COUNCIL chiefs have added a further £20,000 to the pot to help the Faithful City celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
City councillors have backed the investment of £30,000 in events across the city to mark the historic moment – including funding street parties and other community activities.
In June this year the nation will celebrate The Queen’s 70th year on the throne, with the centrepiece of events being an extended bank holiday week from June 2 to 5.
The City Council had already approved a £10,000 budget to support celebrations in Worcester, and the Place and Economic Development Committee has now backed the spending of an extra £20,000, with a significant part it earmarked to support the organisers of community events.
Committee chair Coun Lucy Hodgson said: “No monarch has ever served our nation for 70 years before and I know that people across Worcester will want to mark this historic moment in their own way.
“I am delighted the committee has backed this extra funding, which aims to provide grants to help people organise street parties, set up their own Big Jubilee Lunch and organise other community events to mark Her Majesty’s anniversary.
“We also plan to fund street decorations to put the city in the mood for the national celebrations over the extended June bank holiday weekend.”
The additional funding now needs to be endorsed by the Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting next week.
Details of how residents can apply for a grant are expected to be announced in the near future.
The funding is intended to support participation in the Big Jubilee Lunch where the City Council will encourage communities to come together over the Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate their connections and get to know each other better
Street parties during the Jubilee period and community groups organising events and activities relating to the Jubilee will also be eligible for funding.
There will also be investment in decorations and other activities in Worcester’s streets, and events and exhibitions in the city’s museums.
This is in addition to a programme of events already announced for the city, including a beacon-lighting event at Fort Royal Park, the planting of hundreds of trees under the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative in which Worcester is a Champion City, a programme of window displays and offers by city businesses, and activities highlighting the Faithful City’s many royal links.
