ONE of the Forest's longest running and most popular community events, the annual Cinderford Carnival, is heading for the scrap heap.
This year's will be the last as members of the organising committee have decided to throw in their hats after years of battling against the tide.
Chairman Graham Morgan, secretary Margaret Bevan and treasurer Eric Harrison are all standing down together with committee members Mary and Lloyd Wilce, Dave and Annie Preece, Jean Jenkins and Joan Ravenhill.
Mr Morgan explained: "To be honest for the last couple of years it has been an uphill struggle. There are no youngsters coming forward to drive the carnival on and it now looks as though it has run its course."
The present committee, he said, had been largely unchanged for years.
"It's a major effort and none of us are getting any younger. It's a great shame but it could be that for the time being the carnival will be put in mothballs," he said.
Mr Morgan praised those who had kept it going for so long.
"Carnivals have been a great Forest tradition. At one time all the towns and villages had one but it may well be that as times have changed they have run their course and people are looking for other forms of entertainment," said Mr Morgan.
Anxious to make sure there will be at least one major event in Cinderford this summer, a newly formed Festival Committee is planning a week-long event from July 20 to July 27 with input from community arts group Artspace and Dean Arts.
Town clerk Lynda Thomas said this year's event was already taking shape and would give a flavour of what the future could hold.
Mrs Thomas said carnivals had become hugely expense and time-consuming, demanding many hours of preparation, all of which could be ruined by the weather.
"We are meeting regularly to plan a week-long event which will have a festival format," she said.
Meanwhile this year's carnival will be held on August 10.