ADD2669 Lionesses FIFA Women’s World Cup Parade - Feasibility

1.1.    Working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the National Lottery and the English Football Association (The FA) (collectively, the Event Funders), and in consultation with London partners (Westminster City Council (WCC), City of London (CoL), the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), Transport for London (TfL) and The Royal Parks (TRP)), it was agreed that the Women’s World Cup final afforded the GLA the opportunity to draft and test a London parade for the first time since the 2012 Olympic Games. The Lionesses were progressing through the tournament and it became apparent it would be prudent to plan for a potential victory parade, should they progress to the final and win.
1.2.    Due to the short timescales of planning this event, the GLA entered into a contract with Heart Productions, the event production company, without competitive tender. Heart was tendered to complete a short piece of feasibility work to explore the possibility of a parade, confirm a preferred route, and start the initial planning including engaging key partners, drafting plans, and setting up governance. 
1.3.    Approval of the GLA expenditure proposed was not secured prior to the work beginning due to the short timeframe for the event to be agreed to and mobilised.     
Funding Proposal

1.4.    Heart Productions agreed to quickly produce and complete this feasibility study in a tight timeframe. The cost of this work totals £19,655. 
1.5.    The feasibility work for the event falls outside of the main project budget and is being funded from the Major Sports Events Programme Budget 2023-34. 
1.6.    The final financial breakdown is as below:
 

2.1.    The objectives of the expenditure were to support delivery of the FIFA Women’s World Cup victory parade and live event in London.
2.2.    GLA support for the event would: 
•    showcase London as strong advocate for women’s sport and host of women’s sports events 
•    support delivery of the GLA’s major sports events strategy, ‘London: Home of World Class Sport’
•    increase international exposure for London as a major destination for world-class sport and tourism
•    contribute to achieving the Mayor’s ‘Tourism Vision for London’
•    deliver across a range of the Mayor’s priorities including community participation and youth engagement.
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Mayor and the GLA are subject to the public sector equality duty and must have due regard to the need to: 
•    eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation
•    advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not 
•    foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. 
3.2.    The “protected characteristics” are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage/ civil partnership status. The duty involves having appropriate regard to these matters as they apply in the circumstances, including having regard to the need to: remove or minimise any disadvantage suffered by those who share or are connected to a protected characteristic; take steps to meet the different needs of such people; and encourage them to participate in public life or in any other activity where their participation is disproportionately low. This can involve treating people with a protected characteristic more favourably than those without one.
3.3.    In relation to the Lionesses potential victory parade and live event and feasibility work, the Major Sports Events team consulted a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that as many Londoners as possible, including those with protected characteristics, were considered in the planning of the event and have the opportunity to be involved in some way.
3.4.    We ensured that appropriate assistance is given to all Londoners and visitors at the event with whom we may have had difficulties communicating, and those with accessibility issues, were given the necessary tools for maximum engagement in the event. 
 

Risks

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities 
4.1.    GLA support for the event would:
•    support delivery of the GLA’s major sports events framework, ‘London: Home of World Class Sport’
•    increase economic investment into London
•    support delivery of the Mayor’s sports strategy, ‘Sport Unites’
•    increase international exposure for London as a major destination for world-class sport and tourism, particularly in Europe.
    Conflicts of interest
4.2.    There are no conflicts of interest to declare for those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.     
4.3.    London last hosted a victory parade in 2012 for GB Olympic Team and this was the first time a parade has been scoped v since that event. 

4.4.    GLA officers reviewed the costs of the feasibility work and are satisfied the event will not be able to proceed without GLA funding. 

4.5.    Section 2, above, demonstrates the benefits to London, and how we will achieve our strategic objectives. In summary, we are assured that this is an appropriate use of public funding.

Retrospective approval is requested for expenditure of £19,655 of GLA funding on a feasibility study on the potential central London parade and live celebration event following the FIFA Women’s World Cup. This expenditure will be funded from within the Major Sports Events Programme Budget 2023-24. Although the parade did not go ahead, the GLA now has a range of tools that will be applicable to similar future events.

5.2    The parade costs are covered under a separate MD3169.