Ottery’s annual jumble sale to end after 40 years
Mary Moore with some of the 1st Ottery scouts at their jumble sale. Ref sho 05-16TI 9936. Picture Terry Ife - Credit: Archant
Organisers of East Devon’s biggest jumble sale have announced the event will end after more than 40 years.
Organisers of East Devon’s biggest jumble sale have announced the event will end after more than 40 years.
Ottery St Mary scouts has decided not run the event in January due to decreasing numbers of volunteers, increasing costs and changes in recycling regulations.
The jumble sale started in 1974 and has raised in excess of £150,000 for the scouts.
The chief-cordinator for many years, Mary Moore, said: “I am very sad that the committee has taken this decision. Of course I understand the reasons, but the jumble sale has been such a great community event for such a long time - it’s very sad to lose it. We have had help down the years from so many people in the town and so many generous donations from people from the whole area and we must not forget this.
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“We have to accept that fashions have changed. People are no less interested in buying second-hand goods as they once were and we have to face the fact that, if another event is going to replace the jumble sale, we need to rethink the whole approach. It would be very sad to lose it entirely - so let’s see what we can do for 2018.”
In the run-up to the event, up to 80 Scouts, 10 scout leaders and parents would collect items from around the town and the surrounding area to be sorted at the scout hut in Winter’s Lane. The ‘Herculean’ task is estimated to take 3,000 man hours.
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John Green, group scout leader, said: “On behalf of the group, we would like to place on record our gratitude to the many hundreds of people who have been involved in the jumble sale in any capacity over the years. There are still a dedicated few people who still help 40 years later, which is a tremendous achievement.”
Read more in this week’s Herald.
