Newbury Crafty Craft 2021 to be held online
Newbury BID says coronavirus restrictions make traditional event unviable
Newbury's Crafty Craft race has been cancelled for the second year running but will take to virtual streams this year.
Visit Newbury said it had made the difficult decision to cancel the event as it would not have been viable with the coronavirus restrictions currently in place.
Visit Newbury, run by the Newbury Business Improvement District (BID), added that preparations had been impacted as participants from mixed households would normally start building their rafts several months before the May race date.
Operations manager of Newbury BID, Alison Drummond, said: “This is not a decision we have taken lightly here at the BID. We understand Crafty Craft is a fabulous social occasion enjoyed by friends, family and co-workers. However, with no end-date yet in sight for the current lockdown, we cannot encourage household mixing until it is safe to do so.
"Furthermore, we don’t yet know what level of restrictions will still be in place in May. Even as the lockdown starts to ease, it’s likely that safety measures such as the rule of six and social distancing will continue; a challenge too big for a six-mile stretch along open water!”
Going online will be a first in Crafty Craft’s 47-year history, as families, friends, local residents, and BID members are invited to make mini rafts at home to float in the bath, paddling pool or the washing up bowl.
Crafty Craft enthusiasts are asked to submit photo or video footage of their home-made crafts to Visit Newbury, with information on how to do so at https://visitnewbury.org.uk/
The theme of this year’s Crafty Craft is ‘NHS Heroes’ and is a tribute to NHS staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic.
The digital event will support the West Berkshire Community Hospital charity to align with this year’s theme, and participants are encouraged to give what they can to support the cause by donating via the hospital’s website: https://berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/our-charity/make-a-donation
In line with current restrictions, people are asked to build craft with household members only, and the race element of the event is being removed to support the stay-at-home message from the Government.
Crafts of all shapes and sizes will be considered for the competition, and Visit Newbury is encouraging people to think sustainably by making the best use of recyclables.
The provisional deadline for entries is Monday, April 19, with the winners due to be announced on Monday, May 3.
Talks are underway with Parkway Shopping and Kennet Shopping, alongside local businesses, to determine prizes for the competition, and these will be announced alongside the confirmed deadline in due course.
