U-TURN ON CONCERTS FUNDING
£1,000 a year had been withdrawn leaving group unable to put on musical events
CONCERTS in Leek’s main park could be back on after Staffordshire Moorlands District Council performed a u-turn on its decision to withdraw funding.
Two weeks ago, the Post & Times reported that The Friends of Brough Park had been forced to cancel any further band concerts in the town due to the district council stopping their annual funding grant of £1,000.
After contacting the council at the time to ask why funding had been stopped, the Post & Times has now received a reply from the authority.
Councillor Mark Deaville, deputy leader and cabinet member for leisure and sports, said: “The council historically provided a grant of £1,000 per year to the Brough Park Friends group to enable them to arrange concerts in Brough Park.
“Previous discussions with the Friends group led us to believe that this funding was no longer required.
“We can confirm that we are happy to continue to provide support in this way, should the Friends decide that they wish to continue to run these events.
“We believe they are currently reviewing that.”
Chairman of The Friends of Brough Park, Sue Coleman said: “The funding contribution for Friends of Brough Park to organise summer concerts, on behalf of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, was brought to a full stop because of the covid pandemic.
“We hope to be able to arrange concerts again, pandemic and funding permitting.”
Speaking to the Post & Times, Margaret Lovatt, founding member of Friends of Brough Park, said: “It has been a difficult 18 months for everyone, and we have been so disappointed that we have been unable to organise our usual summer programme of band concerts on the park during last summer and the present one.
“In the past we received grants from Leek Town Council and Leek Town Lands Trust but that would not be enough to pay for a viable programme of concerts.”