Village carnival cancelled over volunteer shortage

A carnival running since the 1970s has been cancelled because it cannot get enough volunteers.

The free event in the village of Hale, Surrey, needs at least 12 people to run it but at the moment it has only seven on the committee - and two of those may have to leave.

It is not the first time it has had this problem. The festival, which gives away thousands of pounds to local charities, stopped in 1995 before resuming in 2003.

Committee chairwoman Amanda Sergison-Main believed the event was not alone in facing this challenge.

The 58-year-old said: "We have advertised and we have had news articles and we have reached out to organisations.

"Other organisations are also struggling to find volunteers. We have shared the news ahead of time with some of the groups we support and they have all said they understand.

"It's not limited to the carnival, it is across the community. People are struggling to get people to help and support and volunteer."

Last year, Amanda said, the festival gave away £6,500 to good causes and has raised in the region of £80,000 over the years.

"One of the big disappointments is that [this year] we won't be able to give away the profits that we make from the carnival," the mum-of-one said.

The show, which attracts about 3,000 people each year to see floats, classic cars, bands and a dog show, is held every July.

Amanda, who works full time in marketing, hoped the carnival would be back in 2027.

She said: "We hope it's a pause. We have called it a pause. The committee is still active.

"We still want a carnival. We just don't think we can do it this year. We're going to try and build exposure and excitement to get enough people to think about volunteering."

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