CHARITIES could lose out on up to £2,000 after organisers of the annual Dunchurch Festival had to dip into their coffers to keep their street procession on the road.
And the procession route itself has been halved by police – ending 40 years of village tradition.
The Dunchurch Festival Group (DFG) were told earlier this year they needed to employ a traffic management company to marshal the event – which has raised around £80,000 for local charities and good causes over the years.
Including insurance costs, the group have had to foot a bill estimated at around £1,500 to £2,000.
And police have said they will not close the crossroads in the centre of the village for the procession, meaning it will miss out half of the village – including a care home.
Traffic will instead be diverted down the narrow Northampton Lane, Cawston Lane and Adkinson Avenue.
DFG’s Ann Wright said it was unfortunate.
She said: “We will miss giving entertainment to half the village including sheltered housing, and collecting along the way where we raised money to go to our local good causes.
“We understand why this decision has been made – we have always tried to comply with all the stricter regulations that have been put our way.
“But this could be killing off a long standing tradition going back decades, bringing joy to loads of people and raising thousands.
“The procession was always organized and marshaled by the festival group members, and there has never been an accident in all that time.
“But we will not let it stop us – we will have the procession.”
DFG chair Rob Collings said he understood the decision but was disappointed.
He said: “We have no beef with the police – they’ve got to think about everyone else.
“But we’ve complied with every safety rule and it’s cost us loads of money in insurance and employing a traffic management company.
“It all whittles away our resources which we eventually give away to local good causes and charities.”
Warwickshire Police have not yet responded to a request for comment.
The festival takes place on Saturday June 17. The procession will meet outside St Peters Church for 12.30pm and move onto Rugby Road and along to Dunchurch Sports Field, where the fete will take place until 5pm.
Visit www.dunchurchevents.org for more details.
