Causeway Coast and Glens Council to fund Christmas celebrations around Borough

At a meeting of the council’s Leisure and Development Committee on Tuesday, October 17, councillors approved grant awards for the Christmas Festive Fund 2023-24.

This was proposed by Limavady SDLP Councillor Ashleen Schenning and seconded by Causeway Alliance Alderman Richard Stewart.

Successful bids include Portstewart’s Festival of Light (£2500), a Christmas parade and light switch on in Bushmills (£2420) and Castlerock’s “Magical Christmas” (£2320).

A total of 35 applications were received. Three applications were deemed ineligible and a further two were unsuccessful. The grants awarded total £40,105.

A report submitted to the committee explains that the council launched the Christmas Festive Fund in 2015 “to offer assistance to community and voluntary organisations from the smaller towns, villages and hamlets in the borough to help celebrate Christmas”.

It continues: “This fund is specifically designed to mark the lighting of the Christmas tree and help facilitate outdoor festive celebrations within the borough.”

In June 2023 the Leisure and Development Committee agreed to alter the parameters of the fund and changed grant awards from £250 per application to offering two different levels of aid.

Fund A is for settlements with a population of 1,000 and above, which can apply for up to £2,500, and Fund B is for settlements with a population between 100 -1,000, which can apply for up to £750.

For both funds, priority is given to projects that promote wide community involvement for outdoor events. Projects and events must take place in the local community between November 25 and December 16, 2023.