A report has revealed that the cost of running Play in the Parks in Burntwood rose by £2,000 in 2019.
The annual scheme sees activities take place in parks across the town during the school holidays.
Funding is provided by the council, with the scheme previously costing between £2,000 and £3,000 a year to run.
But the 2019 event saw costs increase after the council brought in an outside organisation to help run it.
A report from town clerk Graham Hunt to a meeting of the community and partnerships committee said: “The net to cost to the town council for Play in the Parks 2019 is just over £5,000 after a £500 grant from the Lichfield Safer Communities Partnership Small Projects Fund.
“This is approximately £2,000 more than the previous year due to the commissioning of an events management company.
“This was felt necessary to free up town council staff and address health and safety concerns.
“The extra cost can be covered from within the approved budget.”
Play in the Parks began in 2005 and saw eight events take place in 2019.
Mr Hunt’s report continued: “This year’s events have been very well attended by local people and are clearly valued by them.
“The role of partners is becoming important as the resources of the town council have become stretched.
“The combination of staff holidays, sickness and other commitments has made for a challenging summer for the town council. However, the appointment of an events management company ensured that these events ran smoothly and any risks were managed.”
The report will be heard at a meeting of the committee on 16th September.
