Youth workers have been forced to pull their float out of Wem’s carnival this Saturday after hitting a wall of apathy from youngsters’ parents – with one disgruntled volunteer resigning over the issue.
Gaynor Jenkins, from Wem, has been helping at Wem Youth Centre with the 11 year-olds’ session Phoenix for the past term.
She had been working with children to create a float for the up-coming carnival – a first for the centre – but has stood down after receiving no responses to permission slips sent out to parents.
Youth centre staff have been forced to pull their float from this weekend’s carnival, the town’s 30th.
They are also set to hold a crisis meeting to find a replacement session leader.
The club’s float was on loan to the centre from the town’s White Lion pub.
Youngsters had decorated it with models of a phoenix, a griffin and a dragon – the names of the three groups within the youth centre.
Mrs Jenkins said: “I have had no support from any of the young people and their parents.
“I sent out forms to all the parents.
“Not one person sent the form back.
“I am really, really upset about the carnival because we had done lots on the float and now it will just sit there until it goes back to the White Lion.”
Peter Hanna, chairman of the youth centre said: “This would have been our first float in the carnival and it was Gaynor’s initiative.
“Obviously we now have to meet to see where to go. ”
Pauline Dee, Wem Mayor, said: “That is sad, but perhaps someone who wants to be in the carnival can join in with someone else’s float.”
