DISAPPOINTED organisers of a charity fundraising event have been forced to cancel due to a lack of participants.

DISAPPOINTED organisers of a charity fundraising event have been forced to cancel due to a lack of participants.

The zip slide challenge, held in aid of the St Elizabeth Hospice, last year attracted 150 daring fundraisers to slide 200 feet above the Portman Road pitch.

The event raised a staggering �40,000 for the charity.

But the St Elizabeth Hospice zip slide has proved less popular this time round, forcing organisers to cancel the event.

The charity, which costs �10 per minute to run, admitted it was not always possible to determine how popular an event or event location will be.

A spokeswoman for St Elizabeth Hospice said: “The zip slide event has not been as popular this year as we hoped, so we have therefore made the decision to cancel it.

“When planning any event, we aim for a certain number of participants to make it a viable option and on this occasion we have been unable to reach that figure.

“St Elizabeth Hospice's services and our income generation team work hard to make the most of opportunities to raise money for the hospice.”

The hospice has informed those that had signed up to take part and revealed that many of them are looking at other events in which they can participate to raise money for the charity.

Despite the disappointment, the charity's annual Midnight Walk is proving to be increasingly popular, with more than 1,600 women taking part in this year's event on Saturday, May 23.

Have you been affected by the cancellation? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk