BARRHEAD faces the prospect of another year without its gala day after efforts to secure funding ended in failure.

There had been hopes the big event, which hasn’t been held for five years, would be resurrected in 2020.

However, a committee that was tasked with sourcing the £10,000 needed to breathe new life into the celebrations has failed to convince the likes of East Renfrewshire Council to loosen the purse strings.

Council bosses have said they are unwilling to provide funding due to the alleged mismanagement of receipts which showed how public money was spent on the gala day on the last two occasions it was held.

One member of the gala day committee told the Barrhead News: “We can’t get funding for it.

“You need to get £7,500 to £10,000, which comes from the council, the Big Lottery Fund and things like that, but the council won’t give us money right now because of an issue with the old committee and their receipts.

“The gala is badly missed in the town but there’s a lot that goes into it, with all the entertainment, marquees and stalls, so all that takes time to organise, which is why we have had to call it after trying to bring it back the last few months.”

Douglas Yates, a former East Renfrewshire councillor, was heavily involved in Barrhead Gala Day in previous years and is saddened it won’t return in 2020.

He said: “Organising the gala is a challenge from start to finish financially but, last time, a few people didn’t adhere to the funding conditions and it left a sour taste.

“When I was chairing the gala, it enjoyed shared support from the community and local businesses but it doesn’t have that level of interest anymore.”

A spokesperson for East Renfrewshire Council added: “The Barrhead and District Gala had twice previously received council funding for the event and, on both occasions, failed to comply with the grant conditions by not submitting expenditure receipts.

“Due to this, if future funding was to be considered, the group proposing to run the event would be required to set up a newly-constituted body to deliver the project.”