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The date is set for September
Colchester Carnival is set to return to the town's calendar this year following a two-year break. For six years up to 2016 it has been run by Colchester Round Table and Colchester Ladies Circle but they have decided to take a step back.
It will be the first time the Colchester fire fighters, have organised this kind of event. Colchester firefighter Mick Rogers said: "Colchester Fire Station are pleased to announce that we will be continuing the good work of Colchester Round Table 367 and Colchester Ladies Circle by taking over responsibility for organising the Colchester Carnival which will see its return in 2019. "We are proud to be given the opportunity to host this historic event which has unfortunately been missing from the town’s calendar for the past couple of years. "It is in the very early stages of planning but our intention is to move the carnival to early September 2019. "We will be advertising this event fully soon via social media where further information will be published as arrangements are made." Mr Rogers added the organisation of it was going to be "a real team effort". "The group of volunteers is made up of fire fighters from Colchester Fire Station all of whom will be involved at some point including taking part in the procession itself, plus some of our community safety officers, our friends and family. "They’ve also got a lot of support from the Round Table and people who used to be involved in it in previous years." The fire fighters have previous experience of organising many charity events, station open days and other community events. The crews will also have to fit the planning of the event in their own time but will be able to use the facilities at work to support them. Previously the carnival has taken place in July with the route starting from Abbey Fields and leading into the town centre via Head Street and High Street, before ending at Castle Park. Route details are still to be confirmed but the fire fighters opted for September as it is outside of summer holidays when lots of people are away from the area. Cyril Thomas, chairman of the Colchester Round Table, said it was approached by the fire station to take over the event. Its members had previous concerns over whether they could commit to running it in 2019. He added: "They have the dedicated resources for this type of thing and were already involved in the health and safety aspect of the event in previous years." Any individuals, groups, schools or businesses who wish to take part in the carnival should get involved |
