By Sarah ChambersA TOWN fair which was established just three years ago has been cancelled because of a lack of volunteers to help out.The third Saxmundham Saxon Fayre was due to take place on August 2, but organisers have reluctantly cancelled this year's event because volunteers were thin on the ground.

By Sarah Chambers

A TOWN fair which was established just three years ago has been cancelled because of a lack of volunteers to help out.

The third Saxmundham Saxon Fayre was due to take place on August 2, but organisers have reluctantly cancelled this year's event because volunteers were thin on the ground. However, they are hoping to revive it next year – provided enough support can be found.

David Adams, chairman of the 2002 fair committee, said: "We are talking hopefully just a year's break, but there were lots of problems last year and not enough help and it has not been forthcoming this year, I'm afraid.

"We have had to take a decision not to hold it this year. It's just too late basically to get everything organised."

The fair currently has a committee of five, but needs about twice that number. A couple of committee members had also moved away from the area, said Mr Adams.

"The committee is very disappointed because everybody wanted to keep it going and we had one or two bits and pieces this year which we couldn't do last year," he added

The event relies on voluntary contributions and selling programmes, rather than charging an entry fee, and in its first year made about £2,500 for various local charities.

However, they were unable to collect enough money to distribute last year because there were few volunteers,.

"It was so short-handed last year that a lot of things didn't get done. The problem was we didn't have enough people to help and effectively we didn't collect the money," said Mr Adams.

"There seems to be a general trend of people not helping with their local events in general throughout the county. It's becoming very difficult to find people to volunteer and get their skills together to offer to us."

Anyone wanting to help with the Saxmundham Saxon Fayre next year should contact Mr Adams on 01728 603311, write to Saxon Fayre Committee, Market Hall, High Street, Saxmundham, or visit its website at www.saxmundham.info/saxonfayre.

sarah.chambers@eadt.co.uk