At a Leisure and Community Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 18, members approved officers’ recommendation to grant a total of £42,362 in funding, from the 2024-2025 Christmas Festive Fund, to 30 community and voluntary organisations. The fund was launched by the council in 2015 to “offer assistance to community and voluntary organisations from the smaller towns, villages and hamlets in the borough to help celebrate Christmas”, an officers’ report said. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
The report added: “This fund is specifically designed to mark the lighting of the Christmas tree and help facilitate outdoor festive celebrations within the borough. “In June 2023 the council agreed to the new parameters of the fund; settlements with a population of 1,000 and above can apply for up to £2,500 towards costs, with priority given to projects that promote wide community involvement for outdoor events. “Additionally, settlements with a population between 100 and 1,000 can apply for up to £750 towards costs relating to festive entertainment.
“Projects and events should take place in the local community between November 30 and December 18, 2024, and activities must be cross community and open for all residents offering an opportunity for all within the locality to participate.” Advertisement Advertisement A total of 32 applications were r.