Royal wedding grants for community groups

Larne Borough Council is considering providing small grants, allowing groups to organise events such as street parties to commemorate the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton on Friday, April 29. The date has been allocated as a public holiday across the UK.

Options were discussed at a recent council meeting at which members also considered an alternative suggestion of hosting a garden party in the walled garden at Carnfunnock Country Park.

The event would have cost £20 per person and possibly would have featured a polo game. It was estimated that the party would have cost about £5,500, and generated an income of about £2,000.

However, councillor Gregg McKeen told the Larne Times that the proposed garden party had been dismissed as “too elitist”, with members unanimously opting for the small-grants programme instead.

He added: “It was felt that the event at Carnfunnock would exclude a lot of people, especially at £20 per ticket. Allowing groups across the borough to apply for small grants is a much better idea, as it means that a wider cross-section of the community can celebrate the Royal wedding and organise their own events.”

Cllr McKeen said that no specifics had yet been agreed, such as how much funding would be available or how the various groups would be selected. However, he envisioned that there could be between £7,000 to £10,000 set aside for the scheme, with each group receiving between £300 to £500.

“It was proposed that council officers look into how it should be put together, then bring a report back to us as a matter of urgency,” he added.