A ‘BRILLIANT’ response has been received to a new fete in a village in the 50th year of a community group.

Burnham Village Fete will take place at Burnham Park, from 12pm-4.30pm on July 9, and the committee organising the event has seen a positive response from stall holders looking to attend.

The event replaced the traditional Burnham Carnival for this year, after the Burnham Community Association (BCA), the group behind the event, could not attract enough volunteers to help out. The majority of volunteers are needed to help with the parade down High Street but, due to a lack of support, the parade cannot take place.

Helen Slaney, stalls co-ordinator on the fete committee, was disappointed that the carnival could not take place in its former guise in the 50th year of the BCA, but was hopeful for a similarly successful day for the new event.

She said: “The carnival is not going ahead because of a lack of volunteers. Hopefully it will just be as good without the parade. We are still having the stalls and we are still having it in Burnham Park.

"We are so keen to do something as it is the 50th year of the association. We were determined that we were going to do something. It is going to be scaled down a bit, but I think it will not be too much different.”

Mrs Slaney said that the response from stall holders has been great. She added: “We have had a brilliant response from the stall holders. I have contacted everybody that had a stall last year, both charities and commercial, and the initial response has been really good and everybody is positive about it.”

There will be a miniature garden competition for school pupils, as well as a picnic, barbecue and a fun fair.

Mrs Slaney said: “It is the same organising committee as the carnival was last year and so many people have got in touch asking about it. We cannot second guess the number of people that will be there because it is a new event.”

Visit burnhamcommunityassociation.org.uk