Organisers of the 2016 Oswaldtwistle Carnival are calling on the local community to help make next year’s event bigger and better.

The carnival returned after a 15-year absence last year and 3,000 people turned out to join the festivities.

Gayle Knight, from the Civic Arts Centre, who was part of the committee that organised last year’s carnival, said they need to spend this year fundraising for the event.

She said: “To organise last year’s carnival, a group of us got together and we managed to raise about £4,000 within five or six months.

“We put the carnival together on a shoestring budget. I know it seems like a lot of money but when you factor in the insurance, toilets and printing signs, posters and leaflets, it all adds up.

“We know the bare minimum that we can put the carnival on for is £5,000.

“We had a starting amount last year from Friends of Rhyddings Park, but we need to start fundraising now so that by this time next year, we’re comfortable that we have the basic money.”

Gayle said anyone is welcome to help in the fundraising effort by any means they want.

She said: “This is a carnival for our community, so we want our community to get involved – schools, clubs, shops and pubs. Whether they want to hold a raffle, car wash, car boot sale or just put a collection bucket out, we can supply the carnival logo.

“We want to improve the next carnival, we definitely needed more toilets for 3,000 people but again it comes down to cost. We’d like to try and get named acts and maybe do some arts and crafts at the next one as well.”

To organise a fundraiser or get involved with the carnival committee, contact the Civic Arts Centre on 01254 398319.