VILLAGERS still have time to save the biggest event of their community’s year – but time is running out.

Trimley Carnival’s future has been thrown into doubt because the organisers who have run it for many years have stood down, calling for younger people with more energy and new ideas to take it on.

“There is still time for new people to come in and get a carnival up and running next summer but they will need to get things under way pretty quickly,” said outgoing chairman John Sills.

“By now, we would be six weeks into our preparations.

“It doesn’t mean it cannot be done though and we are willing to give us much advice and help as we can.”

Mr Sills ran the event with his wife Patricia and treasurer Sylvia Ellis, who have both also quit, and as a committee they raised more than �25,000 for charity.

At the annual presentation night, Mr Sills said two women came forward seeking information about the running of the carnival.

“Apparently they run craft fairs in the Felixstowe area and they seemed very interested in the carnival and were asking lots of questions,” he said.

“I guess they have now gone away to think about it and I hope they will come back to me.

“It would be awful for the event to be lost.”

Despite last summer’s carnival having to be cancelled for the first in 52 years after torrential rain left the events field waterlogged, it was still possible to present �2,000 to eight local organisations – thanks to the sponsorship by businesses of the carnival shields put up on lampposts in the High Road.

Those receiving grants were: the 356 Felixstowe Air Cadets; Twinkletoes pre-school; 8th Felixstowe Scouts; Level Two dance group; Felixstowe Karate Club; Nettie Trigg’s Small Animal Rescue Centre; RSPCA; and Felixstowe Coast Patrol and Rescue Service.