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Nottingham St George’s Day parade ‘full steam ahead’ says organiser after Derby parade is axed

The annual Nottingham St George’s Day parade will go ahead – following news the parade has been axed in Derby.

The yearly parade in Derby, celebrating the day of England’s patron saint, is funded by Derby City Council – but, in a bid to save costs, the council scrapped the St George’s Day event.

This provoked speculation that the parade in Nottingham, which marches from the Forest Recreation Ground and culminates in Old Market Square, may not go ahead.

But Phil Harwood, secretary of the Radford branch of the Royal Society of St George, which puts on the event, confirmed the parade will go ahead “as-per-normal.”

The organiser said Nottingham City Council does not fund the parade but it is independently run by the society and is financed by fundraising.

Phil said: “Nottingham City Council has no financial involvement with the parade whatsoever. The parade is a totally independent thing we do.

“We have meetings with them [the council]; they allow us to use Old Market Square, a public space, and they advise us on what’s best.”

It was reported earlier this week that Derby City Council scrapped its parade in a bid to save £10,000.

Phil added: “The parade in Nottingham is full steam ahead.”

St George’s Day falls on Sunday, April 23.