Tockwith Show, one of the region’s largest agricultural shows, is appealing for people in the community to help run the event.
Plea for Tockwith Show volunteers as directors recommend one-year break
One of the region’s largest agricultural shows is appealing for people in the community to help run the show.
At the Annual General Meeting of Tockwith Show on November 15th the committee will be asked to vote on a recommendation from the show’s directors to take a one-year break and stage the next show in 2025.
Current Chair Georgina Watson, who is one of five key show volunteers intending to step down from the committee, said:
“Being involved with Tockwith Show is incredible fun and a real privilege, but it can also take up a lot of time and energy and all the committee members standing down at the AGM have been involved with running the event for decades, and they have now decided it’s time to make way for someone else.
“Over the past few years we have been trying to attract new volunteers to prepare for this inevitable moment, but we have only had limited success.
"Our hope now is that we can attract enough new helpers from the community to allow for the key roles to be taken on by at last two people so the burden of the work is spread.
“For the directors and trustees, recommending taking a year’s break in the show was a very difficult decision but we believe it’s not only the right decision but given our current situation the only decision to ensure the future of the show.”
One of the show directors, Mike Best, said it’s not just new volunteers they are hoping will either attend the AGM or contact the show committee.
He said:“If the recommendation to skip a year is approved then that gives us a real and exciting opportunity to take a good hard look at everything the show currently offers, and see if there are any changes or improvements that can be made.
“Even if people in the community aren’t able to become volunteer helpers, we are hoping they will let us know what works and what doesn’t work.
"Each year we attract thousands of visitors to the event, and those people are the ones who really know what changes we could and should make to ensure that when we return in 2025 Tockwith Show will be better than ever.”
After the AGM the key roles that will be vacant include chair, secretary, main show ring steward, show director and chair of the fundraising committee.
All the current post holders have said they will stay in place to help new volunteers take over those roles.
[caption id="attachment_84810" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Tockwith Show 2022.[/caption]Tockwith Show has been held in the village ever since 1945 and Georgina said everyone involved with it is determined to ensure it has a future.
She added:
“We know that people in our community value the show and enjoy coming to see all the events and taking part in all the competitions.
"We are now hoping that some of those will decide to join us.”
The AGM will be held in Long Marston Village Hall at 8.15pm on Wednesday 15th November, and anyone is welcome to attend on the night.
Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.
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