Eight hundred say no to cutting Wakes

Oct 9 2008

Nearly 800 people have signed a petition against cutting any part of Burntwood Wakes in just one week alone.

News that the Saturday night free event could be made a paid-for evening prompted local shop assistant Vicki Cleaver to start the petition calling for the Wakes to be left as it is.

Vicki, aged 26, from Burntwood, said she has such fond memories of the Wakes and enjoys it so much she can not bear the thought of any cut in funding.

Vicki, a shop assistant at Barry’s News, Chase Terrace, will keep her petition running at the shop for another two weeks. Her aim is to get 1,000-1,500 signatures then present it to Burntwood Town Council’s Wakes committee.

People of all ages from children to pensioners have been flocking to sign. Even people from outside the area, from Cannock and Brownhills, are going into the shop to sign.

“Since I was a child I have been going to Burntwood Wakes,” Vicki said. “I looked forward to it then and still do even now.”

Vicki fears if cuts are made local youngsters will not grow up with fond memories of the big day.

And she believes if the Saturday night proms are a paid-for event people will stay away - or listen from outside the arena.

She believes holding the Wakes on a grand scale benefits local businesses.

“If they downsize it people are not going to be interested,” she said.

“And the whole point of the Wakes has always been free family fun for everybody.”

Vicki said in the last few years the revamped Wakes has been ‘absolutely brilliant’ - even when the weather has been poor.

“It’s gone from strength to strength,” she said. “People are saying how upset they are at proposals to cut the budget. This would rip the heart out of Burntwood.”

Vicki, who helps to set up the Wakes and takes her nieces to the event, said she can now only hope the town councillors listen.

Burntwood Town Council vice chairman Councillor Ken Humphreys said there is a Wakes committee meeting next week and nothing has been decided firmly. But he confirmed the Saturday night event could be take over as a commercial operation so visitors would be charged - though the charges would not be expensive.

“This does not mean it will be any less of a show,” he said. “There will still be a normal Wakes during the day and an evening performance.”

He said the thinking behind the cuts is that council tax payers should not bear the cost of the Saturday night event.

“We are not cutting the Wakes to a few stalls in a field.”

Cllr Humphreys said he thought it was ‘absolutely marvellous’ that the community spirit is strong enough to support the petition. “We will certainly take it into consideration,” he added.

Cllr Paul Atkins, who was largely behind improving the Wakes, said the petition ‘just shows the strength of feeling in the town’.

The petition is also available at Burntwood Rugby Club.