THE Somerset Showcase will go ahead despite the possibility of budget cuts. Organiser Jennifer Trotman said the show has become a central part of the social calendar in Axbridge since it was started in the wake of the foot and mouth outbreak and must go o

THE Somerset Showcase will go ahead despite the possibility of budget cuts.Organiser Jennifer Trotman said the show has become a central part of the social calendar in Axbridge since it was started in the wake of the foot and mouth outbreak and must go on.There have been rumblings that Sedgemoor District Council may cut its £2-2,500 contribution to the arts and crafts celebration.Mrs Trotman said: "Sedgemoor departments have been told to cut their budgets and there's all sorts of rumours about events around the district losing funding."Hopefully we'll get the funds, but in the long run the money from Sedgemoor is probably going to disappear anyway, so if we are going to keep running the showcase we need to make it self-financing."It's such a popular event that it's become part of the calendar and it would be a shame for it to fall by the wayside."Organisers could run events beforehand to raise money. They are hoping to get every local organisation to join in this year by wearing fancy dress, playing music or coming up with some other contribution.Sedgemoor events officer Linda Krause-Davies said: "Events start out with a budget to get things off the ground. Then after three or four years funding comes down. "Once it becomes a fixture it becomes self financing through stalls and other money raising elements."It doesn't work all the time, but from a council point of view it gets difficult to do it for one town or village and not for the others and there's only so much you can stretch."I'm still hoping we will be able to put as much funding into the showcase as is possible."It was organised to tell the world that the countryside was open again after 2001 when we had foot and mouth because so many things had been cancelled."It's become quite well-known and about 3,000 attend throughout the day. It's an important local fixture and encourages people into the area."Organisers expect to hear if Sedgemoor will grant funding next month. Anyone wanting to take part in the showcase can call Mrs Trotman on 01934 733306.