Book fair ‘impossible’

Book fairs could be the latest Covid casualty, with the ‘‘constant flow of people’’ browsing books ‘‘impossible’’ to manage under coronavirus restrictions, an organiser says.

The Lion’s Book Fair each August is the biggest fundraising event for the service organisation and last year raised $21,000 for Marlborough charities.

It was looking at postponing the event to possibly November.

Acting Blenheim Lions Club president Delphine Lee said they had to wait for ‘‘total clearance’’.

‘‘We certainly couldn’t have volumes of people coming in and out. We couldn’t have them signing in and sanitising their hands, it’s not practical.’’

A ‘‘contactless’’ book fair was also not an option, she said.

‘‘We have books, we have CDS, we have DVDS, we have a children’s section — it has to be in some building in town and it wouldn’t work otherwise.’’

Another obstacle was the collection of books, which usually takes place outside supermarkets. Collecting books this way couldn’t operate until coronavirus restrictions eased.

The club already had about 3000 books in storage, and asked no more be donated for now.

The Blenheim Lions Club hosts the event in conjunction with the Beavertown Lions Club and each year chose a charity to receive the profits.

Lee said the Blenheim Lions Club had not chosen a recipient for this year’s fair, but the funds often made a big impact on smaller, struggling charities. At $2 a book, last year’s fair raised $11,000 for Riding for the Disabled.

‘‘For those that are struggling, where it’s a foot to mouth situation all the time — Riding for the Disabled, they’ve got horses to feed,’’ Lee said.

‘‘To get an injection of funds like that means they can actually do something, create something with it.’’

Across the country fundraising efforts have been hampered by coronavirus restrictions, with sausage sizzles and cake stalls still banned under level 2 restrictions.

For the Lions Club, the loss of events such as the Whitehaven Graperide in March and the St Clair Half Marathon earlier this month had erased a key source of revenue.

Lee said the clubs had also missed out on doing collections for the Cancer Society and Life Flight, but it would not impact their capacity to help the community.

‘‘Fortunately we’re in quite a good position at the moment and we’re OK. We’re still able to help people,’’ she said.

Blenheim Lions Club member Jim Thomas said the loss of fundraising events had affected revenue, but the clubs could still provide service.

‘‘[But] sometimes you don’t need to fundraise if you can offer help in some other way,’’ he said.

The various clubs had supported Foodbank, Johns Kitchen and Salvation Army during lockdown and were resuming their yearly firewood service on Wither Rd from June 1.