Sponsors are key to bringing back Party in Park

Party on or party off – the debate goes on at any rate!

After last week’s blog, we have received two follow up e-mails – the first from the man who would be Boston’s elected Mayor, Councillor Elliott Fountain, and the second from a former employee of Boston Borough Council.

Councillor Fountain tells us that he and his party colleague (political, not in the park) Councillor David Owens, now have all the information they need, and have met with two “high ranking” officers to discuss bringing the party (in the park, not political) back.
“We are now just awaiting some information from people who provided services to past events to get a cost breakdown and quotes for future events,” he writes.
“The talk so far is that these service providers will provide their equipment at a reduced rate if they are classed as sponsors, and in some cases there will be no fees. I have been in touch with Boston BID, and they are putting this to their committee because they are keen to get involved and back this event.
“I have been in touch with a number of large sponsors to receive funding (in the past there were big sponsors, but in recent years these have not been forthcoming).
“My personal opinion at this time is - even if Boston Borough Council wanted this event to take place - they are going to be reluctant to put in any funds into it at present.
“The alternative is for it to be run privately with the backing and support of the council, and this is the route we are looking at.
“We believe it should be a two day event held on Saturday and Sunday and not be run on the Friday - when the attendance is lower but still needs the same amount of costing regarding staff, etc.
“There are many things we need to look, at but I think hopefully and collectively all of us can pull together to put on this great party for all the people in Boston and the Lincolnshire area.
“The Party in the Park is the only annual event in the Boston area that brings everyone together, young and old, and gives everyone a chance to see old friends and have fun. There are many cohesion and community funds in the Boston Council and I believe there is no better community event than this to bring all the communities of Boston together as one.
“This event is truly for everyone and our utmost efforts should be taken to stage it annually and give something back to the people, who deserve some happiness in these gloomy economic times.
“The English Democrats are pleased that so many people are now raising this issue and trying to help, as we prioritized this in our manifesto.”
Meanwhile another reader, who has requested anonymity, writes to say: “I had a senior role in the management and safety of the event during the early years of its existence.
“I can categorically state that stewards did have the relevant training, but as in all walks of life, there were some individuals who were unable to apply the theoretical instruction to the role on the day when some members of the public were intent on in engaging in anti-social behaviour.
“I can’t recall too many ‘accidents’ occurring or problems arising where the council were held to be liable. There was a de-brief exercise afterwards each year when particular incidents/issues, which were logged, were discussed at length to improve the event the next time around and make it safer.
“In the latter years of the event, when I was no longer involved, it is true to say that staff became entitled to be paid their usual rate of pay rather than the flat rate previously enjoyed.
“I could never understand the logic behind this, and it inevitably increased the costs of the event.
“A far more significant increase in the costs, however, was the introduction of charges by Lincolnshire Police for providing resources, a greater insistence on Health and Safety support/supervision and the award of contracts to suppliers/contractors outside of the local area (in line with the Council’s tendering procedure) or to those who no longer had best interests of the event at heart.
“In my view the major factor leading to the ever-increasing costs was the lack of the support of sponsors. If greater effort, time and expertise had been spent on marketing and publicity we would probably now be looking forward to another ‘Party’.”
By the sound of things, we may still will.
But we say again – in these tough economic times such an event must be privately funded as it is out of the question that taxpayers’ cash should be put towards such a project.
Time will tell.

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