Public Funds Cover £120,000 in Battle-Related Debts

Taxpayers Foot £121,000 Bill to Cover Battle of Flowers Debts

More than £120,000 in public funds has been allocated to cover unpaid debts from the 2024 Battle of Flowers, following an overspend of over £150,000 at last year's event.

Ministers say the move is aimed at safeguarding the future of the iconic Jersey parade. In a letter to Richard Corrigan, Chief Officer of the Department for the Economy, Chief Minister Deputy Lyndon Farnham and Economic Development Minister Deputy Kirsten Morel explained that the decision was made in recognition of the parade’s cultural significance and its value to the island’s tourism sector.

The financial support comes in addition to the £158,750 already granted to assist with this year’s scaled-back version of the event, which begins on Friday.

The ministers acknowledged the difficulty in resolving last year’s shortfall, despite efforts by new organisers and prior government backing. “It is unfortunate that... the success of the event should be imperilled due to ongoing challenges in resolving the 2024 overspend,” they wrote.

They added that the funding would be deducted from future government grants to the event and stressed that the grant was essential to ensure the parade’s continuity in 2025 and beyond.

The money was drawn from the Chief Minister's Pilot Fund. Meanwhile, a separate £90,000 grant provided earlier in 2024 will not be recouped.