COWDENBEATH Civic Week Committee were shocked this week when they learned that they would have to find over £1400 to cover police charges this year.

For the gala day itself, on Saturday 20th June, it will cost £475 to have the High Street closed to traffic to allow the grand parade to take place.

And the costs will be replicated for the Armistice Day Parade in November and the switching on of the town’s Christmas Lights in December.

It now means that the committee will have to find the extra £1425, on top of the £18,000 it costs to run the Civic Week celebrations.

And in a bid to raise some of the extra money a sponsored walk is being held on Sunday week (26th April) around Loch Leven and Cowdenbeath Community Council chairman, Alex Haddow, said while the police bill was a blow to the Civic Week Committee, everyone was determined that the biggest public parade in Fife would continue.

He said, on Monday, “This is the first time we have been told that it would cost this size of a bill to have the High Street closed to traffic for the parade. We have to raise around £18,000 annually for gala day and we are very fortunate that we have some excellent sponsors such as Fife Council, the 4Winds Trust, Scottish Water and Exxon, who contribute among them £10,000, but to bridge the gap we have to hold a lot of fundraising events.

“One of these will be the sponsored walk around Loch Leven on Sunday 26th when we hope that people will come out and take part in what will be a great social day as well as helping us raise much needed cash.” People are being asked to get to Findatie Lodge for 11am on the 26th and if anyone wishes to back the walk by making a donation they go to the Civic Week Committee’s Facebook Page or contact 01383 512262.

“We are determined to raise the funds for we also have to fund the closure of the High Street for the two other events later this year”, he added, This year’s Cowdenbeath Civic Week Queen will be Lauren Strachan, who was chosen at a disco held at Beath High School Community Use last week and her princesses will be Hollie Brogan and Brook Wallace while Robbie Jack will be her ambassador.