A FESTIVAL in the heart of Oxford’s largest community has been called off, following other city community events that have had to be called off.

The Leys Fair has run each year since 1998, but organisers said a lack of support this year meant crucial funding deadlines were missed.

Last year’s event attracted more than 2,000 people to the Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre for a day of music, dance and fairground rides.

Co-ordinator Natalie Huckin, 43, said: “It is unfortunate but the Leys Fair won’t happen this year.

“We are all really disappointed but it had to happen. We didn’t meet the deadlines for the funding applications.”

The annual event costs £7,000 to stage, including £2,000 from Oxford City Council. Any money already raised will be returned to the donors.

Miss Huckin said people had been happy to donate, but a lack of volunteers meant she was left with all the paperwork.

And other work commitments had “got in the way”, which meant deadlines were missed.

She said: “It was left to a small number of people last year and it was touch and go then, but we managed to pull it off. To be honest, it’s a community event and what it needs is more people from the community involved.

“But everyone is a bit stretched at the moment.”

A new community association launched earlier this year could hold the key to staging the event in the future.

Miss Huckin added: “The plan is getting involved with the new Leys Community Association and making it bigger and better than ever next year. It would be easier to organise it as a team.”

Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Gordon Roper said: “It’s very disappointing. It’s always been a popular event.

“It’s good for the community because everybody is there, from all walks of life.

“I’m afraid this is the way things are going, people aren’t coming forward to volunteer and you rely on the same people. If you don’t get volunteers, it will fold.”

“But people never miss things until they’re gone. So hopefully this won’t be a problem next year.”

Northfield Brook city councillor Scott Seamons said: “It’s sad that it’s been cancelled. I believe they are going to try to sort out a community group for next year.

“It’s been going a long time and it’s always a good day out for the whole community.

“Hopefully it’ll be back with a vengeance next year.”

Russell Price, from the Church of the Holy Family, said: “Personally I feel it’s always a great occasion when people can make connections and see how inventive their neighbours are, and have a great time.

“It’s a shame it’s going to be postponed. I hope next year will be bigger and better, there is a lot of generosity here.”

The news follows in the wake of the Barton Bash being cancelled in May this year.

Organiser Sue Holden said the time constraints of filling in forms had been too much. She said: “There were lots and lots of forms. We just didn’t have the capacity to fill all the forms in time.”

Organisers say they still plan to hold the Bash next month, but no date has yet been set.

And last month, the Cowley Road Carnival took place in South Park for the second time in three years, after the cost of putting it on the road proved too much.

No one from the city council was available to comment.