A STOKE Prior woman is urging residents to help save Bromsgrove Carnival from collapse.

Lyn Haden, who was the only resident to attend a public meeting about the future of the event earlier this year, now wants to hear from people and set up a meeting to take the carnival forward.

Lyn and her children, Tom, aged eight, and Emily, four, have taken part in the parade for the past four years. "This year's event was once again a great day and an opportunity for the people of Bromsgrove to come together, have some fun and support a variety of local causes," she said.

"But is that it now? The T-shirts that the organisers wore at the carnival bore the words "The carnival is over." Do the people of Bromsgrove realise that? The committee from the hospital is no longer organising the gala at the park and the carnival organisers, Jeff and Jules Evans, are calling an end to their successful time.

"Is everyone out there happy about that? Does it give us another day when we can hide ourselves away and forget we belong to a community?"

She added: "I, for one, hope that the carnival is not over. However, it takes more than one hope to make anything happen. It could all collapse unless people help and take it on. We really need to keep it going."

Lyn said that former carnival chairman Jeff was willing to offer advice and it would be easier to keep the carnival going now that everything was in place, rather than let it die then have to re-start it. She added: "The carnival committee is having its AGM in November and I would really like to go there with a group of people and say we are going to take it on."

Anyone who is interested in helping in the carnival should contact Lyn on 879578.