Contribution by Georgina Jones

Comment by: Georgina Jones

Focus area: Volunteer events

Regulator concerned: My comments are general and do not relate to a particular regulator or regulatory function

Comment:
We run an annual carnival in the village of Norden. The local authority, Rochdale Council, is always very helpful and generally forms are processed quickly and efficiently. The police also play a part in the event and assist with road closures on the day. Again, the support is wonderful and a good example of different organisations working together.

There are a number of forms and fees that need to be completed in order to put the event together and at the basic level, the costs are not prohibitive from our point of view, but then the event is well established having taken place for over 35 years. The same may not be true for people trying to establish new events. Also, last year, we looked into the possibility of widening the scope of the event by advertising the event through applying to advertise banners attached to street lighting. In the end we had to drop the idea as the cost would have been too much as we would have had to apply per lamp. If any improvements are to be put forward, my suggestion would be package event applications and for local Councils to be able to allow bulk/event applications in order to support events such as our own that aim to raise money to invest in local community groups. As you are looking to reduce spend via local government and ensure funds are given to local communities to invest how they see fit, anything that can help the facilitation of events such as ours will be appreciated.