Shepton Carnival organisers have said they will not be able to guarantee appearance or prize money to clubs entering this year's event. The change, announced amid funding pressures, is understood to be the first of its kind for the carnival.

Organisers told the BBC the carnival costs around £15,000 to stage each year.

Marcus Baker, the organiser behind Shepton Carnival, told the BBC: "We've had a look at the finances. We don't have the opportunities of charging people to park their cars, all those streams of revenue we see others are able to do, we're on a working day, you don't want to be shutting down the town for any longer than it's needed."

Organisers said the decision was a way of helping the carnival survive. They have also started looking for supporters, asking people to donate £5 in exchange for a carnival programme.

The move affects a long-standing tradition in the West Country carnival circuit, where clubs can receive money for attending and competing. Carnival clubs across the region spend much of the year building carts for the parades, with some costing thousands of pounds to construct.

Mr Baker told the BBC that clubs had been informed the carnival could not guarantee payment this year. He said: "The clubs understand where we are. They know themselves, even for clubs, you don't know what's ahead. Everything costs money to do."

Tanya Jones, chair of Globe Carnival Club, told the BBC Shepton Carnival was one of the group's local events and a chance for members to see friends and family. She said: "As a club we weren't too worried. If it came down to it, we'd rather have a carnival than appearance money."

She added: "Making new friends, it's a massive community thing. The appearance money doesn't really come into that."

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The West Country carnival circuits are annual celebrations usually held around Bonfire Night, with roots dating back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. For Shepton, the message from organisers and clubs is clear: the priority is keeping the carnival on the road.

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