ONE of the biggest events in Kelvedon’s calendar is at risk of not happening if £2,000 cannot be raised by the public.

Kelvedon Community Festival has provided a day of family friendly live music in the village since 2000, growing in size every year since.

However this year because a primary sponsor has not been found, the festival may have to take a break.

Chris Walker, 32, lives in Kelvedon and is one of the organisers on the festival committee.

He said: “For the last two years we have not had a main sponsor for the festival.

“Previously we have managed to take a bit of a gamble and hope we will be able to reach the cost with donations and drink sales.

“It costs around £27,000 a year to put on and we have been getting that back through bar sales and donations but because we have to book everything early to make sure we can get things like security sorted this year we are struggling.

“We received lower than we expected donations from last year’s festival and we are in the situation now where we are not sure we will be able to put it on.”

The completely free of charge festival brings together some of Essex’s brightest young bands as well as more well known artists such as former headliners such as The Blockheads.

It has grown in recent years to include a second stage and a silent disco.

Mr Walker said: “Last year we had over 5,000 people come along.

“We are very proud of having this event in the village and we would hate to not have it anymore.

“It is huge for me personally partly because it is such a huge event for the village.

“Over the years I have been going and seeing it grow and it has been wonderful to be a part of it.”

The committee need to raise £2,000 and are using a crowdfunding page to collect donations from the public.

Visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/savekfest.