The overall Burwell Carnival fund for 2017 was £10,000, distributed back to 35 participating groups, and a couple of local donations.
All the groups involved received their cheques from this year’s carnival queen Flossie Talbot.
The proceeds will help to support a wide range of local groups and activities from Burwell Scout Group to Burwell Carers; and showing the strength and depth of the Burwell Community in their support & commitment for carnival.
Organisers describe it as “the one time in the year when the whole village can come together”.
Last year’s fund was £9500, but the committee heavily dipped into their reserve funds to create this amount, due to it being a rain hit carnival and the inability to run the usual comedy nights.
The ‘Horrible Histories’ parade float prize winners, receiving their now engraved trophies were:
1st: 2nd Burwell Rainbows as Wicked Witches - A great effort by their leaders, Sarah Stephens Nash & Helen Tedman, as their original Horrible History theme was The Grisly Great Fire of London. However, the tragedy of Grenfell Tower occurred on 14th June, so they made their own respectful decision to switch to this title with only 2-3 days to re-arrange & prepare their float & Rainbows customs for the 17th! These Rainbows pack also only come back into existence from earlier this year, but now full booked, with a waiting list!
2nd: Burwell Early Learners as Vicious Vikings
3rd: Burwell Guides & Rangers as Awful Egyptians
Adult group: Burwell Print as Putried Pirates
Organisers paid a big thank you to all involved in this year’s carnival and fundraising events. They singled out particularly programme/field local business sponsors with a special thank you to committee members.
Thanks were paid to the committee members that have stepped down this year: Mark Hylton - Events/PR, Katherine Hyett - Secretary and they offered warm tributes to Jocelyne Mason - Commercial stalls, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
Joining the committee earlier this year were Sarah Phipps and Paul Webb and now Amber Farrar, secretary and John Smith, treasurer, taking over from Abi Portway who is stepping aside after five years but still remains on the committee.
The committee decided to do it all again on June 16 next year with the parade theme of ‘Myth & Magic’.
PHOTOS: Carnival pictures - Peter Lancaster (stopping traffic on Swaffham Road as the parade vehicles come out of Margaret Field - doesn’t look the same at the moment!)
Presentation pictures - Helen McMenamin-Smith
Carnival Aerial View - Lee Wilding
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