£1/4 million York Council expenditure so far on advertising and publicity during COVID crisis

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The York Council spent £285,667 on advertising and publicity during the period from the beginning on February to the end of May.

The figures for June are not yet published on the “Open Data” web site.

Of the total expenditure £189,057 was spent during May.

The largest supplier was Platinum Print of Harrogate who lodged bills totalling £137,090 last month.

Royal Mail charged £6982 to deliver Council newsletters.

The Council didn’t advertise on Minster FM, the local commercial radio station. It spent £1,500 in May with “York Mix”. There were also regular payments to The York Press.

The Councils communications strategy has been criticised for being slow to get started, confusingly complex and unnecessarily repetitive. Some key information about home deliveries was never circulated.

It is likely that, when the COVID crisis is over, an inquiry into what has been spent, why and with what authority will be launched.

York to be lit green in support of St John Ambulance

St John Ambulance joins the Independent Ambulance Association ...

City of York Council is celebrating St John’s Day by encouraging residents to show their support for St John Ambulance tomorrow.

As part of this effort, the city’s walls will be lit green on Wednesday evening.

St John Ambulance staff and volunteers have spent over 100,000 hours supporting the COVID-19 crisis response since the beginning of April, its biggest mobilisation of volunteers since the second World War.

To get involved, residents and businesses are encouraged to show their support by displaying lights, flags or banners in their windows and gardens.