Programme of events to mark the VE Day 80th Anniversary

S75 Equality And Good Relations Screening Form

General Information

This is a new Service/Function.

Operational Area: Corporate Services.

Title: Programme of events to mark the VE Day 80th Anniversary.

Brief Summary

Programme of events to mark the VE Day 80th Anniversary which are welcoming to all communities within our borough.

What is it trying to achieve? (intended aims and outcomes)

The primary objective is to honour and commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.
Key objectives include:
• Organizing a series of events that provide an opportunity for reflection and remembrance of this historic milestone.
• Aligning with the guidance from Pagentmaster, Bruno Peek CBE OBE OPR, ensuring the anniversary is appropriately recognised across the Council area, culminating in a Beacon Lighting Service on May 8th at 9:30 pm.

Who owns and who implements each element of the function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council via its directorates and stakeholders.

Other policies etc. which have a bearing on this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?

Strategies:
• Events Strategy.
• Corporate Strategy.
• Equality Scheme.
• Good Relations Strategy.
• Dignity and Respect at Work Policy.

Studies, Publications, Statistics and Guidance:
• Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency – Census 2021.
• Guidance from Pagentmaster, Bruno Peek, CBE OBE OPR.

Available Evidence

Evidence to help inform the screening process may take many forms. Public authorities should ensure that their screening decision is informed by relevant data.

What evidence/information (both qualitative and quantitative have you gathered to inform this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance? Specify details for relevant Section 75 categories.

It is proposed that all Section 75 categories will be considered via quantitative evidence that has been sourced via the NI Census in 2021 and the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey 2020.

Section 75 Category

Details of Evidence/Information

• The Census statistics in 2021 collated by NISRA statistics detailed the usual resident population of Causeway Coast & Glens Local Government District to be 141,746 accounting for 7.45% of the N.I. total. Statistical information with regards to the Districts makeup and individuals therein was also reviewed.
• It is also clear that the majority of our borough is rural in composition and therefore travel and other health and wellbeing needs must also be considered during screening.
• Council is dedicated to commemorating this anniversary in a spirit of mutual respect, inclusivity, and reconciliation, fostering positive engagement and good relations across all Section 75 groups. It is recognised that certain groups may have a stronger interest in this commemoration particularly in relation to religious belief and political opinion. As a result the programme includes events which aim to be welcoming, accessible and inclusive to all.
• The event programme has been carefully designed to be as inclusive as possible, aiming to create a positive impact across a broad range of Section 75 categories.
• It is structured to be suitable for all age groups and genders including individuals with and without disabilities. As a result, reasonable adjustments have been planned to support this inclusion.
• The event programme has been agreed at the Commemoration and Celebration Sub Committee Meeting, the Minutes of which are ratified by the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee followed by the full Council, thus giving all Elected Members and opportunity to consider.

Religious Beliefs

The 2021 Census outlined:

Religion / religion brought up in:

In terms of religion or religion brought up in the 2021 Census indicates that our resident’s religious beliefs are comparable to those in Northern Ireland in that there are 2 predominant groupings ie Roman Catholic and Protestant. However, we also have an increasing number of individuals (7.94%) who do not practice a specific religion or who do not wish to be grouped into a specific religion. In addition, we have a small number of individuals who practice other religions.

By comparing NISRA statistics in 2011 and 2021 with regards to religion of upbringing it is clear that residents in our area as in the whole of Northern Ireland are becoming more secular. This mirrors the trend across Northern Ireland as a whole. It is recognised that groups with certain religious beliefs may have a stronger interest in this commemoration.

It has been arranged that the VE Day Bunting will not be erected at the entertainment side of the Town Hall. Instead, multi-coloured bunting will be criss-crossed over this area in an effort to make people from all sections of the community feel welcome.

There is no indication or evidence to suggest that the event will have a negative impact on this Section 75 Group.

Political Opinion

The Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey (2021) provides the following information on the political parties people in Northern Ireland feel closest to (this information is not available at local government level)3:

It is recognised that groups with certain political opinions may have a stronger interest in this commemoration. As a result the programme includes events which aim to be welcoming, accessible and inclusive to all.

