The City Council confirms Supplementary Grants for local organisations

The City Council is delighted to confirm the award of a supplementary grant in 2022/2023 to Wiltshire Creative (£22,470) and the Salisbury Museum (£8,000).

At the Finance and Governance Committee meeting held in January 2023, Wiltshire Creative and the Salisbury Museum were invited to contact the City Council towards the end of this financial year to see if any funds could be made available for a supplementary grant in 2022/2023.

Thanks to a better-than-expected bank interest earned by the Council and a reduction in some business rates for one of its buildings, the funds were available to fund these extra grants. This allowed a supplementary grant to be awarded to these two local bodies. These supplementary grants will be paid in 2022/2023 but the activity will take place in the next year.

Adrian Green the Museum director said “Salisbury Museum is delighted that the City Council have been able to award us a supplementary grant. This funding goes towards our popular family events programme which includes Under Fives Fridays, family Discovery Days and big free events such as our Spring Fayre on 1 May. These activities are important for supporting our relationship with the local community, particularly whilst we are undertaking major redevelopment works and are partially open.”

Sebastian Warrack, Wiltshire Creative’s Executive Director said “We are delighted that Salisbury City Council has been able to award Wiltshire Creative a supplementary grant of £22,470 in 2022/23, to top up our reduced grant in 2023/24. This is wonderful news, and we are hugely grateful to Salisbury City Council for listening to our heartfelt statements about the huge financial challenges we currently face. This supplementary funding will go towards our community work (inc. Family Fiesta), our Young People’s programme, led by our Young Ambassadors and our Mind the Gap programme for older people all benefitting the people of Salisbury.”

Councillor Victoria Charleston, one of the Leaders of the City Council said “The 2023/2024 budget was extremely tough to set with some difficult choices to make. The desire for Wiltshire Creative and the Museum to receive additional funding was strongly supported by many Councillors at Full Council when the grants were once again considered as part of the 2023/2024 budget setting.

“Through lengthy conversations between Wiltshire Creative, the Museum, Councillors, and Officers I am pleased that this grant can be confirmed. The careful management of this year’s budget has allowed these supplementary grants to be awarded to two local organisations which provided entertainment and education for local residents. I encourage everyone to look up what is going on locally at the Museum or in the Playhouse or Arts Centre and get involved in the fun.”