Organisers of the Holly Ball have taken the decision to cancelled the event this year.

A spokesperson for The Rotary Holly Ball Management Team told Ilkley Chat:

“It is with considerable regret that the Rotary Club of Ilkley has to announce that the 2020 Rotary Holly Ball which was due to be held on 19 December at the King’s Hall will be cancelled due to the continuing Covid 19 pandemic.”

“Although December may seem a long way off, we have listened carefully to the official guidance from the Government and it is now obvious that some forms of social distancing will remain in place for the remainder of 2020 at least. Mass gatherings of which the Holly Ball is one fall into the category of non-permitted events.”

“Our main priority has to be the safety and welfare of our supporters and guests and it would be impossible to hold the event within the current guidelines even if the venue was available which is highly unlikely.”

“We realise that this decision will come as a blow to our charity partners who will now not benefit from monies raised by the event. We plan to be back in 2021 bigger and better than ever.”

“Finally we pay tribute to all our loyal supporters who have attended in the past and whose generosity has meant so much to our charity partners.”