Sponsorship of key events

Report: 7
Date: 20 June 2003
By: Clerk

Summary

MPA sponsorship of key events across the capital can be used to spread awareness of policing and community safety issues, build closer links with our communities and promote a greater understanding of the work of the Authority. This paper sets out the case for active involvement in a number of major events over the coming months, through sponsorship, and asks members to consider in particular the Choice FM anti-gun crime sponsorship. The report does not cover inward sponsorship.

A. Recommendations

That

1. Members agree to the MPA sponsorship of the Choice FM anti-gun initiative for six months at a cost of £25,000 – the money to be paid in five instalments, dependent on results achieved.
2. Members approve MPA involvement in other events detailed in the report, subject to value-for-money considerations.

B. Supporting information

1. Sponsorship can be an effective way of delivering key messages to a wide range of audiences. Sponsorship should be considered only if:

1. It is likely to produce a significant benefit that is relevant to the MPA’s own business and communication aims;
2. It is not detrimental to our interests or those of our partners;
3. Supports, not replaces, core funding;
4. Supports activities, not individuals;
5. It demonstrates impartiality, honesty and integrity;
6. It does not give rise to conflicts of interest or impropriety;
7. Does not place an unreasonable obligation upon the Authority, nor compromises its role and responsibilities;
8. The event is widely publicised and open to the whole of London;
9. Careful consideration should be given to events where repeat sponsorship is requested – e.g. Notting Hill Carnival – unless past funding has proved highly effective;
10. Events should be targeted to one or more of the MPA’s equality target groups;
11. A business case is provided by the requesting party for sponsorship over £5k;
12. GLA initiatives to be limited to a third of total sponsorship funding;
13. That we are not overlapping with the MPS;
14. Agreements are in writing;
15. The appropriate MPA committee approves agreements costing more than £5,000.

2. A number of sponsorship or exhibition opportunities have been identified, and requests for assistance received (It should be noted that several of these are GLA-initiated). They are:

1. a. Choice FM – Peace on the Streets, anti gun crime initiative. The MPA sponsored a three-day event, together with the Government Office for London, earlier this year. The Choice FM Peace on the Streets event was deemed to have been a great success by the radio station, Operation Trident, the Radio Authority and members of the community. A recurring theme for the Peace weekend was the need to continue the positive work started during the three days.
   Choice FM has decided to commit time and resources to a future project, but needs £50k sponsorship. They want the MPS and MPA as joint sponsors to cover the full cost. Choice proposes to produce a programme of events to begin at the end of June and run until May 2004.
   Radio programming will include regular updates and reports on successful convictions of gun crime and feedback from Trident - to reassure the public that action is being taken and successfully. On-air appeals will help with specific gun crimes to help Trident in their work. Listeners would be asked to contribute their own stories of how gun crimes affect their lives. There will be community action programmes looking at positive activities within the community, such as Youths Against Guns and the Haringey Peace Alliance. There would be further programmes on specific related issues. Other projects and initiatives could use the Choice Peace initiative as a platform to promote their services and messages.
   This is a good opportunity to achieve some very positive results and raise the profile of our community partnership role. We would need to plan a schedule for the year and ensure that we achieve value for money for the community, for Trident/MPS and for the MPA.
   The MPS is still consulting on the Choice proposals. This has resulted in concerns that the initiative could be delayed and its impact suffer. We could, however, give our support sooner, if we are so minded, by pledging £25k sponsorship on the understanding that either the Met comes in with the other £25k or an alternative sponsor or sponsors can be identified. This would enable Choice to begin the initiative at the end of June while trying to obtain the rest of the funding.
   There are sufficient funds within the MPA sponsorship budget at present to cover the £25k cost. However, it is recommended that the money be paid out in five separate monthly instalments of £5k to ensure value-for-money is achieved and control maintained. This arrangement is acceptable to Choice.
2. Urban Justice Conference, 8 July, one-day conference and exhibition examining how a coherent criminal justice system can assist in delivering a safer London. Organised by Criminal Justice Management Magazine in association with the MPS, MPA, Transport for London and the London Evening Standard. Member David Muir is a speaker. Cost of exhibition space to be determined.
3. ALG London Summit 2003, 12 July. MPA exhibition space. Cost of stand £1,100 (discounted rate).
4. Destination Brixton, summer exposition of black culture and creative industries, 11 - 20 July. Sponsorship, exhibition, articles in London Extra – costs to be determined.
5. Respect Festival, 19 July, The Dome, Greenwich – dedicated to the memory of Stephen Lawrence. Possible link with Choice FM Peace on the Streets initiative. Total cost to be determined, but £550 spent so far on advertising in festival publicity material.
6. Mardi Gras, 26 July. MPA advertising and exhibition space – costs to be determined.
7. Jamaica school event, August, Clapham Common – possible MPS sponsorship, exhibition and link with London Extra newspaper. Cost to be determined.
8. Mela festival, 17 August, Gunnersbury Park, West London – possible MPA sponsorship/exhibition. Cost to be determined.
9. Notting Hill Carnival, 24 - 26 August. Possible publicity link up with London Extra newspaper and Choice FM Peace on the Streets.
10. The London Conference (GLA), DTBC. Possible MPA exhibition space, cost to be determined.
11. Disability Rights Festival for European Year of Disabled People (GLA), 7 September, Trafalgar Square. Sponsorship: £5k. EODB received a report on European Year of Disabled People and supported a proposal that initiatives linked to this theme are prioritised in 2003. Requests for funding for this and a conference in December (a further £5k) on a similar theme have already been received.
12. APA annual conference, 4-5 November. Exhibition space; workshops etc. Cost to be determined.
13. Policing the police, the office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland international conference on police accountability. Possible website links, exhibition space, workshops etc. Costs to be determined.

4. There is also the possibility of taking part in some faith festivals, such as Divali. Funding for Black History Month (October) is already identified within our diversity budget for MPA-led initiatives. There could be further commitments from the publicity budget for external activities around this event but full details are not yet available.

5. Sponsorship has already been paid to the following:

• (GLA) London Day Policing Award 3 July - £5,000.

D. Equality and diversity implications

Sponsorship will enable the MPA to promote itself to London’s diverse communities, building closer links with all communities. Much of the funding will be targeted towards the equality target groups so ensuring policing by consent.

C. Financial implications

The cost of participating in the above events would be met from the MPA Communications Unit budget. There will be resource implications.

Report author:  020 7202 0216.
Background papers: None.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Philip Powell, Director of Communications, MPA.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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