Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director – Community Services.

The Assistant Director Community Services submitted a report (previously circulated) which provided an overview to Members of the Town Centre Events Programme. The report included a review of 2024 events which demonstrated the variety and quantity of animation delivered this year and the impacts events have on Darlington’s businesses and visitors.

The report explained that the programme aims to offer diverse, cultural and family friendly events. The Diwali event was programmed for the first time in November 2023 and had a fantastic response which thousands of visitors came and took part. It also included feedback from town centre businesses, the team developed town centre animation events which encouraged visitors to move around the Town Centre such as Dinosaur Day, Vintage Car Rally, Etc.

The report included how hard the team worked to attract sponsorship for the event programme 2023/24 which totalled too £40,160 so far, sponsors have included Cummins, HC One, Hays Travel, Darlington College, Etc. The budget was £196,000 which included the events direct costs, infrastructure and staffing.

The report also set out the proposed events in Darlington for 2025, as next year celebrates the 200^th anniversary of the first journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR200) there will be a 9-month international festival taking places across County Durham and Tees Valley. The S&DR200 Festival will present a series of free large scale outdoor events and exhibitions.

Members wanted to establish whether it would be possible to host a niche event for villages surrounding Darlington, officers advised with the upcoming events for S&DR200 Festival it could incorporate smaller villages.

Members were pleased with the report details and will be looking forward to the events to come. Discussion ensued around advertisement, whether events have been promoted through different digital platforms such as adverts during Spotify etc.

Discussion ensued around sponsorship of events, had it got harder to receive funding from sponsors and whether there is enough funding behind the events for 2025.

RESOLVED – Members noted the contents of the report.