
The organisers of popular Morecambe steampunk adventure A Splendid Day Out recently put in for an application of £10,000. The grant was accepted by the local council, but a blow to Rob, Rose and Ian came in the form of a reduction in the amount of years that the support would be given. The four-year application was whittled down to just one year with the reasons given that the local council can’t plan for that far ahead as it wouldn’t be binding on a new council.
Morecambe Council decision: Right vs Wrong
It’s great that ASDO have managed to secure some kind of funding. Is it enough and could it place the event in jeopardy in the coming years? The organisers released a statement on the ASDO website and in it they said: “We are very happy, that Morecambe Town Council saw fit to award us sufficient financial resources to make our festival one of the largest in Morecambe and the 2nd biggest Steampunk Festival in the UK.The money will go to providing increased high quality infrastructure for a major expansion of what is becoming a popular local and national event. We were disappointed, however, that although following all guidance and format for our application the Town Council didn’t accept our plans for a partnership, at no risk to them, which would have been beneficial to the whole town.
That said, the funding is more than welcome in our fourth year as we prepare to take the next step in making A Splendid Day Out a ‘go to’ event in the Steampunk community nationally, and with the local population of the town.”