News
Help us save procession plea to public
Tuesday 04 March 2008
By Richard Catton 'WE will not be defeated' declare organisers of the St Wilfrid Procession who are calling on the people of Ripon to help save this year's event.
Last week the Gazette revealed how the cost of staging the annual parade would double from last year's £8,000 as new legislation means local authorities now charge to organise road closures.
Despite initial fears that the popular event might be at risk, members of the procession committee have pledged to go ahead, with a plea to the public for help.
'ancient tradition'
Secretary Sheila Burney said: "We are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the St Wilfrid Procession, the ancient tradition held to commemorate the patron saint of Ripon Cathedral, does not die out.
"We are confident that with the help of every citizen of Ripon we can raise the extra funds. We are going to be shaking boxes here there and everywhere."
The fundraising effort begins tonight with a race evening held at the Unicorn Hotel, while tomorrow sees volunteers packing bags at Morrisons for donations.
collection boxes
The committee is also organising collection boxes to place in shops and businesses throughout Ripon in the coming weeks.
"If every citizen in Ripon were to donate a small sum we could cover all the costs of the procession, the extra funds, the entertainers, bands insurance, publicity and printing," said Mrs Burney.
"Please put your loose change or folding money in our buckets wherever you see them."
Last week procession chairman Annette Wilson told how the committee needed to find £2,000 to pay administration fees to North Yorkshire County Council for handling road closures.
The committee also needs to find the extra thousands of pounds needed to pay for a private traffic management company to handle road closures on the day of the parade.
Mrs Burney is also urging those working on floats to carry on and has announced this year's event will see the return of a best shop window competition.
meeting
Next month the committee will be holding a public meeting in the Unicorn Hotel where people can volunteer to help on the day or assist with fundraising.
"Our British heritage is expressed in events such as ours and we are proud of the unbroken record of the procession," added Mrs Burney.
"Last year's procession took place with lightning-speed organisation, pulled together at very much the 11th hour and we are rightly proud that it was the best procession Ripon has seen for a number of years.
"We fully intend to surpass it this year and indeed next year's event will be an extra special occasion commemorating the 1,300th anniversary of the death of St Wilfrid."
The public meeting takes place on Tuesday, March 11, in the Unicorn Hotel at 7pm.
This week it was announced that Harrogate International Youth Music Festival was cancelling its traditional Easter Sunday parade, for the first time in 26 years, because of the costs involved in closing roads for the event.
