A LACK of public support in helping to organise events is taking its toll on Skipton.

The popular Festival of Speed has had to be cancelled this year because the burden of organisation will fall on too few shoulders.

In past years, the cart racing competition, which raised £3,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance in 2002, has been organised by two or three businessmen from Chapel Hill.

But regretfully due to the pressures of running their own firms they have stepped down.

The last minute go-ahead has been given for Skipton Gala 2003 but its depleted committee now has just three months to pull together a programme of attractions.

In previous years the gala's main events and bands have been booked by the end of November and a committee of about 20 people has spent the rest of the time ensuring its smooth running.

But this year's gala has been under threat for many months after five committee members stepped down.

At an emergency meeting last Thursday the depleted committee of 12 decided to go-ahead with the event on June 14 despite the short timescale.

Organiser Glynn Beresford cautiously welcomed the decision.

He said that the main attraction, James Dillon's Stunt World, the fair, the March Falconry team and some bands had been booked but it would still take an immense effort to ensure everything was ready on time.

Mr Beresford, who has to fit his gala work around a full time day job, has called on people to lend a hand in the run-up to the event, on gala day and with clearing up afterwards.

"I want a team of doers rather than a team of thinkers," he said.

Skipton Gala 2003 needs to be a successful after last year's event ran at a loss of £3,000.

Unforeseen costs were partly to blame but to make matters worse the annual fundraising bazaar held in Skipton Town Hall was cancelled by Craven District Council because of the firemen's strike.

Money raised from the gala is usually split between local charities and groups. However last year the losses were too heavy to sustain a donations evening.

Mr Beresford said: "The only people from now on to receive any donations will for the foreseeable future be those parties or groups who help themselves by helping us.

"We have made a donation this year to the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association who helped us immensely in 2002."

The prominence of the procession to launch this year's gala has still to be decided.

Mr Beresford said that it would definitely run in some form or other but it might prove difficult to get enough wagons for the floats.

He said that stories of people suing companies after falling from wagons during parades had resulted in at least two companies pulling out of Skipton Gala this year.

He thought that smaller groups like primary schools might find it difficult to get a wagon and suitable insurance.

It looks as though it is going to be up to the British Waterways Festival and Skipton Town Council's Sheep Day to pull in the crowds this summer.

The Waterways Festival with its decorated boats and entertainment in the canal basin will be held over the Bank Holiday Weekend May 3 to 5.

However discussions are ongoing as to whether the Coach Street fair, which was held on the same weekend as the Waterways Festival last year, will be run. Organisers are still being sought.

Sheep Day with its usual country crafts, sheep shearing, rope making and other entertainment will be held in the High Street and the town hall on July 6.