A VOLUNTARY group, which has served the Alcester community for more than three decades, is appealing for new members and further sponsorship to carry on.

Alcester in Bloom, which organise the floral displays in the town every summer, desperately need more sponsorship so they can buy new metal poles to hold up the hanging baskets as the current ones are worn out after 20 years of use.

The group have also acknowledged that they need more new members – particularly younger residents- to join the group.

Chairman of Alcester in Bloom Maggie Payne said: "Unless we have more help (young families, newly retired residents), plus more sponsorship, there will be no hanging baskets, planters to see as you walk round the town, bedding out areas to enhance roads.

"We tirelessly fund raise to keep it ticking over, but the time has now come to rethink the situation.

"I feel very sad and concerned that Alcester in Bloom may not have as many of the wonderful floral décor we have been used to over the past 33 years in the future.

"I worry that we hear so many wonderful comments on how beautiful the town looks, yet as with many other organisations, the younger generation are not coming forward.

"After a discussion with the committee, we now realise we are all 30 years older," she added. 

Earlier in summer, several poles holding up the baskets in the town centre were damaged by drivers.

One incident in July caused £200 worth of damage after a motorist is believed to have driven into the pole holding up several hanging baskets, causing them to smash on the ground.