WEYMOUTH Carnival may not happen this year due to a funding crisis.

There are ‘major concerns’ about the event due to both financial and safety matters.

The volunteer-run committee is now desperately trying to raise £10,000 by the end of March and recruit more helpers otherwise it will not go ahead.

As well as providing a fun day out for families and raising money for good causes the August carnival is a big money-spinner for the town. It attracts more than 60,000 people and benefits the economy by around £2 million.

Problems have arisen after last year’s carnival just about broke even so there was no money left over for this year.

Outgoing chairman Elysia Munday said: “Last year’s committee faced many intense challenges making the running of the event an uphill struggle. Weymouth Carnival is normally organised by a committee of about fifteen people, but in 2014, we only had six.

“It’s so important to remember that carnival is an event that can only give what it receives, which means support from the community, local business and volunteers is paramount.

“Having a committee that has been decreasing in size and experience, a shortfall of volunteers and a dramatic decline in sponsors over the last few years has severely impacted the future of carnival.”

She added: “It is unfortunately not possible to continue Weymouth Carnival with the situation as it is. Without the volunteer numbers, the event is dangerous. Without the funding, we simply cannot afford to make it happen.”

Although new trustees have been appointed and a new committee is in place there are still concerns whether the event will be able to go ahead.

New chairman of trustees Ryan Hope said: “After receiving all the information handed over by last year’s committee and attending a safety advisory group two of the new trustees have resigned due to the event being too much of a risk to stage this year.”

He added: “There are huge concerns around the financial position. We can no longer rely on volunteers to carry out such tasks as stewarding as many of them do not have the correct qualification or knowledge to do this job safely.

“There is also the risk that a volunteer doesn’t turn up and if there was an accident the committee would be held liable for providing the number of stewards they said they would in the event management plan.”

An action plan has been put in place for the next month that involves mainly generating income and the new committee will attempt to raise £10,000. But if this is not met there will not be a carnival for 2015.

The committee will be looking at providing training in events stewarding to enable them to carry out a carnival in 2016.

“Local businesses will be approached to help fund such courses to enable us to bring back carnival,” Mr Hope said.

Tourism spokesman for the borough council Cllr Rachel Rogers said: “I would be very disappointed if the carnival didn’t happen. Clearly it’s a major part of our tourism offer. However the decision isn’t final and in fact the council is meeting with the carnival committee on Friday to discuss the event.”

 

THE Round Table organised Weymouth Carnival for many years until 2007 when it announced that it no longer had the time and resources to continue.
Weymouth Community Volunteers stepped up to take it forward, but concerns about health and safety and high insurance premiums prompted them to run a float-free procession for two years.
The community threw its weight behind a campaign, backed by the Echo, to bring the floats back.
Members of Weymouth’s Rotary Clubs then stepped in to revive the event, and the motorised procession.
The Rotary organised it for three successful years including a major airshow in 2011. Since 2013, the carnival has been run by an independent carnival committee.