Threat to future of Wick Hogmanay street party
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WICK’s Hogmanay street party was almost cancelled hours before it was due to go ahead because of a lack of volunteers.
Organisers are also warning the future of the event is on the line given the small amount of money donated on the night.
HAPPY committee chairman Allan Farquhar said the number of volunteers who signed up to steward and administer first aid at the latest party was the minimum it legally required to host the event.
Had one of its small band of volunteers failed to turn up, organisers would have been left with no option but to have pulled the plug.
Despite an estimated 1500 seeing in the bells at the street party at Kirkhill Lane, only £350 was raised from the charity buckets which were passed round on the night.
Wick Hogmanay Street party was cancelled in 2011 due to a lack of volunteers, and Mr Farquhar was one of the driving forces behind reviving the annual celebration in the town.
He said the future of the street party was now in serious doubt and people need to become involved and give donations to ensure it had a future.
“The number of people performing official duties was so low that if we lost one more person we would have had to cancel the event and there would not have been a street party,” he said.
“It was a close-run affair – it almost didn’t happen but thankfully we still had the minimum required for it to go ahead.
“To ensure it has a future, we need more people to come forward.”
Mr Farquhar said it was also disappointing that despite an excellent crowd on Hogmanay, only £350 was raised in donations.
“It was disheartening to receive so little donations given the size of the crowd,” he said.
“The number of young people at the event who turned around and said they had no money, but yet they were there enjoying the entertainment was disappointing.
“Volunteers said to people without donations there would be no party next year, to which some people responded: ‘don’t care’.
“It was a really disappointing attitude to see from some people.”
Wick community councillor Doreen Turner said the amount raised was disappointing and felt everyone had to do their bit to ensure the street party could continue.
But she added other community groups in Wick were suffering from a lack of support from volunteers.
“If everybody who attended Wick Hogmanay Street Party donated just £1, the event would have raised £1500 which would have been a good total,” she said.
If the street party goes ahead for 2015/16, it is thought it will return to Market Square following the completion of the new council office HQ.
