Frenzy clubnight officially becomes a religion in response to Bournemouth Council’s legislation on flyering

There’s been a lot of publicity already around this article with press and radio stations carrying the story within 24 hours of it being released on the Frenzy website. I thought I’d reproduce it here as it comes at a time where the Bournemouth night time economy is suffering… yet the council are prohibiting traders from trying to bring business into the town. Here’s the press release in full from Frenzy:

Frenzy, the popular and nationally renowned hard house event from Bournemouth, has this week announced that it has officially become a religion.

This announcement is in response to Bournemouth Borough Council’s recent legislation that bans the distribution and flyering of marketing materials on the streets unless a license is purchased, plus express permission granted from the council to do so.

Instead, Frenzy is taking the necessary steps to ensure that any flyering activities are kept within the boundaries of Bournemouth Borough Council’s recent legislation. The council’s information sheet on street flyering states the following:

 

The distribution of free printed matter is permitted only with the prior consent of the Council… The legislation does not apply to the distribution of free literature:

• by or on behalf of a charity within the meaning of the Charities Act 1993 where that literature relates to or is for the benefit of that charity
• where the distribution is for political purposes
• by a person who distributes the literature by delivering it into a building or letterbox
• where the distribution is for the purposes of a religion or belief

Whilst Frenzy deems that this ruling is in fact un-enforcable by law due to the Human Rights Act of 1998, the clubnight does not wish to aggravate the council or set a precedent for other clubbing events to follow.

As a result Frenzy has made the decision after consultation with their legal counsel to becoming its own religion. As with any religions Frenzy has a set of rulings that any practicing members should adhere to which are as follows;

• I shall pay my council tax
• I shall not drop litter on the floor
• I shall respect my neighbours
• I shall rave safely

In response to comments in the press that Frenzy cannot be officially viewed as a religion, the clubnight is referring to Section 44 of the Equality Act 2006 which states that a religion is as follows:

(a) “religion” means any religion,
(b) “belief” means any religious or philosophical belief,
(c) a reference to religion includes a reference to lack of religion, and
(d) a reference to belief includes a reference to lack of belief.

This definition is broad enough to cover any mainstream religions, cranks, cults, and quite frankly, Frenzy.

Bournemouth Borough Council have so far declined to comment on the matter.