Causeway Coast and Glens Council to spend almost £30k on activities to mark King Charles' coronation

At a Coronation Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, February 27, officers presented councillors with the draft commemoration programme and outlined funding plans for “small scale community events and activities to mark the occasion of King Charles III Coronation”.

King Charles III’s coronation took place in May last year at Westminster Abbey, following his ascension to the throne after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022.

The council initially agreed a £15,000 budget for the King Charles III Coronation Grant Fund in March and, in April, added a further £15,000 in funding “in light of the high interest in the grant”.

The officers’ report highlighted several themes for the programme, including the “celebration of community, encouraging people to get together and make connections through music, food, arts”, “projects that encourage sharing of stories and activities and an understanding of the past”, and “royal sites of local significance and the kings and queens celebrated in our folklore and mythology”.

A total of 115 funding applications were received in April last year, and each applicant will receive around £300 in funding at a total cost of £29,492, committee members heard.

The report to the Coronation Subcommittee meeting also noted that, in order to be successful, the community projects had to “celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III in a spirit of inclusion and respect” and “encourage, promote and celebrate community connections”.