Organisers of one of north Norfolk's biggest community festivals say they are in desperate need of help after losing a chunk of funding.The Happing Festival has taken place for the past four years, and includes events put on across the Stalham and Happing area from May to September, ranging from theatre productions to art and drama workshops.

Organisers of one of north Norfolk's biggest community festivals say they are in desperate need of help after losing a chunk of funding.

The Happing Festival has taken place for the past four years, and includes events put on across the Stalham and Happing area from May to September, ranging from theatre productions to art and drama workshops.

But now organisers have received a devastating blow after being they have not been successful in securing a National Lottery Awards for All grant of �10,000, which roughly makes up half the festival costs.

Actress Judi Daykin, who is also chairwoman of Happing Partnership, said they had been hit hard by the news.

She said: “Not getting the Awards for All grant means we have lost a huge plank of our funding. We have got a lot lined up for the festival this year and we were hoping to be quite ambitious this year.

“We were also hoping to subsidise more community events this year from drama workshops to holding writing sessions as well.”

She said included in the plans were two classical concerts, a show from a specialist outdoor theatre company, as well as a visit from rock legend Rick Wakeman who hails from Scole, near Diss.

She said: “Losing the funding has left us reeling a bit but we have not given up the fight, we are looking for someone who can help us out.

“We know people are still recovering from the recession and its effects, but we are trying to provide something for a part of Norfolk which is often overlooked.”

The festival faced problems with funding last year, when the committee discovered a few weeks before the festival's start that they had not secured Big Lottery funding.

At the 11th hour enough alternative funding was found to allow the programme to go ahead, featuring nearly 50 events.

Anyone who can help is asked to contact the festival organisers on 01692 580525.