Consett the World has decide to call it a day. In the end, it was impossible to find a financial backer. Below is the press release we sent out about the decision. Thanks to all the help and support we had from so many people.
Organisers of a project to bring the world to Consett through football have decided to call it a day after failing to find sufficient financial backing.
Consett the World was a plan to organise a football tournament in Consett in September 2009 between under-16 teams from Liberia, Peru, Hungary and Consett, which would also include visits to schools and community groups. But the project had to be scrapped when organisers were unable to get sufficient financial support.
Organiser Ged Naughton said: “It’s very sad that we’ve had to cancel the project as it was very popular in the local community, but because of the current financial problems in the world, we couldn’t find anyone prepared to give us the money we needed. I’d like to thank everybody who supported us in the last two years. It’s just been unfortunate that Consett the World has come at the same time as the credit crunch.”
Consett the World had hoped to raise around £10,000 at a Sports Dinner and Auction on March 7 at the Derwent Manor Hotel, Allensford, with special guests Adrian Chiles and Bob ‘the Cat’ Bevan. But the wide interest in the dinner did not translate into ticket sales, and with only seven tables sold, Consett the World organisers decided to cancel the event, and make the decision to abandon the project as a whole.
Ged Naughton said: “The aim of the dinner was to encourage local businesses to support Consett the World, but the seven tables we sold were all to family and friends, who’ve supported us all the way through, and we knew there was no more that we could squeeze out of them. Many businesses were keen on the idea of Consett the World, but couldn’t commit to supporting us when they knew it was money that could be used to keep people in their jobs.
“The Sports Dinner was the last throw of the dice for Consett the World, as we have been unable to convince funding organisations of the benefits of the project to local people. We’ve had a great team of volunteers working on this project for two years, so it’s very sad for them that we have to cancel it, but it’s better to make the decision now than to leave it until it was too late.”
Consett the World had an application to the European Union for £75,000 for an international exchange turned down last year. A recent application to the County Durham Foundation was rejected because they couldn’t see the benefit to the local community. The effects of the credit crunch meant that Consett the World was unable to get near a revised target of £20,000 to bring even a small number of participants from the three countries.
Items intended for the March 7 auction are to be sold on eBay, and organisers believe they will have around £5,000 to share between potential beneficiaries in Liberia, Hungary, Peru and Consett.
Ged Naughton said: “It was very difficult to tell the young people in our partner countries who had their hearts set on the visit, which would have been the experience of a lifetime for them. We intend to distribute the money we have raised between the four countries involved, so that even if they don’t get to meet each other in person, they still benefit from the generosity of the people of Consett and the North East.”