The event programme has been carefully designed to be as inclusive as possible, aiming to create a positive impact across a broad range of Section 75 categories.
As a result of programming there is no indication or evidence to suggest that the event will have a negative impact on this Section 75 Group.

Racial Group

On Census Day 21 March 2021 the resident population was: 4

The 2021 Census detailed 98.55% of our population is white, with 1.45% from an ethnic background. The largest minority ethnic groups in Causeway Coast and Glens are the Chinese (0.22%), Indian (0.15%) and Filipino (0.10%). The proportion of ethnic groups from a non-white background has increased in Causeway Coast and Glens over the last 10 years by 0.95% slightly increasing the diversity in our population.

Of the total population in Causeway Coast and Glens 3.45% of our residents were born outside the UK/Ireland as demonstrated in the table above this is an increase over the last 10 years of 0.56%.

Although our population is becoming more diverse 97.8% speak English as their main language. The other main languages spoken are Polish, Irish and Portuguese closely followed by Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese and Cantonese.

It is important to note that while other family members may be able to support translation, 1.30% or 750 households do not speak English as their main language and therefore would require translation services.

All information pertaining to the event is advertised on the Council website which can be translated into all languages included in the main languages table above.

If there is a language barrier whilst on site at an event, staff can use a translate app such as Live Transcribe or Google Translate.

A signer will be present at the event.

There is no indication or evidence to suggest that the event will have a negative impact on this Section 75 Group.

Age

Age: (NISRA Census 2021 – Table MS-A02)[1]

[1] Source : Northern Ireland Statistics website: www.nisra.gov.uk census-2021-ms-a02.xlsx (live.com)
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO.

[2] Source : Northern Ireland Statistics website: 2020-based interim population projections - statistical bulletin (nisra.gov.uk)
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO.

The event programme has been carefully designed to be as inclusive as possible, with elements for various age groups for example schools’ competition to tea dance, thereby aiming to create a positive impact across all age groups.

There is no indication or evidence to suggest that the event will have a negative impact on this Section 75 Group.

Marital Status

Marital Status:

Marital status by Council area (most recent figures available from Census 2021):

Causeway Coast and Glens follows a similar pattern to that of Northern Ireland in that the highest percentage of residents are married (47.81% compared with the NI average of 45.59%). The patterns are all higher than the NI average with the exception of Individuals in a civil partnership which at 0.14% is slightly lower than the NI average of 0.18%.

Same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland has been legal since 13 January 2020. (Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019)

There is no indication or evidence to suggest that the event will have a negative impact on this Section 75 Group.

Sexual orientation

The 2021 census for the first time included a question on sexual orientation.

The council currently has no data specific to its workforce.

There is no indication or evidence to suggest that the event will have a negative impact on this Section 75 Group.

Gender

Gender: (Census 2021 – Table MS-A07) [1]

[1] Source : Northern Ireland Statistics website: www.nisra.gov.uk census-2021-ms-a07.xlsx (live.com)
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO.

There is no indication or evidence to suggest that the event will have a negative impact on this Section 75 Group.

Dependents

In Causeway Coast and Glens 28% of households include dependent children, compared with the NI average of 29.21%.

In Causeway Coast and Glens 9.61% of households comprise of a lone parent and a dependent child or children, compared with the NI average of 10.58%.

At the time of the Census, 12.32% of people stated that they provided unpaid care to family, friends, neighbours or others; this is slightly lower than the NI average of 12.42%.

Celebrations are at various places within the town all of which have accessible access.

The Mobile Accessible Changing Units will be available at the event.

A quiet area will be available in the Town Hall if required.

Accessible picnic tables will be available.

There is no indication or evidence to suggest that the event will have a negative impact on this Section 75 Group.

Disability

The Census 2021 showed that 35.95% of our residents has a long-term health condition or illness which limits their daily activities or the work they can do, which is slightly higher than the NI average of 34.67%.

In our borough long-term pain or discomfort affects the most individuals, followed by mobility or dexterity that limits physical activities.

