With the current health restrictions due to COVID-19 and a lack of clarity from Government coupled with mis-interpretation by many local councils showmen and women across the country are in a fight for survival.
Families who have been in the business for generations face losing everything if more isn’t done to assist them. Under current government restrictions FUN FAIRS and CIRCUSES are allowed to operate legally and provide a much need morale boost to the BRITSIH public many of whom cannot see a light at the end of the Covid tunnel, however many local authorities have put in blanket bans on all such outdoor entertainment irrespective of whether they are allowed by legislation or not.
In some parts of the country LOCAL council run markets are operating as normal and quite rightly so, yet FUN FAIRS who are a off-shoot of markets have been BANNED and theme parks have been allowed to open.
These BLANKET bans not only deprive the BRITISH public of some much needed enjoyment they also put further pressure on FAIRGROUND operators and their families many of whom are yet to receive any government assistance or support despite working long hours and having provided entertainment for the nation for centuries of years.
Fun Fairs since they were allowed to re-open have had stricter measures than many events the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain their trade body can confirm with the ‘Rule of 6’ and ‘Track and Trace’ in place across all fairs that have taken place. All fairs have had wider aisles, sanitizer station, extra security/marshals plus signage throughout promoting health and safety measure, yet many operators have not even managed to be open at one single event in 2020 due to a lack of understanding of the rules by some local authorities.
