Town Council to Consider Taking over Penrith Mayday Event

Town council will be asked to consider a motion put forward by Cllr Shepherd next week for the town council to take on the running of the Penrith Mayday event.

There has been a May Day event with a Fun Fair in Penrith for 40 years but after decades of organising the event, the Penrith Lions Club confirmed following this years Mayday event that they are no longer in a position to lead such an event. 

Cllr Shepherd said “He believes that the people of Penrith expect that the event continues.”

“I would envisage Penrith Town Council working with other organisations in Penrith including the Arts and Culture Stakeholder Group to make this a great event.”

The May Day event is a key event in the towns calendar as a community focused event with a rich history. The event brings together local charities, community groups and performers to deliver a programme of entertainment for local people and tourists alike.

Should the Town Council take on the lead role for organising May Day then the event Cllr Shepherd added “Any future event does not need to replicate the Lions May Day event as it is now.”

In consideration of the motion recommendations the town Council members will be asked to agree that the town council becomes the lead body for the Penrith May Day Event, That the Penrith Arts and Culture Stakeholder Group are involved in bringing together a programme of entertainment. That Councillors are given the opportunity to be involved in the planning and delivery of the event. To give delegated authority for officers to prepare the Event Plan apply for licences, consents and all statutory permissions to facilitate the event, engage with stakeholders and apply for grant funding and to approve for any expenditure incurred for the 2025 event during the current financial year to be met from the Arts and Culture budget and if this is exceeded to be met from the Council’s Contingency Budget.

The town council anticipates that the May Day event in its current format costs in the region of £15,000 to organise per annum, in recent years the town council has provided a £5,000 grant to the Penrith Lions for Mayday.