Following hundreds of hours of planning and meetings the Weymouth Carnival committee has called it a day following a lack of active support from local people.
What was supposed to be the Centenary Carnival in 2021 was ditched earlier in the year largely because of Covid restrictions and now the 2021 Carnival is all but cancelled due to a lack of local support.
Weymouth Carnival committee chairperson Seb Green told Dorset Eye:
‘It is with sadness and regret I have made the decision to step down as the Director of the Carnival CIC. Unfortunately this means that unless someone steps in the CIC will fold and as a result it is extremely unlikely we will see a return of weymouth carnival next year. Whilst the team have worked incredibly hard the committee has been faced with a lack of funding and volunteers. Although there has been a lot of noise coming from the local community who would like it’s return, this has failed to materialise into support and it is likely the concerns regarding Covid – 19 have influenced this.
I will keep the social media page and website going in the hope another group may decide to step in, in that event I will hand it over. I would like to say a personal thank you to all the committee members past and current for their dedication, determination and hard work.’
Seb Green also offered advice on what needs to be done for a successful carnival to take place in the future:
‘I believe for any carnival to be a success in the future it needs to be reimagined with an increased emphasis on the procession. Ideally not run by a single group but rather a collective of local organisations working together. Funding and volunteers has been and will be a factor for the carnival, however through applying business principles focus should be placed on enabling the carnival to become self sufficient.
Increasing revenue streams will not only help achieve this but would also allow for the hiring of paid employees. For the carnival to return next year it requires, in my opinion, a cash injection of at least £10,000. This would be needed to not only cover certain costs but springboard the organisers into a huge fundraising effort.’
The message is clear. If we keep leaving it to others little happens. If we all join together and contribute, success is a much greater probability. Take heed.
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Seb and his team should be congratulated for their efforts on our behalf – we are facing an uncertain future, many people and businesses may not be in a position to commit time and money at this juncture. Who knows, perhaps the council may step in with a small cash injection to support a new group of like minded locals.