Last-ditch effort to save carnival

From the archive, first published Monday 4th Dec 2006.

People have been urged to attend an emergency meeting tonight to prevent a 30-year-old community tradition coming to an end.

Organisers of Wrose Carnival were stunned when no-one turned up at their public meeting last month to rally support for next year's event.

Carnival chairman Karen Anderson said she wasted hours writing and re-writing a speech ready to tell everyone how successful the 2006 effort was.

She said: "It was brilliant. A record turnout and a record fundraiser. We had around 10,000 people and made £2,000. We were thrilled considering it clashed with an England World Cup match."

But Karen, of Thornacre Drive, Wrose, never got to make her speech - the only person who turned up was a representative of Low Ash Primary School who came to collect a £300 cheque.

Mrs Anderson said: "Even the response from charities or organisations wanting a share of the cash was poor. Only two applied even though we had an advert in our programme."

Mrs Anderson, a mum-of-two, said: "I was all pumped up for a great meeting with lots of new interest but it all fell flat. We used to have a committee of 15 but due to ill-health or people moving away there's only ten of us now.

"I'd like to think the carnival will go on for another 30 years but without the community's support it won't happen."

Now carnival organisers have decided to give the community one last chance and have arranged tonight's meeting at Eccleshill United Football Club in Kingsway, Wrose, starting at 7pm.

Mrs Anderson said: "We're not asking people to give up too much time. "We meet up once a month and then of course there's helping out on carnival day itself.

e-mail: kathie.griffiths@bradford.newsquest.co.uk