THE date for the 2009 Beccles Carnival annual meeting was announced this week- but the committee have warned that the summer event may not go ahead if they do not get more support from the people of the town.

THE date for the 2009 Beccles Carnival annual meeting was announced this week- but the committee have warned that the summer event may not go ahead if they do not get more support from the people of the town.

Sean Stock, who is treasurer of the committee, confirmed that the annual will take place on Wednesday March 4 at the Kings Head in New Market.

However he also admitted that he is worried about whether the Carnival will take place at all, due to a lack of funds and a lack of support from local people.

Mr Stock is issuing an urgent plea to the people of Beccles to join up with the committee as he feels the job is becoming too much for the current eight members.

“I want to see a carnival again but at the end of the day people need to step up,” he said. “We all have lives outside of the carnival and we all have jobs we do on a day to day basis. We all do this voluntarily.

“It's a hell of a big undertaking for eight people. We need people who are prepared to put the time in.”

He added that carnival funds were very low because businesses were less inclined to sponsor the event due to the economic downturn, and because of poor attendance in the past few years partly due to competition from Latitude Festival, which takes place on the same weekend in July.

However he stressed that he was eager for the event to take place this year. “It brings a lot of people out and it brings a lot of people together,” he said. “It's a great community thing and it would be a shame if it didn't go ahead.”

Mr Stock said that the annual meeting was taking place later than usual because the committee had still not received money that was due them, and therefore could not provide the final balance for the 2009 Carnival.

If you wish to join the committee go along to the meeting, which starts at 7.30pm in the Function Room.