Key information
Decision type: Director
Reference code: DD2127
Date signed:
Decision by: Martin Clarke, Executive Director of Resources
Executive summary
The Mayor has a statutory duty to promote the economic and social development and improve the environment in London. Events engage directly with communities and bring social and economic benefits to London, and can raise the city’s profile and present a positive image to the world’s media.
This Director Decision approves expenditure for the Small Events Programme in 2017/18 with GLA budget of £134,000 and the intention to seek sponsorship to enhance the events. The Programme specifically meets the manifesto commitment to: “Continue to back major cultural festivals to celebrate London’s religious and racial diversity, and ensure Pride continues to be a fantastic, community-led showcase of all London’s LGBT+ communities.”
Decision
The Executive Director of Resources approves:
1. expenditure of up to £134,000 to cover the Small Events Programme costs for 2017/18.
2. the seeking of additional sponsorship for the Small Events programme, to be used to enhance the events if forthcoming.
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
1.1 Under the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (GLA Act) the Mayor has a statutory duty to promote the economic and social development and improve the environment in London. Events have a profound potential to bring economic and social benefits to London, and major events in particular can raise the city’s profile and present a positive image to the world’s media.
1.2 The core events programme responds to the Mayor’s manifesto pledge to “Continue to back major cultural festivals to celebrate London’s religious and racial diversity”. These events mean that we are able to celebrate our diversity as a city, and be proud of the enormous range of different communities that call London their home.
1.3 The community events in particular, celebrate the city’s diversity as its core asset, bringing people together in shared experiences and providing opportunities for great social integration, ultimately bringing positive economic and social benefits to London. Culture also enriches people’s lives, improving their quality of life and general well-being. Free events provide Londoners access to arts and entertainment which they may otherwise not be able to experience.
1.4 Events can also stimulate London’s economy, acting as a catalyst for economic regeneration by creating publicity to increase the attractiveness of London to new visitors and investors – as well as to Londoners. Events also encourage the fuller participation of London’s communities, contributing to the economy in the generation of jobs – one in six jobs is in the cultural sector.
1.5 The development and planning of the events often involves support and engagement from the community through community-led event steering groups, who help shape the programme to ensure that they be relevant and appropriate to the target community, and through volunteering. Volunteering provides added benefits of education or increased skills by working on different parts of the event. This community engagement contributes to peoples’ sense of positive well-being.
1.6 The opportunity to engage and support in many small and ad-hoc events can often come at short notice: whether that is as a result of a late approach from a community event to fund a budget gap, and where in doing so, it would be of strategic benefit to reach a target group; or whether it is in response to an emerging London or national issue that could benefit from an event to support wider strategic communications on the issue.
1.7 The net cost to the GLA of the Small Events Programme in 2017/18 is £134,000. This budget will support the delivery of small event and exhibition activity, LGBT+ reception, and commemorations such as 7/7 anniversary, Armed Forces Day and Remembrance Day. However, much of this budget would be for ad-hoc and responsive event activity, in order to take advantage of opportunities that may arise, or respond at short notice (e.g. vigils post terror attacks). Additionally, the budget includes an allocation to support cross-cutting campaigns, which would benefit from additional event activity.
2.1 Events bring economic and social benefits to London, and can raise the city’s profile, promote London as a leading global city encouraging investment and tourism, and present a positive image to the world’s media.
2.2 Through the events we actively promote wider mayoral priorities directly to key community groups or audiences, and to captive audiences. This can be evaluated through the attendance at events and market research at the event on recall, and through digital traffic and click through rates on the GLA website.
2.3 The additional benefits of the event are:
• Increased positive global reputation of London.
• Positive profile for London, encouraging economic investment.
• Education and increased awareness of other communities in London encouraging social integration and cohesion.
• Increased skills through volunteering opportunities.
2.4 Whilst difficult to measure, there are a number of additional benefits that we are actively trying to foster through staging events, including;
• Increased sense of community through volunteering opportunities and social interaction at events.
• Encouraging a sense of pride in Londoners for the city they live.
• Enjoyment and satisfaction to support the well-being of Londoners and improving their health and wellbeing and quality of life (particularly where Londoners disposable income is limited and free events offer access to arts and entertainment which they may otherwise not be able to experience.
3.1 The events programme is planned to be inclusive and aimed at all Londoners, culturally and socially, achieved through the programme content, the broad and targeted approach to marketing channels, and access facilities at the event.
3.2 Projects within the Small Events programme will engage with communities and grass root organisations in consultation with Community Relations, Social Diversity Policy and International teams.
3.3 The Small Events programme will invite diverse communities to come together to enjoy the rich cultural offering of the events, thereby supporting social integration.
4.1 Key risks
4.2 Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
4.2.1 In approving the Small Events Programme, this directly links to:
• Manifesto Commitment – Access to the Arts: Continue to back major cultural festivals to celebrate London’s religious and racial diversity, and ensure Pride continues to be a fantastic, community-led showcase of all London’s LGBT+ communities.
• City for all Londoners: Making London a fairer and more tolerant city open and accessible to all, and one in which we can all live and prosper free from prejudice. Enabling all Londoners to benefit from the city’s fantastic arts and culture.
4.3 Impact assessments and consultation
4.3.1 The impact assessment of the Small Events Programme will be through the multi-agency planning process (Licensing Operational Safety Planning Groups), including MPS, TfL, LAS, LFB and other key stakeholders. This is an essential part of the Premise Licence process. Key agencies will be consulted as part of this multi-agency process.
4.3.2 The Events Team works closely with the GLA Community Relations, Diversity and Social Policy, International and Culture teams to ensure satisfactory engagement is made with relevant communities and stakeholders.
4.4 Procurement
4.4.1 Event production services to deliver the GLA’s Small Events Programme will procured via the Events Framework. Projects within the Small Events Programme are managed by an events officer from within the Events for London team.
5.1 An allocation of £134,000 has been earmarked in the 2017-18 Events for London programme budget to fund the Small Events Programme in 2017-18.
5.2 The GLA will seek additional income via sponsorship to enhance the programme and, where appropriate, reduce the Authority’s contribution. It should be noted that no contractual commitments on enhancing any element of the programme will be made until funding sources have been confirmed.
6.1 The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the mayor fall within the statutory powers of the GLA to promote and/or to do anything which is facilitative of or conducive or incidental to the promotion of social development in Greater London and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have set out above how they have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:
(a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
(b) consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
(c) consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2 In taking the decisions requested of him, the mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Director should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.
6.3 The officers must ensure that all expenditure, which flows from this approval, be made in accordance with the GLA’s revised Contracts and Funding Code, which was introduced on 24 April 2017.
6.4 As regards the decision to seek further sponsorship for the Small Events Programme, the officers should ensure that the GLA enter into a binding, legal agreement with all sponsors and that the officers familiarise themselves with the GLA’s obligations under the said agreement.
Signed decision document
DD2127 Small Events (signed) PDF