Agenda item

To receive a verbal update from the Chair on the meeting held on 4 March 2021 and consider a request to support Witney Carnival, subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

It should be noted that the Council has set aside £1,000 in its 2021/22 budget to assist the Carnival Committee with the cost of portable toilets on the Leys Recreation Ground for this event.  The Committee will be requested to make a recommendation to the Policy, Governance & Finance Committee if additional funding is to be considered for this event.

The Committee received and considered a request from the Witney Carnival Committee for a grant of £4000 towards the 2021 event.

Members were supportive of the event and recognised that the community would be looking forward to such events this summer. There was, however, still uncertainty on the Covid-19 pandemic roadmap to normality. The Town Council had lost income in the last year and would not want to exacerbate that by pledging additional funding if the event may get cancelled.

It was possible individual elements of the Carnival could be funded or the Town Council could procure them directly but a budget would first need to be located and it was not possible to make a decision at this meeting without knowing where the funding could be budgeted from.

RESOLVED:

1.       That the grant request from the Witney Carnival Committee be noted; and,

2.       That Witney Town Council supports the Carnival and refers this request to the Policy, Governance & Finance Committee to see if a budget above the £1000 already committed can be found.