North Norfolk seminar: red tape needn’t stop great public events

Some of North Norfolk’s top event and festival organisers could soon be sharing their ideas about handling large numbers of people safely — and may pass their knowledge and experience on to smaller groups that manage fairs, fetes and other activities.

North Norfolk District Council is hosting a one-day seminar later this month, and has invited some of the biggest names in the local entertainment business to hear myth-dispelling presentations about the requirements of health and safety, policing, traffic management, first aid, and much more — aspects of organising big public events that can sometimes be misunderstood and off-putting.

On 24 February, at NNDC’s Cromer office, the North Norfolk Safety Advisory Group seminar will see Norfolk Constabulary, Norfolk County Council’s Highways Department, the East of England Ambulance Service, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service and North Norfolk District Council giving advice and explaining the latest legal requirements when managing public events (with question-and-answer sessions).

The 14 major event organisers who have been invited have a wealth of experience between them, both as tourism businesses and of planning and managing events. The seminar will also allow them to consider setting up a ‘network’ of event organisers, so they can share best practice not only between themselves, but also with the countless community groups and volunteers who want to give up their time but fear they will face an unbearable burden of permits and paperwork.

The proposed network is also meant to give its members a way to feed back their experiences and concerns to the authorities.

Councillor Eric Seward, NNDC Cabinet Member for Environmental Health, said: “Every year, hundreds if not thousands of people in our community put a huge amount of effort into running fun events and outings for tens of thousands of visitors. But it can be hard, especially for the less-experienced organisers, to know what they should do or who they need to contact. It can be difficult to see even where to start. Some might be put off entirely because they think something might not be allowed, or they would face a massive insurance bill, or they are not likely to get support from the authorities. That needn’t be the case.

“There are many myths that we can dispel with this seminar. Health and safety law, for example, often takes the blame when events get cancelled. Some of what organisers have to do is law, yes, but much of it is down to common sense and the truth is that, with a bit of thought and planning, it’s possible to run a great event without having to fret too much about the legal technicalities. Our big festivals, carnivals and attractions are tremendously well-run, and we hope that they will share their experience of handling large numbers of people, so our events can get better and better — whether they are for 20,000 people or for 20.”

Event organisers who have not been invited to the free seminar may still be able to attend. Contact Mandy Dunham, Technical Administrator, at NNDC to see if there are places left, on 01263 516172 or email mandy.dunham@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Note for editor

• The North Norfolk Safety Advisory Group is a partnership of authorities concerned with ensuring public safety, and its core members are North Norfolk District Council, Norfolk Constabulary, Norfolk County Council, the East of England Ambulance Service, and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service. Other partners can be included depending on the nature of the event the group is advising upon.

ENDS