Urgent Funding Needed to Safeguard Notting Hill Carnival’s Future
The Notting Hill Carnival, a vibrant celebration held annually in west London since 1966, may face an uncertain future without immediate government funding. This alarm was raised in a leaked letter from Ian Comfort, the carnival’s chair, to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
The urgent plea follows a recent safety review that identified “critical public safety concerns.” Comfort emphasized that financial support is vital to ensure both the carnival’s continuation and the safety of its attendees. While the letter did not specify a funding amount, it highlighted the escalating operational pressures on the Metropolitan Police during large events.
The review, commissioned by the carnival’s organizers and costing £100,000, was funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA), Kensington and Chelsea council, and Westminster city council. Comfort referenced an earlier report by the London Assembly, which noted that limited police resources are hampering effective responses to incidents.
In his correspondence, Comfort noted past substantial support from local authorities but acknowledged their constraints in meeting the growing demands highlighted in the safety review. The concerns are amplified by Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist from the Metropolitan Police, who previously warned of the potential for a “mass casualty event” due to high crowd density during the carnival.
Last year, approximately 7,000 police officers were deployed for the event, which attracts around 2 million attendees over the August Bank Holiday weekend. This year’s festivities are scheduled for August 24 and 25. The organizers are urgently seeking to secure adequate funding to address safety issues, or risk compromising not only public safety but also the future of this iconic cultural event.
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