An interesting post.Pete Skillman wrote:I think this actually comes from higher up.....The organiser said that the EU were to start removing support for such events in the aim of getting the EU public to forget/ not commemorate the events of 39/45...to garnish a better Europe!!..
Generally, the funds available to grantaid schemes for tourism are channelled by the EU through the European Regional Development Fund, Objective 2 programme with national governments allocating funds to local authorities in the various countries. While I take your point about WW2 reenactment there is no actual restriction on supporting such events, there may be local political or other objections but there is nothing ‘in writing’ that I could find.
Under the existing rules, a local authority may allocate aid to an existing business to improve accommodation and facilities and to community groups to develop visitor attractions including historic monuments. This last category also supports preserving and promoting European cultural–historical heritage sites and many of the smaller ‘bunker’ sites in Normandy are beneficiaries.
In essence, the project to be grant-aided must encourage joint tourism development, cooperation between municipalities, people-to-people activities, and joint cultural-historical events. In other words anything which increases tourism potential and encourages visitors to stay longer and return more often, supporting the local economy and environment, is to be considered. A reenactment group as such would not qualify for aid but a local organisation involved with the area could, potentially, provide financial support a reenactment event under some of the criteria above.
The grant criteria are not selective and I feel that if the climate is right and local businesses are taking a ‘hit’, the will should be there to put pressure on the relevant authorities to look at all business-generating schemes. Reenactment events in a ‘closed’ environment, such as a ‘bunker’ complex, for example, are a possibility. I feel if DMC could get permission, why not Maisy Battery?