Source: NISRA, Census 2021, tables MS-D03, MS-D04 through to MS-D16

Signer, seating, flat ground, accessible toilet facilities will all be available.

Any flyers produced use writing no smaller than font size 14 for ease of reading.

Council have adopted the JAM system, so staff dealing with the event are prepared to support everyone.

Accessible picnic tables will be available.

The Mobile Accessible Changing Units will be in place.

There is no indication or evidence to suggest that the event will have a negative impact on this Section 75 Group.

Screening Questions (1)

1. What is the likely impact on equality of opportunity for those affected by this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?

Section 75 Category - Positive impact (it could benefit) Neutral Negative impact (it could disadvantage)

Gender
Women Neutral impact
Men Neutral impact
Transgender men/women Neutral impact
Other please specify Neutral impact

Reason: The event is designed to support individuals of all genders to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.

Race
The categories used in the Race section are those used in the 2011 census. Consideration should be given to the needs of specific communities within the broad categories.

Asian Neutral impact
Black Neutral impact
Chinese Neutral impact
Mixed race Neutral impact
Other please specify Neutral impact

Reason: The event is designed to support individuals of all racial backgrounds to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.

Disability
Long term health impairment could include mental health problems, asthma, heart conditions, chronic fatigue etc.

Neutral impact

Reason: The event is designed to support all individuals with a disability to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.

Sexual orientation

Heterosexual, lesbian, gay men, bisexual, others

Neutral impact

Reason: The event is designed to support individuals of all sexual orientations to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.

Age

Older People Neutral impact
Younger people and children Neutral impact

Reason: The event is designed to support individuals of all ages to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.

Political Opinion

Neutral impact

Reason: The event is designed to support individuals of all political opinions to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.

Religious Belief

Neutral impact

Reason: The event is designed to support individuals of all beliefs to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.

Martial Status

Neutral impact

Reason: The event is designed to support individuals of all marital status to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.

Dependants

Neutral impact

Reason: The event is designed to support individuals of all genders to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day through a meaningful and inclusive programme of events.

Screening Questions (2)

2. Are there opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for people within any of the Section 75 categories?

Gender

(Women, Men, Transgender men/women , Other please specify)

No. The event is designed to be as inclusive as possible it is not envisaged that there will be opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for this group.

Race

The categories used in the Race section are those used in the 2011 census. Consideration should be given to the needs of specific communities within the broad categories.
(Asian, Black, Chinese, Mixed race, White, Other please specify)

No. The event is designed to be as inclusive as possible it is not envisaged that there will be opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for this group.

Disability

Long term health impairment could include mental health problems, asthma, heart conditions, chronic fatigue etc.

No. The event is designed to be as inclusive as possible it is not envisaged that there will be opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for this group.

Sexual orientation

Heterosexual, lesbian, gay men, bisexual, others

No. The event is designed to be as inclusive as possible it is not envisaged that there will be opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for this group.

Age

Older People, Younger people and children

No. The event is designed to be as inclusive as possible it is not envisaged that there will be opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for this group.

Political Opinion

No. The event is designed to be as inclusive as possible it is not envisaged that there will be opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for this group.

Religious Belief

No. Although the event may be more appealing to the Unionist community it is designed to be as inclusive as possible it is not envisaged that there will be opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for this group.

Marital Status

No. The event is designed to be as inclusive as possible it is not envisaged that there will be opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for this group.

Dependants

No. The event is designed to be as inclusive as possible it is not envisaged that there will be opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for this group.

Screening Questions (3)

3. To what extent is the policy likely to impact on good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group?

Section 75 Category: Religious Belief
Level of impact: Minor. VE Day 80 is considered to be more closely associated with the Protestant/Unionist community and therefore, a differential impact is likely to be experienced by the Catholic/Nationalist community.

The VE programme is considered in the context of the Council’s wider programme of events which provides a broad and balanced range of events across communities.

Section 75 Category: Political Opinion
Level of impact: Minor. VE Day 80 is considered to be more closely associated with the Protestant/Unionist community and therefore, a differential impact is likely to be experienced by the Catholic/Nationalist community.

