Townsfolk are being asked to put their hands in their pockets to ensure that crucial community events survive.

Events such as Silloth Carnival and the town's Christmas lights switch-on are vital to community life and provide a welcome annual boost for traders.

The carnival, one of the biggest in Cumbria, was under threat of being cancelled about three years ago as volunteer and financial support dried up while this year's Christmas lights were also on the verge of not resurfacing for the same reason.

The switch-on for the lights was however, saved last weekend as new volunteers decided to attend a committee meeting, meaning the event could go ahead this year.

But with the event almost being cancelled it has prompted fresh debate about the viability of such events in the future and the need for more support from locals.

Carnival committee member Stewart Henderson, 39, decided to launch a Just Giving fundraising page for the two events asking locals to contribute towards their running.

"It just come to me that, we have about 4,500 people in town, that if everyone donated just £1 then we would have a huge financial base to drive the events from," he told The Cumberland News .

"I couldn't attend the meeting organised about the lights but afterwards I thought about ways we could help.

"Silloth is a close-knit community and everyone wants to see these events thrive."

Mr Henderson, who has been on the carnival committee for three years, said he'd seen online that the lights group was looking like folding and he decided now was the time to take action.

"I thought there might be a bit of backlash from the page but it there wasn't, it was really positive," Mr Henderson added.

"As well as residents' donations there have been local businesses donating £100 or £200 too."

He said that the concept of residents financially supporting such events in this way needs to be properly explored for the long term as the Just Giving page was done on the spur of the moment.

The volunteer says that signing people up to a direct debit for yearly or monthly payments could be the type of idea that is looked into for example.

The money raised from the page will be split equally between the two groups.

Within four days more than £1,800 has been raised of the potential £4,000 target.

Alison Henderson, of the Corner Cafe, Silloth, has organised the town's Christmas lights with her sister-in-law Debbie for a number of years.

"They weren't going to be on until Sunday," Alison said.

She said that a number of unforeseen circumstances coupled with it being only the two of them organising the lights the event was in jeopardy.

However, a further six people turned up to the meeting on Sunday and the Silloth Cafe had offered its premises before the December 1 switch-on for some festive-themed event meaning it could go ahead this year.

Speaking about the fundraising page, Alison said: "It's fantastic, it's a really good idea. If all householders put in one pound then it would really help.

"We need the lights and the carnival.

"It's phenomenal what has been raised so far."

The carnival committee has its AGM on Tuesday evening in The Space, in Solway Community Centre, from 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome.

There'll also be a joint fundraiser for the two events on Friday in the Balmoral.