Last chance to save Thurso Gala
THURSO Gala is facing the axe unless a final call for volunteers proves successful tonight.
Organisers Thurso Town Improvements Association said the town has its last chance to save the tradition or it faces being consigned to history.
Members will be holding the Save the Thurso Gala public meeting at the Royal Hotel at 7.30pm when chairwoman Doreen Macleod will make one last plea for volunteers to help organise the event, which has been running for more than 60 years.
It comes after this year’s week-long event was organised and run by just five committee members.
The organisation of the event was said to have put incredible stress and demands on those who did volunteer due to the lack of support.
Now the group says if it cannot get between 10 and 12 people involved, there will not be a Thurso Gala next summer.
TTIA committee member Sandy Macleod said the number of volunteers had dropped to unsustainable levels.
He said: “We have been arguing that the gala would fold unless volunteers came to join us for the last few years, yet our numbers have continued to drop.
“There have been posters around the town advertising the meeting on Friday and we really want it to have a future.
“We have been left with a small group of people who worked very hard to make sure this year’s gala went ahead but we would not be able to do the same thing again.
“Our demands for new people to come forward is nothing new, but this meeting could be the climax for the gala.”
Mr Macleod warned the public the possible axing of the gala was not an idle threat and made reference to other events in the county which were dropped due to a lack of support.
The Wick Hogmanay street party stopped after members of the organising committee fell from 30 in 2000 to just four last year – although plans are afoot to re-establish the event this year.
Wick Gala also experienced a similar situation last year when just three people turned up to its emergency AGM.
When it was announced Wick Gala would have to stop due to lack of support, 20 volunteers stepped in to save the event.
Mr Macleod hopes for a similar response in Thurso.
“It has been going for over 60 years and it represents the history of the town going back to the old fishing days,” he said.
“But since then it has moved on to become a more modern event and funds raised from it support putting up the Christmas lights and the senior citizens’ concert.
“A lot of people depend on us to raise funds at the gala for other events to be held as well. But if the gala goes, so will everything else we raise money for.”