All are welcome to join us on Saturday 21 August from 9.00 am until lunchtime (or when we run out of steam!).

Jess Jephcott will be bringing a power strimmer to make the job easier but we do need other help to either carry the debris away or to get stuck in with loppers to remove the buddleia and weeds. Please bring brooms, brushes, scythes, gloves and energy!

Thank you.

Philip Crummy, Director of CAT, said: “this planning submission is an indication that we now feel we can make the project work”. The charity had undertaken considerable due diligence: “we needed to be sure”, he said, “we fully understood what was involved in bringing the building back into a safe and weatherproof state”.

The charity has had to deal with planners, traffic consultants, engineers and a wide variety of other building and professional services. Mr Crummy thanked Graeme Roe of Stanley Bragg Architects for his invaluable support in the process.

In a separate development, CAT was advised earlier this week that one of its private investors has decided not to proceed in purchasing a share of the building.

Peter Herring, CAT voluntary project manager, was undeterred by this development. “We have come a long way and naturally it’s a disappointment to lose part of the backing at this crucial stage of the project”. He said that CAT was looking for another investor.

Mr Crummy is discussing ways of marketing the building with local estate agents. The charity is looking for a partner who will take just under 25% of the building, “enough for a 4 bedroomed town house”, for a price of somewhere around the £280,000 mark. This includes the purchase of their share of the building and the essential work to refurbish the building to a weatherproof state.

CAT are also pleased to announce that the current owner of Sergeants’ Mess, developer Taylor Wimpey, has agreed to contribute £25,000 to the costs of the CAT project.

Tickets are £10 and must be bought in advance. Cheques payable to ‘Colchester Archaeological Trust’ can be sent to Darius Laws at 12 Lexden Road, Colchester, CO3 3NF or contact him at loveromancolchester@hotmail.co.uk.

Donations have come primarily from individuals in Colchester, together with businesses and other organisations, and from people around the world who had been inspired by the discovery of the biggest Roman archaeological monument found in Britain and Northern Europe. Over 2,300 people are following the story on Facebook.

A pledge of £30,000 by Colchester Borough Council was triggered when the appeal reached £170,000, making the total £200,000.

The appeal succeeded despite a zero budget and the fact that it was entirely volunteer led. The only costs to Colchester Archeaological Trust were in terms of their staff time and guidance, for which the appeal team are most grateful.

The appeal has even been contacted by enthusiasts from Circus Maximus in Rome, inviting charioteers from Britain’s Roman Circus to enter a team into a Roman Chariot ‘Biga’ racing event they hope to organise in Rome in their Circus.

“We are overwhelmed by the response to the appeal to Save Britain’s only Roman Circus” says Wendy Bailey, a member of the Appeal Team and Chair of Destination Colchester “people from all over the UK and the world have sent money and good will messages – via FaceBook, Twitter and through the website”.

“This puts us in a very strong position to complete the financial package now required to purchase the site of the eight Roman starting gates which lie beneath the garden of the Victorian Sergeants’ Mess” said Peter Herring, project manager for the site managed by Colchester Archaeological Trust.

The Save the Roman Circus Appeal will stay open and ongoing as news of the historic find and its future gains supporters and donations from around the world.

Please come and join us for a celebratory photocall this afternoon, Saturday 27 February, at 2pm. We’ve invited local newspapers, radio and TV to come and film the Roman Circus appeal supporters (that’s you, and lots of people like you!).

We’ll meet at the former Sergeants Mess building for about 30 minutes. Please wear wellies! It is very muddy.

To make sure that all our supporters in the local media have an equal chance to report the formal announcement of the result of the Appeal it will be embargoed until the morning of Monday 1 March, so we can’t give you the details yet. But we expect to have some very good news!

We are inviting as many people as possible who have helped us with the Appeal including politicians, journalists, donors, organisers, schools and members of supporting organisations. It is not our intention to leave anyone out so please pass on this invitation to anyone who we might have left off the list (and also to your friends!)

He told us: “I think it’s really important to preserve this country’s history. This is the only chariot racing circus ever found in this country, and in Roman times chariot racing was as popular as football is today. So as an ex professional footballer, and football manager it seems fitting to support Colchester in saving the Roman Circus.”

Elizabeth Cannon Antiques in Crouch Street, Colchester, has this morning handed over £1000 to the appeal. Mrs Cannon raised it in just nine days through the sale of some fine small glasses.

She created an attractive window display complete with a model of a Roman chariot and with a backdrop of two 200-year-old paintings of Colchester, and a poster indicating that all sales were being donated to the appeal.

On handing over the donation this morning, Mrs Cannon was keen to thank all the people who had come in to the shop to buy the items. A Colcestrian herself, and the daughter of a former Mayor of Colchester, she said she was delighted with the warm comments that she had received from shoppers about the Roman Circus and the efforts to ensure it was saved for all to view and enjoy.

Isobel Merry (l) and Elizabeth Cannon (r) with the display raising funds for the Roman Circus appeal

In fact, she will have raised over £1,000 for the appeal as two shoppers made additional donations under Gift Aid, and there are still more glasses for sale.

Football fans at Colchester United v Oldham last Saturday showed their support for the Roman Circus appeal by donating £1084.

Fans were treated to the sight of a Roman charioteer parading around the edge of the pitch with this two horses. Professional film stuntman Andy Butcher donated his time to help the appeal make an impact with football fans.

He was joined by a band of volunteers with buckets collecting from the fans, together with the doughty Jess Jephcott in full Roman soldier costume.

The crowd was very supportive and many of them wished the volunteers well with the campaign.

On the day we were delighted to hear that football legend Terry Venables had given his support to the Roman Circus Appeal.

So, thank you to Colchester United for all the help and support. They’ve been featuring the Roman Circus appeal on their big screen at all their home matches this year. And thank you to the many people who gave on the day.

They will also donate £1 for every print quotation they receive from local companies who quote “Roman Circus” from now until 30 April 2010.  Contact sales@printwize.co.uk or 01376 500900.

So, £9,000 in five days. Can we do it? Thank you to everyone who has given already. We’re hoping that enough people will now chose to come forward and make a gift to get us to the target.