THE West Looe May Fayre Committee is hoping to recruit volunteers to help with staging a West Looe Square Street Party combining elements of the usual event with celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – and not held in May this time around but in June.

The call comes after the committee recently met to discuss whether to hold the May Fayre on Saturday, May 7, now that the situation with COVID seems more certain.

May Fayre organiser Edwina Hannaford said, “We don’t believe COVID now poses the same barriers to holding the event as it has for the past two years, which has meant we have been unable to hold the event since 2019.

“However, we are concerned about the capacity and resources required to hold the May Fayre when, three weeks later, there is an opportunity to hold a party for the Queen to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee over the extended bank holiday weekend from June 2-5 as part of the town wide celebrations.”

The Government announced last year that the Platinum Jubilee, marking the Queen’s unprecedented 70 years on the throne - the longest of any British monarch - is to be marked with a four-day bank holiday at the start of June, so this is what has prompted the suggestion.

Sheila Brock, who runs Sheila’s School of Dancing in Looe and also organises the May Fayre, said: “The West Looe May Fayre committee are therefore proposing we collaborate with others who may want to hold a traditional street party in West Looe Square around the fire station, including a Big Lunch on Saturday, June 4, and NOT hold the May Fayre on May 7 this year.

“The West Looe May Fayre committee would be pleased to help organise stalls, dancing and entertainment as usual, but would need to attract others to organise the Big Lunch street party element and help on the day.”

May Fayre organiser Julie Simmonds said: “We are highlighting this now to feed into the town-wide organisation of the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebration so a wider organising committee can be formed to assist.”

Edwina Hannaford added: “We are looking for volunteers who can help leaflet the West Looe area to attract a wider pool of volunteers to help plan this event, obtain all the necessary permissions, licenses, insurance and risk assessments, promotion, the food element and help on the day.”

If any volunteers would like to get involved with organising a street party with stalls, entertainment and food for Saturday, June 4, in West Looe Square then they are asked to email Edwina at [email protected] or find the committee members on Facebook at https://fb.me/e/1zE4KfLwG