The London & Southern Counties Regional Committee has confirmed that it has unanimously agreed to cancel its 2021 Regional Championship.

It's 2020 event was the only one of that year's 'Area' series that did not take place due to the concerns over the Coronavirus Pandemic, and it was hoped that the proposed June 2021 would herald a return to the contesting environment and enable representative bands to be put forward for any potential National Finals.

Impossible

However, it has been revealed that the Regional Committee felt that the current Covid-19 environment made this impossible.

In a statement issued by Regional Secretary, Kevin Williams, they said: "It is with deep sadness and regret that the London & Southern Counties Regional Committee have decided unanimously to cancel the 2021 Regional Contest that it hoped to hold this coming June.

After lengthy discussions, the Committee agreed that the COVID-19 situation may not have been sufficiently resolved in time for an event to be held safely, and so took the agonising decision to cancel the contest for a second successive year.

We fully appreciate the difficult situation many of you find yourselves in at this time, and we wish you well during the coming months and with the hope that we can all get back to banding as soon as possible."

Grading

The statement also explained what would now happen with the appropriate grading tables.

"The 2020 provisional grading tables will remain unchanged with no promotion or relegation this year, and so the aggregate totals from 2018 and 2019 will be carried forward to the 2022 contest.

The Committee will now liaise with Kapitol Promotions Ltd. detailing their proposals about how bands should be considered for an invite to the 2021 National Finals in September and October."

Hopefully 2022 will offer us the opportunity to resume normal operations and get back to the banding we all love and enjoy so muchLondon & Southern Counties Regional Committee

Priority

In conclusion they added: "It's obviously a very sad day for all concerned, but the health and safety of everyone involved at a contest, whether they be the performers, adjudicators, administrators, press, traders, audience and stewards etc has to be the number one priority

Despite the wonderful advances being made within the medical profession in tackling the COVID pandemic, the current uncertainties surrounding the Government position and potential for contracting the illness in and around the bandroom is still far too great for me to take any chances and put anybody at risk.

Hopefully 2022 will offer us the opportunity to resume normal operations and get back to the banding we all love and enjoy so much."