(a)

2020 marked the 400^th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage which was one of the most influential journeys in global history and a defining moment in the

shared history of Britain, the United  States of America and the Native American Nation;

(b)

an exciting national and international programme of Mayflower 400 commemorations would highlight the significance of the special relationship between our nations, transform communities, provide cultural, business and visitor links, explore the different sides of the story and celebrate the people and places of this epic pioneering tale;

(c)

Plymouth had been formally designated as the lead partner for the UK by central government which had successfully co-ordinated a range of activities nationally including,  the creation of coherent branding, the delivery of multiple successful funding applications and the alignment of events;

(d)

overview -

?

there was a programme of over 400 moments, ranging from international civic ceremonies to local community events; signature events included Mayflower Muster, Illuminate 2019/20 and the Mayflower Ceremony;

?

there were new major cultural attractions which included The Box, new heritage trails and the Elizabethan House;

?

it was anticipated that there would be over 500,000 additional visits to Plymouth in 2020;

(e)

funding -

?

Plymouth City Council’s revenue commitment of £2.25m had leveraged a further £4m through grant funding and sponsorship, whilst its capital commitment of £5m had leveraged a further £1.1m through grant funding;

?

the Arts Council England had committed £16m into Plymouth’s core arts and culture (over five years);

(f)

a fund for local community projects, the Mayflower 400 Community Sparks fund had been launched in April 2018 which targeted grass-roots community, arts and cultural activity;  grants would be available up to £3,000 or £5,000 (in exceptional circumstances);

(g)

the Mayflower 400 Volunteer programme which aimed to contribute 100,000 hours of volunteering in support of the Mayflower programme;

(h)

to date, over 200 people had attended the Mayflower Maker introductory sessions with 98 people registered on the doit.like in the Mayflower Maker community group;

(i)

the key elements of legacy relating to the Mayflower 400 programme were categorised as perception, event and physical.

(j)

concerns regarding the lack of mobility scooters available for visitors to access events (Members had been advised by Access Plymouth that scooters would not be allowed on the Barbican); there were two wheel chairs available at the Tourist Information Centre on the Barbican but these were deemed as totally inadequate;

(k)

sought clarification as to the disability groups within the city that had been consulted regarding accessibility during Mayflower 400 (Members were aware that officers had consulted with Plymouth Area Disability Action Network (PADAN) regarding the Mayflower Trails);

(l)

whether traffic management schemes and adequate parking would be put in place to ease the flow of traffic during the Mayflower 400 celebrations with expected large number of visitors attending events in the city;

(m)

sought clarification on the ‘bookable offer’ (such as the 12 cruise ships that were due for this event) such as what did these look like, what was the take up and what was the extent of the offer (was this Plymouth based or did it encompass the wider region);

(n)

whether the legacy of this event would continue in future years;

(o)

whether during the week of celebrations a service of thanks had been organised;

(p)

sought clarification as to whether there would be any official visitors attending the commemorative event from America.

(1)

to endorse the continuation of Plymouth City Council’s support of the Mayflower 400 programme;

(2)

to encourage councillors to take part in Mayflower Makers training or attend the alternatives information session;

(3)

to encourage councillors to support applications to the Mayflower 400 Community Sparks (from non-central parts of the City);

(4)

the officers work with Plymouth Area Disability Action Network (PADAN) and Access to Plymouth, in order to increase the availability of mobility scooters during the commemorative  year.