THE DEADLINE for applications to a new £50,000 fund to support Christmas activities and events in communities has been extended.
Dundee City Council has added four weeks to the timetable allowing more community groups and cultural organisations to apply for the financial backing.
John Alexander leader of Dundee City Council said: “We have been pleased with the number of applications that we have received so far, but it would be great if more came forward to give us a real challenge deciding how best to use the fund.
“We realise that Covid-19 continues to present challenges that communities want to work through. This extension will allow additional time for them to plan for every eventuality.
“Creating a pot of money that will go directly to communities to help them stage Christmas events is something that is widely welcomed, and we’ve already had a good response.
“But we want as many communities as possible to tap into the funding so that we can help give people what they need to be able to deliver a Christmas programme while at the same time improving the city centre offering.”
Grants of between £500 and £8000 are on offer with applicants expected to meet at least one third of the cost of the event in cash through other grants and /or entry fees.
Activities should take place sometime between Friday November 13 and Monday January 4, 2021.
An application form can be found at https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/dundee-partnership/dundee-partnership-funding which should be completed and returned by Friday October 30.
All applications already made will be assessed by officers from Dundee City Council and a community representative using the original timetable, so that decisions can be made and plans put in place.
Anyone who needs support making the applications should contact paul.davies@dundeecity.gov.uk in the first instance.
The fund’s launch follows a wide-ranging review of Christmas provision across the city which will also see improvements to the city centre festive decorations and lights.
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
