Argyll events face funding delay

Councillors have agreed to delay the release of funding to support 10 events across Argyll and Bute which it had been hoped would take place this year.

Every spring, decisions are made on how to distribute the council’s strategic events and festivals fund (SEF) with this year’s pot totalling £90,000. However, councillors have agreed that funding decisions will be delayed until May as the events calendar in Argyll and Bute has been practically wiped out. In 2020, eight out of nine events to receive funding were cancelled. The other, the Tiree Wave Classic (TWC) surfing competition, was originally rescheduled to March 2021 but was put back to mid-October just last week.

The council’s policy and resources committee decided at its virtual meeting on Thursday February 18 to delay the latest round of funding. Organisers of 10 events were waiting to hear the fate of their applications which opened last year on October 22 and closed on December 7.

Executive director Kirsty Flanagan said at the time Scotland was not facing a national lockdown.

‘However, this position has changed very quickly and we are now facing a much more serious position than in March of last year,’ she said.

‘Given the uncertainty and unpredictability it would seem pragmatic to delay and review the position over the next two to three months rather than agree to award grants for strategic events and festivals that will not be able to go ahead.

‘This will allow the council and event organisations to hopefully be clearer as to the feasibility and viability of these events taking place.’

Ms Flanagan concluded: ‘The loss of any event from the local economy will be significant and, as such, in an effort to support the economic recovery it is important funding is available to support strategic events when they are in a position to go ahead.’