A decision by some Calne Town Councillors to deny Calne Bike Meet a full grant has proved to be the final straw for two of the event’s leading organisers - casting doubt over its future.
While Cllrs MacNaughton, Ian Thorn, and Augusta Urqhart-Nicholls voted in favour of awarding the Bike Meet a full grant of £8,000, Cllr Bobby Seymour spoke against the motion. He argued that Calne Bike Meet should be self-funded, highlighting that the organisation donates several thousand pounds to charities each year - funds which, in his view, could be used to support the following year’s event.
Cllr Seymour was supported by Cllrs Tim Havenith and Tara Fisher amongst others. The debate over funding lasted much longer than anticipated, with various options considered. In the end it was proposed by Cllr Tara Fisher and seconded by Deputy Town Mayor, Cllr Havenith to award in support of the Bike Meet:
- The use of Castlefields Park
- Free use of the Town Hall (worth £1,007.00)
- The use of the Town Hall car park
- The use of the Town Gardens
- The use of The Green
- Power from Bank House to power the stage
- The benches in front of the Town Hall to be moved
- The use of the crowd control barriers
- The flood gates by Beach Terrace to be open
- The benches outside Bank House to be cleaned
- Restricted funding of £3,061.78 for hiring of toilets
- Restricted funding of £1,929.60 for the hire of security
This to be taken from the Town and Community Matters Grants budget line - on condition that the Friends of Calne Bike Meet present a 3 year plan of how they can become a self-sustaining event and a set up of a joint working party with the Friends of Calne Bike Meet in the autumn. The Bike Meet were not given medical cover, insurances, licences and now face a £3000 shortfall.
However, organisers say this demonstrates a total lack of understanding of how the Bike Meet actually works - it isn't a case of asking for a grant, then not spending the full grant and then handing out charitable donations because they didn't need the money. The grant enables them to run the event safely which in turn enables them to give back approximately £750,000 to £500,000 to the town in revenue to a range of businesses and roughly £10,000 to local and national charities.
Calne Bike Meet began in 2000, organised by the Calne Rotary Club and local motorcycle enthusiasts to bring together motorcyclists and the wider community. What started as a small local gathering quickly grew into a major regional and national attraction.
In 2013, a dedicated volunteer committee led by the late Howard Marshall took over the event’s organisation, developing it into a charitable venture with the emphasis on 'charity'.
Charity is in the Bike Meet's DNA, Howard Marshall started it as a charitable event and in his memory it must remain a charitable event. Each year, all proceeds from merchandise sales and fundraising activities are donated to charities. Calne Bike Meet is a not-for-profit event that aims to give back to the community of Calne and the motorcycling world. Since its inception, 66% of its charitable donations have been made locally.
This week, Calne News spoke with Bike Meet stalwarts Jennifer Jennings and Greg Widger, who confirmed that they both intend to step down at the end of this year. They described the funding decision as the 'final straw'.
They explained that the £8,000 grant they applied for helps fund an event that brings over 20,000 visitors to Calne, generating an estimated £500,000 to £750,000 in economic benefit for the town.
While Cllr Seymour stated he had spoken with several independent business owners who felt forced to close due to increased incidents of shoplifting, feedback from Bike Meet organisers who approached the town's businesses for comment has painted a much more positive picture. Some businesses reported taking six times their usual Saturday revenue on Bike Meet day, with others calling it their busiest day of the year. A local hotel stated that 'guests return annually from around the world'.
Increased food and drink sales, pub visits, fuel purchases, and accommodation bookings all contribute to the event’s financial impact. Even Church Street businesses - often frustrated at being cut off from foot traffic during other events - benefit, as motorbikes are parked along the length of the road.
Calne Bike Meet argue that the grant is not just support but an investment that returns far more to the local economy.
For Jennifer the lack of support and understanding from many of the councillors has proved too much. She said: “I rode for seven and a half hours to get back in time, [for the meeting]. When I arrived - early, as requested - I was ignored. No one spoke to me. I even asked around if anyone wanted to speak to me, and no one did."
“I already put so many voluntary hours into Calne Bike Meet on top of my regular work. This was the final straw for me - the lack of support and animosity from Calne Town Council has proved to much.”
Chairman, Greg Widger echoed her feelings and confirmed he also intends to resign. “It’s not right that anyone should be treated like that,” he said. “We’re grateful for what we’ve received, but we’re disappointed. This is the first time in 25 years Calne Town Council has chosen not to fully support us in our vision for the community.”
Jennifer added: “It’s always an uphill battle now—so much red tape, so many barriers.”
Greg continued: “It does feel like parts of Calne Town Council want us to fail. It’s getting so hard now—it feels almost impossible. Some councillors are behind us, but some are clearly not. I won’t put myself through it again.”
So where does this leave the Bike Meet moving forward? Is the future of the event in doubt?
“It is in doubt,” Jennifer admitted. “But the opportunity is there for a new committee to take it on. It’s not just Greg and myself who are stepping down—there are now six or seven of us leaving from a committee of 12.”
Greg agreed: “Our ideal scenario is for someone else to carry it forward. We’ve been passionate about this for years and we want it to continue—but we just can’t do it anymore.”
Jennifer added: “For me, it’s the lack of support from some of the councillors that’s made it clear it’s time to step away. Greg and I have shared the role of chair for 14 years, and each year it gets harder. When the council asks, ‘What does the Bike Meet do for Calne?’—it makes me question why I work so hard on it if they don’t even see its value.
“We estimate it takes 5,000 hours of work across the committee to plan and deliver this event. It’s just becoming too difficult.”
Part of the agreement reached at the council meeting was a condition that the Friends of Calne Bike Meet must present a three-year plan to become self-sustaining, with council support limited to use of buildings and security.
Jennifer said that while this goal is achievable, it can’t happen overnight. “We always keep money back each year as part of our constitution to help fund the next event. In 2024 the council said £5,000 wasn’t sufficient and we should increase it up to £6,500 - we agreed. But we can’t jump from £5,000 to £10,000 in one year. It has to be built up gradually so that we eventually don’t need to ask for a grant. Sadly the reduced funding this year puts our plans for sustainability back to almost square one.
“There’s also a feeling in the committee and around town that this isn’t just our event—it’s a town event.”
When asked if they thought the Bike Meet would continue beyond this year, Greg said: "I genuinely don't know, I hope so, I want it to happen."
Since its creation, Calne Bike Meet has grown to attract thousands of bikers and visitors from across the UK and Europe. It has become one of the largest free motorcycle events in Europe and a key highlight of the summer in Calne.
Seventy two per cent of all the stall vendors that attend the Bike Meet are Wiltshire based businesses, 90% of all service vendors - the toilets, security etc are all Wiltshire based "We are trying to support local business, but without the town council's support it would be impossible."
Cllr Robert MacNaughton who had voted in favour of the full grant commented: "It would be a tragedy to lose the Bike Meet, it is essential to the town, it puts Calne on the map and it brings huge amount of interest and money into the community."
Organisers have now started crowdfunding to try to recoup the money the grant given didn't cover in order to allow them to safely run the event. You can DONATE here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/calne-bike-meet
Held annually on the last Saturday of July, the event features live music, stalls, displays, and showcases hundreds of motorcycles.
Its future now hangs in the balance.
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