Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The Pride of Place competition has been supported by Belfast City Council for a number of years.  Officers in Health and Environmental Services have taken the organisational lead, with support from Community Services staff in the selection and preparation of entrant groups.  Given the focus of the competition and the cessation of the Brighter Belfast funding stream, it is now proposed to transfer the overall responsibility for both organising and selecting the groups for the competition to Community Services.

      Established in 2003 and hosted by Co-operation Ireland, Pride of Place is an all-Ireland competition which aims to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that community groups make to society. The competition focus is on people coming together to shape, change and enjoy all that is good about their area. It gives community groups the opportunity to showcase specific pride initiatives, whether social, environmental or heritage-related, which will have long lasting and positive impacts on their society.

Key Issues

      Each year, several categories are defined and entries invited and all entrants must be nominated by their local authority.  In previous years entrants nominated and sponsored by BelfastCity Council have enjoyed considerable success.  Winners are announced at a high-profile awards ceremony, hosted by a previous winning council each autumn.  The 2009 awards ceremony will be held in Newcastle, County Down on the 21st?22nd November.

      The 2009 Pride of Place Cities Competition allows a maximum of 5 entries per Council, subject to defined categories and rules.  Community Services Section have identified four suitable groups:

North Belfast Whispers, Wandsworth Community Association and Star Neighbourhood in the Geographical category and Failte Feirste Tuiar in the Enterprise category.

Resource Implications

      Financial

      The cost per entrant is £500, with a maximum of five entrants per Council (one per category) and four suitable entrants have been identified for Belfast.  Should the Members agree to enter the 2009 competition, it is proposed that the Council pay the entry fees and travel and accommodation expenses relating to the attendance of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman, the Director of Development (or their nominees) together with a maximum of three persons per external project (depending on the number of tickets allocated by Co-operation Ireland), at the awards ceremony.  The total cost is estimated at £5,000 including subsistence, travel and accommodation for one night, this would be funded from existing budgets.

Recommendations

      The Committee is requested to:

1.   Approve the transfer of responsibility for the Pride of Palace competition from Health and Environmental Services to Community Services.

2.   Approve the entry of the following groups in the Pride of Place Cities competition 2009:

a.   North Belfast Whispers;

b.   Wandsworth Community Association;

c.   Star Neighbourhood; and

d.   Failte Feirste Tuiar.

3.   Approve the attendance of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman and the Director of Development (or their nominees) together with a maximum of three persons per external project (with a maximum of twelve in total) at the Pride of Place 2009 awards ceremony and approve the payment of the entrants’ fees, travelling, attendance and subsistence allowances in connection therewith.

Decision Tracking

      N/A”

            The Committee adopted the foregoing recommendations.