Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge’s Hillview Carnival Club has this week launched an urgent fundraising appeal to raise enough money to build this year’s cart.
The club has started an online fundraising campaign which aims to raise £5,000 due to the “soaring costs” of building this year’s entry for November’s carnivals.
Hillview Carnival Club spokeswoman Julia Rosser told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “2023 will be our club’s 50th anniversary of entering carts into this magnificent event.”
She adds: “It costs thousands of pounds every year to produce and run the cart, which is funded entirely through donations and sponsorship from individuals and local businesses.”
”Fundraising over the past few years has been extremely difficult due to Covid, and with the ever increasing cost of materials, the pressure is on to raise as much as we can.”
”Our club is run entirely by volunteers who give up their time and skills to provide an amazing show every year for the people of Somerset and beyond. We are one of only two juvenile clubs left!”
“The whole Carnival experience gives our children amazing life skills, from helping out with the build to supporting fundraising and building resilience and confidence for the performers on the cart for two hours at a time, often in very cold wet weather. It’s something the whole family get involved in, becoming part of the carnival family and team.”
Julia adds: “One local long-running club has already had to hang up their carnival hats this year, and we don’t want this to happen to us.”
“The committee, members and children of the club would be extremely grateful for any donations that you could share with us to support this year’s build.”
In 2022, Burnham’s Hillview Carnival Club had a great carnival season, winning six trophies for their successful cart, ‘Children of the Revolution’, pictured here, which was second overall in its category. The 2023 Burnham-On-Sea Carnival takes place on November 6th.
See the Hillview Carnival Club fundraising page here
