Last night Council approved an increased budget of £360,000 for Tourism Events Fund for the year ahead. This will ensure the funding or the NW200, Supercup NI and the Ballymoney and County Londonderry Agricultural Shows alongside other community events.
Chair of the Leisure and Development Committee, Cllr Richard Holmes, said:
“Funding had appeared under threat but last night I proposed we set aside standing orders to allow council officers to reconsider the applications based on the previous criteria.
“This has ensured events such as County Londonderry Agricultural Show, Ballymoney Show, Heart of the Glens Festival and the Danny Boy Jazz and Blues Festival have secured funding for the year ahead and sit alongside the NW200 and Supercup NI.
“We also secured funding for the pipe band championships in Portrush. This is a popular and much loved event in the pipe band calendar and brings significant economic benefit to the area.
“It is clear that the fund needs to be adapted to suit the complex requirements of our great events programme where some are aimed at an international audience and some a much more localised niche audience. But they all form part of the rich tapestry that is tourism in Causeway Coast and Glens.”