The VE programme is considered in the context of the Council’s wider programme of events which provides a broad and balanced range of events across communities.

Section 75 Category: Racial Group
Level of impact: None. None.

Screening Questions (4)

4. Are there opportunities to better promote good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group?

Religious Belief / Political Opinion / Racial Group: No. Although the event is more closely associated with the Protestant/Unionist community as stated above, the event was designed to be as inclusive as possible.

Additional Considerations

Generally speaking people can fall into more than one Section 75 category. Taking this into consideration, are there any potential impacts of the function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance on people with multiple identities? (For example: disabled minority ethnic people, disabled women, young Protestant men, young lesbians, gay and bisexual people.)

Council is aware that no one individual sits exclusively within just one of the designated groups. This has been given consideration in developing this policy and undertaking this screening exercise and mitigating measures have been put in place where possible such as the Mobile Accessible Changing Units, Signer etc.

Provide details of data on the impact of the function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance on people with multiple identities. Specify the relevant Section 75 categories concerned.

Example: an older lady with a hearing disability can take part. Or a single father with a baby requiring changing facilities can attend.

Disability Considerations

Is there an opportunity to better promote positive attitudes towards disabled people by altering this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?

No.

Is there an opportunity to encourage participation by disabled people in public life by altering this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?

Yes.

Please give further information and examples:

As mentioned above, measures to include as many people as possible regardless of disabilities have been considered such as the Mobile Accessible Changing Units, Signer etc.

Screening Decision

Likely Impact: Minor

If the decision is to subject the policy to an equality impact assessment (i.e. likely impact – Major), please provide details of the reasons for this:
N/A.

If the decision is not to conduct an equality impact assessment (i.e. likely impact = Minor) the Council should consider if the policy should be mitigated or an alternative policy be introduced:
Although not all Protestants are necessarily Unionist and not all Catholics are Nationalist, those from a Protestant, Unionist background are more likely to commemorate VE Day 80 compared to those of a Catholic, Nationalist background. The Event Programme is designed to be as inclusive as possible and have a positive impact on a range of Section 75 categories with a focus on ensuring accessibility for those with disabilities. It is also considered to be suitable for all ages.

If the decision is not to conduct an equality impact assessment (i.e. likely impact = None), please provide details of the reasons for this:

N/A.

Mitigation

When the Council concludes that the likely impact is ‘Minor’ and an equality impact assessment is not to be conducted, the Council may consider mitigation to lessen the severity of any equality impact, or the introduction of an alternative policy to better promote equality of opportunity or good relations.

Can the policy/decision be amended or changed or an alternative policy introduced to better promote equality of opportunity and/or good relations?

Yes.

If YES, give the reasons to support your decision, together with the proposed changes/amendments or alternative policy:

• A range of schools from different sectors have been invited to take part in a competition to design a mug.
• There will be a distinct focus on the historical significance of VE Day with historians being present at the event thus encouraging participation from an educational perspective.
• Churches have been invited to take part by ringing their Church bells.
• There is a particular focus on ensuring accessibility for those with disabilities with plans in places where appropriate for the use of sign language, wheelchair access, Mobile Accessible Changing Units etc
• If any unknowns are presented, they will be considered.

Timetabling And Prioritising

If the policy/decision has been ‘screened in’ for equality impact assessment, then please answer the following questions to determine its priority for timetabling the equality impact assessment.
On a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being the lowest priority and 3 the highest, assess the policy in terms of its priority for equality impact assessment.

Priority Criterion
Rating (1 to 3)
Effect on equality of opportunity and good relations N/A
Social Need N/A
Effect on people’s daily lives N/A
Relevance to the Council’s functions N/A

Monitoring

Please outline proposals for future monitoring of the policy/decision:

Any comments and complaints will be managed by the Corporate Services team.

A debrief meeting will be arranged for after the event and any comments/complaints will be considered.

Approval And Authorisation

Screened By: Business Support Officer, 13 March 2025

Approved By: Director Corporate Services, 28 April 2025