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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Damien Edgar

How much NI Councils spent on King Charles's Coronation - from zero to £230k

The spending figures on the King's Coronation across Northern Ireland's 11 council areas topped £500,000, Belfast Live can reveal.

Events were planned to mark the historic occasion, with a mixture of council and community-led activities.

The range of spending across all councils in Northern Ireland individually ranged from zero to £230,000.

Read more: King's Coronation: Northern Ireland folk reflect on a memorable weekend in London

Read more: James Nesbitt: All NI political parties attending coronation is sign of progress

Below is a breakdown of what each council spent on the occasion and what it went towards:

Antrim and Newtownabbey

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council was the council which spent the most money on community and council events.

Their spending came in at £230,000, with £112,000 of that allocated in community grants.

The Council said it had received a record number of applications for community grants and said its programme of events were similar to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee commemorative programme.

It also said "a number of the community and schools projects have created a lasting legacy and will be displayed as part of a special Coronation Section in the newly developed Museum at Mossley Mill".

Events included live broadcasts of the ceremony at both Jordanstown Loughshore Park and Antrim Castle Gardens, as well as screenings of the concert on Sunday.

A special Coronation garden was created by renowned gardener Diarmuid Gavin at Hazelbank Park in Newtownabbey although its funding was from a separate source to the figures quoted above.

Garden design workers putting the finishing touches to the King's Coronation Garden, designed by celebrity Diarmuid Gavin, at Hazelbank Park in Newtownabbey. (Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)

Ards and North Down

This Co Down council area had allocated £50,000 towards marking the Coronation.

In a response to Belfast Live, the council said: "Ards and North Down Borough Council set aside a Coronation budget of £50,000.

"This included £30,000 that was ringfenced for grants, with funding made available to constituted community and voluntary groups for street parties and volunteering activities around the coronation weekend.

"We are unable to confirm the exact expenditure until all claims in relation to the grants and other activities have been received and processed. The claim period for grants closes on 30 June 2023."

Tea dances, craft workshops, tree planting and Coronation exhibitions were among some of the activities that ran in the area.

Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon

In total, the ABC council area saw £66,017 spent on Coronation events and activities.

That included a Coronation tea party, which raised over £2,000 for two charities.

That tea party and a special coronation service at St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh cost £6,510 and £1,820 respectively.

The remaining £57,687 was allocated through community grants to 148 community groups.

Belfast City

The council spent £25,000 on activities and events for those living in Northern Ireland's capital city.

“Elected members agreed to provide £25,000 to deliver a programme of activity to mark the coronation of King Charles III over the weekend of 6-8 May," a spokesperson said.

“Activities included the Coronation service and ceremonial processions being shown on a big screen at City Hall, along with activities for families on the lawn, and a Coronation Big Lunch to acknowledge the role of volunteering in the city.

"City Hall was also illuminated on Sunday 7 May.”

Causeway Coast and Glens

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council screened the Coronation on Saturday and the Coronation Concert on Sunday outside Coleraine Town Hall.

The costs came to £26,900 in total, with the council saying the screen cost £6,900 and the remaining £20,000 allocated to community groups.

The Council also said those costs were offset by £5,000 for a grant it is due to receive.

Derry City and Strabane

Derry City and Strabane District Council said it had incurred no direct costs regarding the coronation.

No events were organised by the council, but some community events did run over the weekend of the occasion.

The council confirmed some costs may have been incurred for the likes of toilet provision or in-kind support but indicated it was too early to say what those costs may be.

Fermanagh and Omagh

Events in Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone within the council area received over £15,000 in support through grants.

"The Council awarded a total of £16,380 towards 36 Events in the District to mark the King's Coronation," a spokesperson said.

The council previously said it had received 37 applications (34 small and 3 medium) seeking support in organising Coronation events that would be taking place between May 5-9 throughout the district and had allocated a maximum budget of £25,000 for those.

Lisburn and Castlereagh

The coronation ceremony was livestreamed on the screen in Market Square, Lisburn, alongside a full programme of events planned for the area alongside the broadcast.

"Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council allocated £60,495 to mark the King Charles III’s Coronation," a spokesperson said.

"The majority of this amount (£52,495) was used to fund grants for 107 local community groups. Each organisation received up to £500 which was used to celebrate the occasion in an inclusive manner.

"The remaining £8,000 supported a community tapestry initiative, a service of thanksgiving and the provision of commemorative lapel pins.

"In partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Northern Ireland Office provided funding to local authorities for screenings of the Coronation across Northern Ireland.

"Under this initiative, the council was awarded £5,000 and showed the ceremony on a large screen, as part of a day of celebration in Lisburn City Centre."

Mid and East Antrim

The council spent a total of £65,105 on events surrounding the Coronation, which were part of a specially devised programme.

"This programme and associated budget was approved by Council and a grant of £5,000 was secured towards television screenings," a spokesperson said.

"The programme included inclusive outdoor events for families, exhibitions, talks, commemorative coins, certificates and colouring books for children, town centre displays, marketing, tree planting, a civic service, lighting up of buildings and more. These initiatives proved extremely popular and Saturday’s events drew crowds to the Borough’s three main towns to enjoy the Coronation.

"Sixty-five groups across Mid and East Antrim also applied for grants to host community events which included funding allocated at a total of £32,105.

"Total spend is being finalised, but Council spend to date is approximately £33,000 plus the grants for community activities."

Mid Ulster

Mid Ulster had no official council events, but did support community events and spent £21,890 in total.

From its Arts and Culture budget, there was £4,000 allocated and the remaining £17,890 was spent on community development grants, which supported 21 groups.

Newry, Mourne and Down

The council confirmed that it had spent over £35,000 on community grants to mark the King's Coronation in its area.

"Newry, Mourne and Down District Council agreed a King Charles III Coronation financial assistance programme which offered grants to community groups and organisations wishing to join together to celebrate King Charles III’s Coronation," a spokesperson said.

"A total of £35,838 was awarded between 14 groups. A separate Big Screen King’s Coronation event was held in Bessbrook Town Hall, which was fully funded by the Northern Ireland Office."

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