Town centre organisation hopes mascot costume will gave Da Street a boost
LERWICK Community Council has approved one of its more unusual funding applications on Monday night – a request for cash to create a costume of town centre mascot Maunsie.
Living Lerwick, who is behind the mascot character based on the Market Cross, applied for £954 towards the custom-made costume.
The town centre organisation was awarded the funding at a meeting of Lerwick Community Council on Monday evening.
“A full size Maunsie would be used as a figurehead for public events in the town centre and would assist with attracting footfall as the town recovers and restarts from the coronavirus crisis,” its application said.
“As large public gatherings are not possible and are unlikely to be for some time, Maunsie can instead be used to attract smaller numbers to particular areas as part of a trail, invited event or in a specific business to promote a product or service.”
Maunsie – which was designed by local artist Stephen Gordon in response to a competition held by the organisation – could also go on the road to country shows, for example, to promote Lerwick once guidance allows.
Project manager Emma Miller said increasing footfall to the town centre, and maintaining a ‘buy local’ campaign is “particularly important just now and there are plans to hold a series of events during the October holidays to provide entertainment for families and utilise the town centre as a welcoming, vibrant and attractive place”.
The remaining £1,000 of the costume’s full £1,954 cost would come from the levies paid by business improvement district members.
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