AROUND £1million is being handed out to 260 struggling businesses by BCP Council in a move that a nightclub operator says will be “make or break”. The latest round of Covid crisis grants is aimed at several sectors which have been pleading for extra help, including events, nightclubs, travel and the aerospace industry. BCP said Stream Two of its discretionary grant scheme had been developed to support “priority businesses that play a vital and interconnected role in the success of the local economy”. There is £370,000 for the events sector, £200,000 for nightclubs, £165,000 for travel, £153,000 for cultural services, £125,000 for international visitor services and £53,000 for aerospace.
MEMBERS of the beleaguered events industry are banding together in an effort to recover from their worst year ever. The South Coast Events Forum will speak up for a sector worth an estimated £84billion and 700,000 jobs nationally. It will bring together event organisers and suppliers in an effort to collaborate and emerge from the Covid crisis with a “more unified, collaborative and sustainable offer”. Its chair is Craig Mathie, managing director of the Bournemouth 7s sport and music festival. Mr Mathie said: “It is an absolute privilege to have been joined in this concept by so many excellent industry professionals.
MEMBERS of the beleaguered events industry are banding together in an effort to recover from their worst year ever. The South Coast Events Forum will speak up for a sector worth an estimated £84billion and 700,000 jobs nationally. It will bring together event organisers and suppliers in an effort to collaborate and emerge from the Covid crisis with a “more unified, collaborative and sustainable offer”. Its chair is Craig Mathie, managing director of the Bournemouth 7s sport and music festival. Mr Mathie said: “It is an absolute privilege to have been joined in this concept by so many excellent industry professionals.
THE owners of Bournemouth 7s Festival have personally spent more than £500,000 keeping the business afloat amid the “catastrophic” Covid crisis. The festival’s managing director made the revelation as he lobbied MPs to help the events industry, which is said to be worth more than £70billion a year and 700,000 jobs. Craig Mathie, who manages the festival owned by Roger and Fleur Woodall, has submitted evidence to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee. He said the impact of cancelling festivals this year had been “nothing short of catastrophic for the entire sector”. Bournemouth 7s was founded in 2008 and welcomes 400 sports teams and 30,000 festival goers over the spring bank holiday. It employs a full-time team of seven people and around 1,200 at the time of the event.