This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:
Cathedral will never be a "den of thieves"
I read with concern two contrasting letters in the Mercury about Leicester Cathedral (Mailbox, March 1).
The first was from Ann Stones about the "vintage fair" which takes place in the cathedral three or four times a year ("Inappropriate use for our cathedral").
The cathedral is, first and foremost, a house of prayer and sanctuary for all who wish to use it.
If people wish to come to pray when another event is happening, we make it clear to the organisers of the event (if there is a charge for admittance) there should be free admission for those who wish to enter to pray.
I apologise if this was not made clear to Ann Stones.
We also have a chaplain and other cathedral staff available during these events, should people wish to have a spiritual conversation with them.
Guild churches, such as St Martins, and cathedrals have always been used for a variety of events and we hope this helps a wide range of people to see it as "their cathedral", a place where all are welcome.
As well as its primary purpose for worship and prayer, the cathedral hosts lectures, concerts, organ recitals and is part of the Leicester Comedy Festival.
We have run series of silent films, a food fair and events associated with the Castle Park Festival among many other events.
We believe that whatever takes place in the cathedral is legal and honest and far from the type of corrupt and exploitative abuse of religion that led Jesus to drive the money changers and other merchants from the Temple in Jerusalem – those who had turned it into a "den of thieves".
Bill Merry wrote about the possibility of Richard III being reinterred in the proposed Cathedral Gardens instead of within the cathedral ("Memorial should be in the open").
Leicester Cathedral is open to the public every day from 8am to 6pm.
As Richard III was a Christian believer, and following the precedence for the burial of monarchs in this land, it seems most appropriate his final resting place should be in a place of Christian worship. We do not charge for entering the cathedral, nor will we do so, though the costs of keeping the cathedral open are nowhere near met by the voluntary giving of visitors, as generous as this sometimes is.
Barry Naylor, Acting Dean of Leicester
Budget cuts would throw doubt on carnival future
The boss of Leicester's Caribbean Carnival says a city council proposal to cut its funding by £40,000 could jeopardise its future.
Dennis Christopher also claimed the carnival was bearing the brunt of funding reductions because Leicester City Council was "too scared" to cut cash which goes towards festivals such as Diwali.
The carnival costs about £200,000 to stage and is part-funded with £100,000 from the city council – a figure which is now under review.
Mr Christopher said: "This is one of the most popular carnivals in the country. Such a large cut to our funding could potentially see us have to cancel it in future years.
"This is a direct hit on the Caribbean community of Leicester. I understand the council needs to review its spending on carnivals but I feel it is focusing on this because it is too scared to cut funding for events like Diwali in case it offends some communities."
The carnival, which is in its 28th year, attracts more than 80,000 spectators.
Other festivals and events also face cuts. Under the proposals, payments supporting the Castle Park Festival will be scrapped, funding for the Hindu festival of Dashera will be halved, while the Humberstone Park bonfire will lose all its financial support.
Geoff Carr, 42, of Uppingham Road, Leicester, said: "I take the wife and kids to the bonfire at Humberstone Park every year. It would be sad if it had to stop."
Mary Carter, 56, of Aylestone, said: "I'm not Hindu but I think it's great we celebrate Dashera here. It adds to city culture and I'd hate for us to lose it."
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "It is important to stress we are not proposing cuts to the overall festival budget. That budget of £365,000 will stay the same.
"Instead, we're looking at whether our priorities are right, and that each festival or event is being given a suitable amount of money."
Funding for the Leicester Comedy Festival, Belgrave Mela, Riverside Festival and the Christmas light switch-on is protected under the proposals.
Abbey Park bonfire, the St George's Day festival, the Diwali celebrations and the Spark Children's Arts Festival, would also receive the same amount of cash.
A consultation on the proposals is under way until July. Views gathered will go to the city mayor and his cabinet for consideration before final decisions are made in the autumn.
City residents are also being asked for ideas for a new festival.The mayor said an event similar to the City of Leicester Show was a possibility.
The event, held in Abbey Park until the mid-1990s, featured acrobatic events, military displays, show jumping, bands and more.To have your say, visit:www.leicester.gov.uk/ FestivalsandEventsConsultation
Four Leicester festivals facing funding cuts
Funding for four Leicester city festivals could be reduced or cut entirely.
A series of proposals has been put forward by city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby after a review of how much money Leicester City Council spent on festivals was carried out.
Under the plans the Caribbean Carnival would see funding reduced by £40,000 over the next three years.
Payments to the Castle Park Festival would be scrapped, with the idea of developing a new weekend heritage and arts festival to focus on Leicester's historic core. The proposals also include halving funding for the Hindu religious festival Dashera and the Humberstone Park bonfire losing its support entirely.
Sir Peter said: "Leicester's festivals give us the chance to celebrate together, make our city a vibrant and exciting place to be and boost the local economy.
"The aim of this review has been to make sure that public funding of our celebrations is used in the most efficient way and the events we offer are as appealing as possible, to as many people as possible."
Funding for Leicester Comedy Festival, Belgrave Mela, Riverside Festival and the Christmas lights switch-on are all protected under the proposals.
Abbey Park bonfire, the St George's Day festival, Diwali celebrations and Spark Children's Arts Festival, would also continue.
Sir Peter also revealed that he would like to see a new festival created.
He said: "Personally, I would like to see a new festival that brings together people from our many different communities and celebrates city life. I would be very interested to hear what other suggestions people may have."
The council's budget to support festivals is £365,000.
Only festivals and events to which the council gives £5,000 or more are under review, meaning funding for Leicester Gay Pride, Leicester Horticultural Show, St Patrick's Day celebrations and Braunstone Carnival is not threatened.
All of the proposals and a questionnaire are on the council's website at the address below.
The consultation will run until 6pm on Friday, July 27.
Views gathered will go to the city mayor and his cabinet for consideration before final decisions are made in the autumn. Visit:www.leicester.gov.uk/FestivalsandEventsConsultation
