THE future of South Zeal Carnival is in doubt after organisers have decided to hold an emergency meeting to appeal for help from the community to put the event on.

The carnival committee, made up of just six members, recently held their annual meeting and with no new faces offering to help out, they have called an emergency meeting on April 13, to see if members of the community will help run this year's event planned for Saturday, October 24.

The carnival has been running for 30 years after Kit Cornthwaite, Keith Redstone and a group of enthusiasts were keen to revive the old tradition of a village carnival.

Dawn Watkins, chair of the carnival's committee said it was becoming harder and harder to keep the event going.

She said: 'We don't need a big committee to run it, it is more about help on the day, things like donation of raffle prizes, running stalls, baking cakes and things for those stalls and help with fundraising.

'I don't know why support for the event has dropped because I think people in the village do want it.

'It is always well supported and our afternoon children's procession is one of the best in the area.

'I think maybe people are too busy with other things now or think they can leave it to other people.

'It would be very sad if another village event like this were to go.

'It was revived 30 years ago after a break and it has been going well since then.

'Having been involved for 28 years myself I would be sad to see it go.'

Dawn said it would be sad to see traditional village events like the carnival die, as they helped hold the community together.

'You can go to the bigger carnivals and they are great, but you don't get the same atmosphere like you do at the smaller village ones,' she said.

'It costs around £1,500 to put on a one-day carnival like ours.

'With insurance now so high, our prize money and things like a band, it is all rising costs.

'We used to get two marching bands in for it, but now they are so popular they charge more, so last year we had to drop down to one.

'We give good prize money and we don't want to drop our prize money because we want to tempt the floats to come along and keep the event going.'

The meeting will be held in South Zeal's Victory Hall on Monday, April 13 at 8pm.

All are welcome to attend and offer their ideas and support.