes would make it much easier for every community organisation in the district to more easily access funding.

He has asked the council to:

1 Draw up four or five year agreements with community organisations that would guarantee them funding in advance for the organisation of major festivals and events. At present funding applications are dealt with on an annual basis and are often not approved until a few weeks before an event takes place.

2 Community groups often have to pay for events before they receive any of their grant from the council, putting pressure on these small organisations to find the money. Councillor Enright wants the council to pay for approved grant expenditure directly or to ask Down Rural Community Network to set up a floating fund to help voluntary organisations reduce financial pressures.

However, councillor Enright said five months after he first made these proposals they have still not been discussed and he claimed they are being continually ignored. He tried to raise them again at a meeting of the full council two weeks ago but they were referred back to committees without any discussion.

“These proposals clearly affect how every community association works in the district and should be a priority for resolution rather than being buried by management and the larger parties,” he said.

On the proposal for long term funding for festivals Mr Enright said community groups in tourism areas, such as east Down, need to plan ahead to be able to publish a schedule of events and be able to book events, venues and shows.

However, he said under the current system council funding has to be sought annually and is often approved just weeks before events take place.

He said this occurred with the Carol Ships Festival in Strangford Lough at Christmas and with several summer festivals last year and caused real problems.

The councillor said funding for small community events is handled by the council’s Active and Healthy Communities Department while funding for major tourism events is handled by the Enterprise, Regeneration and Tourism Department and he claimed two departments do not have any co-ordination in the planning and funding of events.

“It clearly makes more sense for community groups to be guaranteed funding over a longer period of time that would allow a 14-month rolling calendar of events to be created for each village and maintained across both departments,” said Mr Enright.

He said this would also villages and towns to better co-ordinate festivals to ensure there is no event clashing and to allow better sharing of resources.

Councillor Enright said the problems facing community groups are exacerbated because even when they are successful with a grant application they have to spend the money first before reclaiming the cash from the council.

“Residents associations simply don’t have £3,000 or £5,000 in their bank accounts and this leaves volunteer committee members having to lend their association money,” he said.

“If the council was to pay for approved grant expenditure directly or ask Down Rural Community Network to manage a floating fund this would reduce the financial pressure of running community events,” he said.

“Community groups across Lecale, and indeed across the council area, need to be supported in practical ways, not surrounded with obstacles or bureaucratic delays,” he added.

Councillor Enright’s proposals will now be discussed but the Active and Healthy Communities and Enterprise Regeneration and Tourism committees. 

Because of the Easter break no-one from the council was available for comment.