Leamington Carnival will include a parade after successful appeal

This year's Leamington Carnival parade NNL-161107-165958001

In April the organisers put out a desperate appeal for groups, schools, charities, companies and organisations to take part in the parade after a lack of interest was shown initially.

But a surge of applications in the weeks after the appeal means the attraction, which is one of the event’s main highlights, will now take place with seven lorries and eight groups on foot making up the procession.

Event manager Jamie Walker, of CJ’s Events, said: “We struggled to get people involved at first this year.

This year's Leamington Carnival parade NNL-161107-170041001

“But this parade will no be bigger than ever.

“Everything is ready to go and we’re just hoping for good weather now.”

The event will take place on Saturday July 15, which is a week later than in previous years so the event does not clash with the Godiva Festival in Coventry.

Those taking part in the parade include builder AC Lloyd, Leamington Football Club, Slimming World , Leamington Shopmobility, The Royal Spa Centre, Stagecoach Performing Arts, The Myton Hospices and more.

This year's Leamington Carnival parade NNL-161107-170111001

The Warwick Sea Scouts will provide a marching band and cosplayers dressed as comic book heroes will collect money for the good causes which the event is supporting.

The parade will leave Beauchamp Avenue at about 1pm.

It will then follow a route including Clarendon Avenue, the Parade, Victoria Terrace, Church Walk, Spencer Street, Avenue Road, Adelaide Road, Dormer Place and finish at the festival at the Pump Room Gardens which is taking place as part of the event.

The festival will take place from 11am to 7pm.

This year's Leamington Carnival parade NNL-161107-170422001

There will be a fair ground, live entertainment, trade stalls, food and drink and more.

The festival was never under threat and would have gone ahead regardless of wheter or not the parade was cancelled.

It is not the first time carnival organisers have had trouble drumming up interest following the hugely successful return of the event in 2014 which saw thousands line the streets to welcome it back after an 18 year absence.

But they were forced to cancel the following year’s carnival after struggling to recruit volunteers onto the organising committee.

It made another successful return in 2016.

This year’s committee will be recruiting new members from August.

For more information about the event visit www.leamingtoncarnival.org.uk