With Bridgwater Carnival 2015 just under five months away, organisers are inviting local charities and organisations to benefit from this year’s street collection.
Last year over 450 collectors representing 25 charities and organisations helped to raise £23,739 at the popular event, and the monies were shared between these charities and the official Bridgwater Carnival charity.
Jon Jacobs Bridgwater Carnival’s newly elected collection officer, said: “We would like to hear from any local charities and organisations, who support and help people in the surrounding area and who would like to get involved in Bridgwater’s biggest night of the year.
“All we ask is for the charities to have volunteers out on the streets collecting on carnival day and / or night, and of course the more money collected by the individual charity, the greater share they receive.”
Local charities and organisations are also able to benefit from the carnival through the sale of souvenir programmes or by helping with the marshalling of the carnival and car parks at the event.
Those interested in becoming involved with the collection or who would like to receive further information about the fundraising opportunities available should contact Jon Jacobs on 07515 818615 or by email Jon Jacobs. Alternatively a collection application form can be downloaded from Bridgwater Carnival’s official website Collection page. The closing date for applications is Friday 4 September 2015.
During the past 12 months Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Committee has donated over £19,000 to local charities and groups. The monies were raised during Bridgwater Carnival related activities between March 2014 and February 2015 and includes the street collection, and the donations were announced at the recent carnival committee’s annual general meeting (AGM). The following charities and organisations received donations, some of which were in recognition for assistance during Bridgwater Carnival 2014:-
- Bridgwater Rotary Club – £2,673
- Wellington & Taunton Young Farmers – £2,000
- Inner Wheel – £1,874
- St John Ambulance – £1,377
- Lions International – £1,151
- Cancer Research UK – £1,145
- Westfield Church – £1,134
- The Red Cross – £892
- Bridgwater Operatic Society – £762
- SNAP – £713
- Bridgwater & Albion RFC – £615
- Rhode Lane Wanderers – £561
- Compass Disability Services – £559
- Bridgwater Sea Cadets – £522
- Freewheelers – £450
- PGM School – £403
- Bridgwater Hospital League of Friends – £370
- Robert Blake & Chilton Trinity Schools – £317
- Kelsey’s Cancer Fund – £300
- Tree of Hope – £295
- Ron Peberdy Cyberknife Trust – £235
- Stogursey Football Club – £202
- Brainwave – £184
- Bridgwater & District Mencap – £149
- Crispin Academy – £146
- Bridgwater Harley Owners Group – £117
- Multiple Sclerosis Society – £96
- Young Musical Theatre Company – £64
- RNLI – £42
- St Margaret’s Hospice – £40
- Marie Curie Cancer Care – £32
In addition to this an extra £4,000 was raised for local charities by carnival organisers after taking a themed Christmas carnival cart around the supermarkets and streets of Bridgwater during the run up to Christmas 2014.
Dave Stokes, publicity officer for Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival, added: “Helping local charities and organisations to boost their funds is an integral part of the carnival which we are all very proud of, and is something which many people overlook. In the last five years Bridgwater Carnival related activities have raised nearly £90,000 for local good causes, and this is testament to the hard work of everybody associated with Bridgwater Carnival.”