Many people have asked about the ‘donation’ aspect of the registration fee. Here’s a short explanation.
The Classic Car & Bike element of our show is a fund raiser for the Friends of St John the Baptist, Capel. Your entry fees pay for the organisation of the show, the security, first aid, insurance etc. In other words all the necessary things that are needed to make it happen. After costs, 50% of the show’s proceeds go towards the upkeep of our 12th Century Church.
We are here to raise money for this good cause. We did manage to claim Gift Aid in he past but this has proven to be no longer possible.
We have set a minimum fee of £10.50 in 2026 (less for bikes). It was £7.50 in 2017. Effectively, taking account of inflation, a minimum donation now is not that much more in real terms than 10 years ago. In the past we’ve even had the option of not donating anything at all, even giving away commemorative plaques. Effectively this meant a loss to us and was simply not sustainable.
The entry fees to the show for visitors are set independently and are more or less governed by market pricing (i.e. it is compared to other comparable show fees in the area and feedback from visitors). The entry price is for the entire Capel Show and thus covers both Car & Bike Show and the Horticultural Show. We believe the ticket price is still extremely good value compared to other village shows.
We hope that you will continue to support us by donating freely in the spirit of ‘fund raising’