THE EXTENT to which volunteers and charities contribute to the fabric of a Suffolk town will be laid clear for all to see next month.

The bi-annual Sudbury on Show event takes place in the town on Saturday February 2 and will feature representatives from more than 100 groups, clubs and societies - the majority of which are run by people who give up their time for free. The event, which is due to be held in the Town Hall and St Peters church in the market place, is billed as a ‘celebration of local voluntary community activity’ and will include stalls from groups working in areas as diverse as mental health and photography to visual impairment and wildlife conservation.

The Sudbury on Show event with all the different groups under one roof is the brainchild of Lord Andrew Phillips who came up with the idea a decade ago.

He said: “The show is based on the model of the Freshers Fair held at Cambridge University where incoming students can see early on what activities are available for them to get involved in. It’s a chance for us old Sudburyians and Cornardians to remind ourselves what a vibrant and wonderful community we live in and for new arrivals to see the amazing diversity of voluntary organisations in the town and climb aboard,”

For Sudbury mayor Jack Owen, the large number of volunteers in Sudbury is key to the town’s character. He added: “There’s so many volunteers giving up their time to help people - it’s amazing. Sudbury must be one of the volunteering capitals of Suffolk.”