Apathy kills off popular Wick event

[Nwicker60]

PARTY’S OVER FOR WICK'S HOGMANAY STREET BASH.

THE committee, which organises Wick’s popular New Year’s Eve party, has decided to call it a day, after a last-ditch appeal for support failed.
Only two new faces turned up at a make-or-break meeting, last night, and members decided, it just wasn’t enough.
Chairwoman, Wendy Campbell, told caithness.org that trying to struggle on with volunteer numbers in single figures, as they had done for many years, was no longer an option.
She said: “There’s no doubt about the party’s popularity. That’s evident from the crowds of all ages who turn out year, after year. But there’s a lot of work involved in staging it and it’s abundantly clear we are not going to get the support we need to run it.”
The party had its roots in the burgh’s Millennium party. The following year, nothing was held and a group of enthusiasts decided to take matters in hand and set up H.A.P.P.Y. (Hogmanay and People’s Party Yearly), as a sub-committee of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council. The event proved an immediate hit and became a firm fixture in the local calendar.
However, while the bash had no difficulty in attracting the crowds, recruiting new volunteers , to help run it, was a different matter.
Mr Campbell said: “It was a case of the few who were running the party, being left to carry on, year after year. We regularly threatened to call it a day but always relented and struggled on. However, we not prepared to do it any longer. This time, the decision is final. I think we have done our bit and, anyway, none of us are getting any younger.”
She said that if some like-minded people were keen to rescue the party, H.A.P.P.Y. would be pleased to advise them and make the funds left over, available. If no-one comes forward, the cash will revert to the community council.
H.A.P.P.Y.'s press officer, Noel Donaldson said: "Pulling the plug on the party should come as no surprise to the public. They have been warned time and time again, and are clearly quite happy to come along and enjoy themselves on the night but quite prepared to leave all the hard work to the organising committee.
I think it deserves a medal for struggling on, year after year. The irony is, that with a pool of say 20 or so helpers, a rota could have been drawn up, so that not everyone would be required every year."