https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/sinn-fein-fails-in-attempt-to-block-extra-funds-for-ve-day-celebrations/a1914121333.html

Sinn Fein has opposed a boost to community grants aimed at helping people celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Despite the opposition, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s community committee approved a £14,525 increase to the ‘street party’ budget – it is now just under £60k.

The local authority’s funding pot had been oversubscribed with a majority of councillors now backing a move to give almost all 86 applicants a £700 grant. The fund is for groups wanting to mark the anniversary of Germany’s surrender on May 8, 1945, which ended the war in Europe.

A council officer said: “The council agreed to develop and implement, as part of its overall VE Day 80 programme, a small grant fund to allow local groups to apply for financial assistance to undertake community initiatives.

“This grant has an upper threshold of £700 with an overall budget of £45k.

“All applicants were deemed successful with a total of £59,525 applied for.

“The overspend of £14,525 can be earmarked from in-year underspend in the leisure and community wellbeing department budget.”

The committee had previously heard the VE (Victory in Europe) Day funding pot would be shared between an estimated 64 groups.

Previous council budgets for major community events saw £35,000 grants for local groups, with each gaining a maximum of £500 for D-Day commemorations as well as a £46,000 fund for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and £52,495 for the King’s Coronation.

Sinn Fein representative Gary McCleave said: “We can’t support this increase and we have already raised concerns on the amount of money being spent by the council on this.”

Due to the division in chambers, the matter of increasing the VE Day community budget was taken to a recorded vote.

Some councillors from the 16 member committee had declared an interest as they were members of the Royal British Legion, and were then required to leave the discussion and vote.

Both Sinn Fein members – Mr McCleave and Daniel Bassett – voted against with SDLP representative John Gallen abstaining.

However, the vote was carried with a total of six in favour.

by WrongdoerGold1683

10 comments

  5. What exactly is a VE Day “street party”? What does it entail?

  6. I have no problem marking VE Day and remembering the many Irish that fought in WWII, but I think it’s obvious Lisburn/Castlereagh council just wanted an excuse to gather some money for a little sectarian territorial pissing.

    Better things to spend taxpayer money on given the current state of public finance.

  7. There’s no money to pay teachers or nurses but they can find 60 grand for this?

  9. That bunch of toe-rags on ABC Council pulled the same shite last week. No money for basic repairs but plenty of money for loyalist flag-shagging.

  10. >“The overspend of £14,525 can be earmarked from in-year underspend in the leisure and community wellbeing department budget.”

    This reads like they’re taking 14K from the leisure and community wellbeing spending in 2025, or am I missing something?

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