No Camden Green Fair this year

Like much of Britain the Camden Green Fair has been hit by the recession. There is simply less funding available from all sources - from sponsorship, from local government, from stallholders and from grants.

In 2008 the Fair became a charity. Last autumn the trustees set a fundraising target - the minimum required for the Fair to go ahead. That target was not hit. The trustees felt, understandably, that they were not prepared to take on the risk of staging the event if sufficient funding was not in place.

But there will be an eco event in Regent's Park on the day of the Green Fair, the first Sunday of June. The Bikefest, which has always been an integral part of the Camden Green Fair, will be going ahead. And there will be an exhibition looking back at the history of the Green Fair. So all is not lost. And the trustees are currently working hard on a plan to make the 2010 Camden Green Fair the best ever.

As a trustee of the Camden Green Fair and a strong supporter of the aims of the event I'm obviously disappointed that it's not taking place in 2009, but I'm confident it will bounce back in 2010 and resume its place as the UK's largest and best free green awareness event.