https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-Rotherham-UKs-Childrens-Capital-Culture.html
A town at the centre of one of Britain’s most notorious child sex scandals has been named as the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture.
But the Government has now revealed it is reviewing the decision to award Rotherham £1.8million in taxpayer cash to fund the year-long initiative in 2025.
The South Yorkshire town hit the news in 2011 when allegations emerged of widespread child sexual exploitation.
It was described at the time as one of the biggest child protection scandals in British history after it was revealed that children in care homes were being groomed.
A report into Rotherham’s handling of the incident concluded that an estimated 1,400 children had been sexually abused in the town between 1997 and 2013, predominantly by British-Pakistani men.
But despite its tarnished reputation, the city has now been selected to be the inaugural Children’s Capital of Culture in 2025 – described by the local authority as ‘365 extraordinary days… of imagination, creativity and community. Packed with music and magic. Dance and drama. Films and food. Exhibitions and events’.
Yesterday, after The Mail on Sunday began raising questions, Levelling-Up Secretary Greg Clark, pictured, said he would look again at the funding, which was agreed by his predecessor Michael Gove last November
As well as the £1.8million from the Cultural Recovery Fund, it was also due to receive £13,600 from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and has been awarded £76,100 in National Lottery grants.
Yesterday, after The Mail on Sunday began raising questions, Levelling-Up Secretary Greg Clark said he would look again at the funding, which was agreed by his predecessor Michael Gove last November….
The campaign group revealed that the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) granted £31,690,000 to British city of culture winners since 2012, while £4,003,438 of taxpayers’ money had been spent on failed submissions….
