Traders told of their financial woes after the Boldmere Christmas Festival was cancelled when a grant from Sutton Coldfield Town Council was reducedAmy Gaffney and Helena Vesty NHS, social care and patients reporter
16:01, 14 Dec 2025
A buzzing Boldmere Christmas Festival in previous years(Image: Richard T Harris Photography)
Traders have spoken out about their financial struggles after a major city’s Christmas festival was cancelled due to a reduction in council funding. The annual Boldmere Christmas Festival in Birmingham was called off this year after a grant from Sutton Coldfield Town Council was reduced.
Boldmere Futures, the not-for-profit community interest company that organises the event, revealed the council had cut funding from £7,000 last year to just £3,000 this year, making it impossible to go ahead with the festival.
David Bridgewater, owner of dessert business The Crumble Hut and one of the affected stallholders, said: “I’ve lost everything. I’ve lost valuable income – around £1,000. I’ll have to do two or three events to try to recover that sort of money. And I’ve lost publicity. If you’re not out there in the area, nobody knows your name and people soon forget you.
“Boldmere has always been good for us, and good events to work at aren’t easy to find. These markets bring people into the area, and not only do I benefit, the community benefits. It has a big knock-on effect.”
Families will not be making memories with the snow machine in 2025(Image: Richard T Harris Photography)
Another trader, known only as Sarah, who runs Baked in Boldmere, said: “My children loved it. It was a safe environment for them to get a few Christmas presents and socialise with friends.”
Joshua Beckreck, a part-time pizza chef and owner of Cart and Carriage Events, commented: “Boldmere High Street is a real hub for this area and it’s a loss when we stop investing in it. Local people bump into each other after not seeing each other for a while, and it builds that sense of shared experiences, history, and belonging. We always need to invest in collective opportunities – they are great fun too.”
The Crumble Hut hard at work(Image: The Crumble Hut)
Paul Long, chairman of directors at Boldmere Futures, shared his disappointment, particularly for the volunteers: “I’m upset for the volunteers because volunteering gives people friendships. We have people who are at the festival from 8am until 9pm because they love doing it and meeting new people.
“The local businesses don’t really make a lot, either. But they do it for the love of it. And these festivals keep Boldmere on the map.
“Every year it gets better and better. The people attending are so happy and so grateful, and it really makes our day. There are so many great music acts, and everyone is in the street dancing to the songs. Kids are on their parents’ shoulders. We have fireworks. It’s an event that makes memories.”
Sarah from Baked in Boldmere selling her homemade treats(Image: Baked in Boldmere)
The organisation said it hopes that the market will return next year and revealed that they were working with the town council to find a more sustainable funding options, reports Birmingham Live.
The council responded: “We do not discuss publicly the detail in relation to individual applications, but there was no error or misunderstanding on the part of the Town Council in relation to the financial information submitted.
“If an application is declined or a grant application is not supported in full, this detail is outlined in writing to the applicant. The Community Grant Scheme is generally oversubscribed and there is no guarantee the total amount applied for will be awarded.
“Boldmere Futures CIC subsequently advised the Town Council it would not be taking up the funding for the festival this year, that volunteers are taking a break and instead concentrating on cultural action area projects and would be picking up the Christmas Festival again in 2026. The Town Council does not organise the Boldmere Summer or Christmas festivals.”
Boldmere Futures CIC are currently seeking sponsors and can be contacted on info@boldmere. org for more information.