ORGANISERS of an annual community day due to be held in Weymouth are urging a sponsor to come forward to save the event.

The Society for the Protection of Markham and Little Francis, which organises the Town Green Dog Show and Fun Day, is calling on local businesses to help secure the event.

Money raised from the event will go towards an appeal against the decision of a High Court judge to deny public access to the Town Green behind Chickerell Road.

This will be the third time the event has taken place, initially on the Town Green but last year on the Marsh near Knightsdale Road.

It is due to be held on Sunday, August 7 but the event organiser Mary Larkin said without a sponsor the event cannot go ahead and vital funds for the appeal will not be raised.

A sponsor is needed to help with set-up costs including the programmes, rosettes, prizes for the classes and hiring of equipment for the day.

Last year, more than £2,000 was raised to enable the community to be represented by a legal team in response to the landowner taking legal action to deny public access to the space.

The landowner won the case in November last year.

Mrs Larkin, 45, of Cockles Lane, said: “Without this sponsor, the Dog Show and Fun Day just won’t be able to go ahead.

“It would be a great shame for the event not to go ahead especially as we are continuing the fight to make the Town Green open to the public again.”

She added: “Over the years we have run the dog show it has always been successful.

“Last year we had over 100 dogs turn up on the Marsh with their owners and everyone had a great day.

“But putting on the Dog Show takes effort and hard work from a lot of volunteers and it also costs quite a bit to organise.

“We would like to make it even bigger this year and we are looking for a main sponsor who would like to be associated with the society and whose name will be on all of the advertising for the event.

“This is a great opportunity for a local business or organisation to establish a very positive community profile while saving this event.”

If you can help with sponsorship, either as a main sponsor or secondary sponsor, would like a stall or would like to help on the day, contact Mrs Larkin on 01305 775553.