A JUBILEE bursary fund, support for local carnivals, small-scale community events and street parties are being considered by Canterbury council as ways of commemorating the Queen's Golden Jubilee this summer.

The council will probably not organise or fund a special large event of its own but district events officer John Hawkins says they expect communities to use the opportunity to celebrate. He said it was probably too late to consider staging a big celebration but pointed out few other local authorities would be doing so.

"We have two pretty major events with the jubilee baton on June 23 and the likelihood of doing BBC Music Live over the jubilee weekend," he said. "We are already in discussion with a business group in Herne Bay that plans a big celebration and have had preliminary inquiries about an event in Whitstable.

"With the budget situation as it is we would not look to fund a huge party out of the public purse. But we are confident the community will use the opportunity to celebrate as they have in the past for events like the Queen's Silver Jubilee, VE Day and the Millennium."

The economic and strategic planning sub-committee agreed not to pursue a big event but wants officers to report back on how the jubilee bursary fund idea could pump-prime community-based events that would not otherwise take place.

Members also want more support for local carnivals, which they believe will encourage private funding and feel officer time could be allocated to help small-scale community events and street parties.