Express & Star

£24k community grants pot is raided for Black Country Festival

Up to £24,000 earmarked for small community groups across Dudley will instead go towards paying for the costs of this year's Black Country Festival.

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Organisations like scout groups, residents' associations and park friends' groups have access to more than £240,000 from Dudley Council. But now bosses have revealed they will take around £24,000 from the community grants for the festival.

They say the decision is justified as the cash will go to an event that brings in thousands of people and promotes the Black Country under an umbrella of arts, sports and live events each July.

Organising committee chairman, Steve Edwards, said: "It is fantastic that we have been supported and helped by the the council to stage the festival.

"We want it to be sustainable on its own but at the moment we are just running it as volunteers."

Dudley Council leader, Councillor Pete Lowe, said: "Following the unprecedented and overwhelming success of last year's first ever Black Country Festival leaders of all political parties on the council have agreed unanimously that it is vitally important that we ensure this continues to be supported for years to come.

"The festival helped to bring communities together across the whole borough and provided a significant economic boost to our towns and to local charities and we're sure it will continue to do this in the future.

"We have made a commitment that £1,000 from each ward's community forum budget for this year is set aside to support the future growth of the festival for the benefit of all of our residents.

"This year's allocation will be held by the council and will help support costs for the festival over the coming years while the active community group continues to develop income streams to ensure the festival pays for itself in years to come."

Opposition Conservative group leader, Councillor Patrick Harley, added: "I think that there is more than enough money to go around."

But Friends of Homer Hill Park member Harry Bloomer, which has applied for community grants before, said: "It would be a shame if smaller groups lost out because money was given to just one event. It should have been discussed at the community forums."

Political party group leaders are expected to ratify the deal next Thursday.

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