Dear Stallholders and Supporters,

As a committee, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year's Grammar Christmas Fair.

This decision was based on several key factors:

  - Benedict's Law Requirements: The new statutory allergy safety requirements for schools in England (in force as of 1 September 2026) mean we can no longer accept or sell home-baked goods or beverages. Additionally, all event volunteers are now required to complete specific allergy awareness and emergency response training. The restriction on home-baked goods significantly reduces our potential income, and having less than a month to implement these changes leaves insufficient preparation time and has impacted volunteer availability.
  - Communication Delays: Revised emails to parents were not sent before half-term as planned. This leaves insufficient time to collect tombola and book donations, which were due the week commencing 9 November.
  - Unconfirmed Terms: We did not receive agreed terms from both schools prior to our deadline of Friday, 23 October. The committee decided that we cannot safely or effectively proceed without a firm plan in place before half-term.

 

We did not take this decision lightly, as we recognize its impact on school fundraising and the income of our long-standing stallholders. However, without adequate volunteer coverage under the new requirements, we cannot run the event safely.

 

Both parent associations have been consulted, understand our rationale, and agree that clear plans must be established prior to future events. We will now begin the process of unwinding the event and issuing refunds.

We sincerely apologise for the impact this cancellation may have on you. We appreciate your continued support and wish you all the best this festive season.

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Sincere apologies

Grammar Christmas Fair team.