Locals have claimed ‘Scrooge is alive and well’ after funding cuts forced a popular Christmas Market in the Midlands to be scrapped.
Boldmere Christmas Festival, on the outskirts of Birmingham, had been running for 15 years before the council voted against funding it.
Patrons of the market have taken to Facebook to express their disappointment, with one saying: ‘Scrooge is alive and well’.
Another said: ‘Don’t they know it’s Christmas time at all…’
A third said: ‘Gutted about this! The Boldmere summer and Christmas festivals are generally my favourite event to bring my business to! Great day always! Such a shame.’
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Others have suggested practical ways to fundraise the remaining money needed.
According to the organisers, the festival costs £24,000 to put on, of which £14,000 is funded from the events’ stalls, activities and food.
To make up for the shortfall, the organisers, Boldmere Futures CIC, approached the local Sutton Coldfield Town Council, but reportedly ‘weren’t offered a penny’.
The organisers’ post online said the council refused funding because ‘the festival was not financially sustainable’.
Chairman of Boldmere Futures CIC, Paul Long said: ‘Unfortunately, we are dealing with politicians rather than professional funders and so it doesn’t matter how good our bids for funding and the outcomes we deliver are.
‘The town councillors have always been jealous of the community we have built up in Boldmere. We have now hit a brick wall.
‘After 15 years since it was started by the then Boldmere Traders’ Association, it now seems that we will no longer have a Christmas Festival in Boldmere and so unless we can find alternative funding then this is a goodbye from the Christmas Festival.’
Sutton Coldfield Town Council had said ‘the decision to cancel the Boldmere Christmas Festival is a matter for the organisers, Boldmere Futures CIC.’
Long said: ‘This is a big blow for our high street that relies upon events like this to remain open. The festival was always an opportunity for members of the public to have some fun together as a community, for local businesses to sell their artisan products and for new businesses to try out a low-cost artisan market stall.’
Someone commented underneath the post: ‘Very disappointing and short-sighted of Sutton Town Council. Boldmere is a thriving high street, and they should support it with engagement activities like these. It’s not just for Boldmere residents; people from all over Sutton attend.’