According to information released following a Freedom of Information request, Bedford Borough Council spent thousands of pounds on branded merchandise and staff away days in recent years, including 5,000 pens and team-building events with flower arranging and FitSteps sessions.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) submitted the request after the government announced in April that Whitehall departments would be “banned” from buying promotional merchandise or holding non-essential staff away days.
Although the new rules do not apply to councils, the Cabinet Office said they are part of a “crackdown on wasteful spending in government in favour of a more productive and agile state”.
Bedford Borough Council’s response revealed that:
- Family Hubs spent over £6,500 on branded items and marketing materials in 2023/24 and 2024/25, including:
- £1,791 on 5,000 branded pens
- £3,272 on 5,000 trolley coins
- £428 on 100 travel mugs
- Plus branded clothing and tote bags
- Adults’ Services spent £150 on mugs for Social Work Day (2024/25)
- In 2023, the Mayor’s Office spent £1,000 on council badges from its civic budget
The council also funded regular staff events and away days across several departments:
- Children’s Services spent £5,792 at a venue in Bedford (2022/23 to 2024/25)
- The chief executive’s department spent nearly £450 on teas and coffees for two ‘Bedford Leader’ events in 2024.
Activities listed included puzzle solving, flower arranging, motivational interviewing, sleep wellbeing sessions, and outdoor walks.
In response to the FOI, the council admitted it has no central tracking code for either away day or branded merchandise spending, and said not all departments could return data.
The LDRS followed up with questions to ask whether Bedford Borough Council:
- Plans to review its approach in light of the government announcement
- Can justify spending on 5,000 pens and 5,000 trolley coins
- Believes that away days costing hundreds of pounds remain appropriate during a financial squeeze
- Intends to monitor this type of expenditure in future centrally
- Has assessed the impact or value for money of this kind of spending
As of publication, no response has been received to these questions.
Boosting productivity
In its April statement, the government said staff training and development are “key to boosting productivity”.
However, instead of hiring external venues, officials will now be instructed to hold training, team-building exercises, and ‘away days’ in government buildings that are available for free.
In recent years, thousands of pounds have been spent on goods branded with department logos or slogans, including mugs, jumpers, water bottles, and fidget cubes.
Spending money on goods branded with department logos or slogans will be banned to focus funding “where it matters”.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
