Carnival fan Aziz eyes up funds boost (From The Oxford Times)
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Carnival fan Aziz eyes up funds boost
9:00am Friday 8th March 2013 in News
A UNIQUE deal to secure the future of the Cowley Road Carnival has been welcomed in the community.
People living and working in East Oxford said the £30,000 from Oxford City Council was more likely to encourage sponsors to dig deep.
Aziz Rahman, 50, owns Aziz Restaurant on Cowley Road, where a carnival fundraiser is already planned for April 16 with a target of £5,000.
He said: “It’s tremendous news. It’s just what we needed and hopefully it will encourage traders to come forward and put their hands in their pockets and give as much as possible.”
He believed traders were initially reluctant to give sponsorship, in case targets weren’t met and the event was once again held at South Parks.
He said: “People don’t want it to be in the park. A carnival is supposed to be a street fair.”
Yesterday the Oxford Mail revealed that £50,000 of funding had been allocated for a “Festive Oxford” weekend on July 6 and 7, which will also encompass Alice’s Day, run by the Story Museum.
The new deal includes conditions the organisers have to meet to unlock the cash and extra support from the city council.
Green party deputy group leader for Oxford, Craig Simmons – one of the founders of the carnival – said: “It’s come at the 11th hour, but it’s still very welcome.”
Dick Wolff says...
4:56pm Fri 8 Mar 13
The three-year commitment of support is also very welcome. It could mean that the part-time organiser can actually get on with the job of organising instead of spending a lot of their time worrying about the funding of their own work, which is both soul-destroying and a bit embarrassing.