COUNCIL bosses have urged organisations in Worcester to put their money on the table as they look to get their bid to become City of Culture 2021 up and running.
A workshop will be held at Worcester Racecourse on February 12 which will give organisations, business owners and groups the chance to discuss the bid.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting last week, Coun Simon Geraghty, leader of Worcester City Council, said the event would also provide an opportunity to brainstorm ideas without “politics” being involved.
However, Coun Adrian Gregson, labour leader, said Duncan Sharkey, managing director for the council, who is set to attend the workshop, would need to show some “political backbone”.
“I think you are perhaps anxious not to put any kind of political spin on it,” he said.
“But it is going to be absolutely incumbent on the number of partners to say ‘yes we will support this and we will put some money towards this.
“For Duncan to stand up and say the city council will do something, it will need some leadership, vision and political backbone to be able to say that the money is there, so I would hope that we can demonstrate that.”
Coun Geraghty said there would be an “empowered cabinet presence” at the meeting, but he insisted they would not be going there with a “blank cheque”.
And Mr Sharkey said it was an opportunity for other organisations to demonstrate what they would be willing to put towards the bid.
“What we need to get on the day is an understanding from all the partners about they are prepared to put on the table,” he added.
“The costs of pulling together a bid aren’t insubstantial, but yet they do require commitment. It is not the bid that is the issue it is the programme the bid contains and there is no way one organisation can deliver that.”
The workshop is being jointly organised by the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, Worcestershire County Council and Worcester City Council.
Anyone interested in attending the event, which will take place from 9am until 1pm should e-mail [email protected] before 29 January to book a place as spaces are limited.
All of the feedback received will be considered before the organisations which attend collectively decide what the next step should be.
