Support for Halloween celebrations as events sector given more cash

The Scottish Government is putting an additional £450,000 into the Events Recovery Fund.

Support for Halloween celebrations as events sector given more cash PA Media

Scotland’s events sector is to get more cash to help it cope with the impact of coronavirus – with some of the latest round of funding going to support Halloween celebrations.

The Scottish Government is topping up the Events Recovery Fund – which has already received £2.75m – with a further £450,000.

The fund was set up to help support the return of live events across the country, after the sector was shut down for months amid the Covid-19 crisis.

And some of the latest funding will go to Halloween-inspired events taking place in Scotland.

Both the Spirits of Scone event and TamFest, a month-long programme of Halloween and heritage events inspired by Robert Burns’ Tam O’Shanter poem, will receive a share of the cash.

The Stirling Science Festival and the Highland Ultra 125km race, which takes place later this month along the coastal mountains of the Knoydart Peninsula, will both also benefit.

Culture minister Jenny Gilruth said the funding will allow more events to take place (Jane Barlow/PA)

Announcing the additional funding, culture minister Jenny Gilruth said: “The tourism and events sectors have an important contribution to make to the country’s wider economic recovery.

“We have provided a further financial boost to Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund to enable more events to take place.

“This will help build a stronger and more sustainable sector and demonstrate the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to Scotland as the perfect stage for events.”

Gilruth added: “Events are recognised as having a positive impact on health and wellbeing and it’s important that audiences have the opportunity and confidence to enjoy a range of different events that this additional funding supports.”

Paul Bush, director of events at tourism body VisitScotland, said the funding is “welcome news and enables vital support for those events who submitted eligible applications to the programme”.

He added: “Scotland’s events industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, so any opportunity to help the sector plan and deliver events is positive.

“Events play an important role in our communities and it’s been wonderful to see events supported through the Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund adapt and innovate in order to provide a range of exciting event experiences.

“We will continue to work with the Scottish Government and the Event Industry Advisory Group to represent the continued needs and challenges of the sector.”

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