'Mardi Gras' Carnival raises £10,000 for Radcliffe Charities & Community Groups

Radcliffe on Trent Carnival AGM 20th October 2016

At the Annual General Meeting of the Radcliffe on Trent Carnival cheques to value of £3,500 were distributed to local charities and community groups who gave their support on July 9th 2016. 

 The accounts presented at the meeting showed in addition that over £6,500 had been raised by stallholders and other activities on the day, all of which goes to support the running of local organisations within the community of Radcliffe on Trent. 

Danny Brennan ( Chair of the Working Group) commented at the meeting that  'Every part of the community from the Playgroup to the U3A got into the Carnival spirit and joined in with colour, dancing, music and enjoyment.'

He thanked everyone for their commitment ( even when it rained!) and mentioned the retailers and businesses of Radcliffe who decorated their windows with lively Mardi Gras themes plus generously supporting with raffle prizes and donations.

The Carnival Working Group is a small number of local people who organise the Radcliffe on Trent Carnival supported by lots of other fantastic volunteers who show up on the day and just do great things. 

To make next year's Carnival work really well we could really do with a few more folk who could help with marketing, organising the entertainment, and a treasurer, (to name a few of our current skill shortages). It is not a 'boring committee' and is actually great fun;  so if you could offer some assistance please email us at rotcarnival@gmail.com or message us on the Facebook page.

Please save the date for next year’s  Radcliffe on Trent Carnival  July 8^th 2017

Radcliffe on Trent Carnival AGM

Radcliffe Carnival AGM 2016 Thursday 20th October 2016 7:30 pm Radcliffe Royal British Legion Club				Please join us at the AGM to share your feedback on this year's Carnival and to help with ideas so we can make the Carnival in 2017 even better. We'll be talking about how much money was raised at the Carnival and how it will be shared amongst the charities and community groups of Radcliffe. If you can't join us but have some ideas to share please email us at: RotCarnival@gmail.com

How Radcliffe Carnival looked from a Spitfire!

Aerial View of the Carnival at around 2:30pm on Saturday

I can't pretend that there weren't a few anxious moments on Saturday morning as the hardy volunteers from the Carnival Working Group, plus stalwarts of just about every organisation in the village braved torrential rain to put up gazebos, unload vehicles, layout the site and think about making sure that we could keep everyone safe on the site as it was getting a bit slippy underfoot!

But at about 11:30 the rain stopped and everyone started to smile ....

In an incredibly fast time wet tables were  transformed into groaning displays of produce, sideshows and games, arrangements of delicious cakes and information about everything from Canals to local Archaeology. The Mayor of Rushcliffe and the Chair of the Parish Council visited all the stalls and selected a winning 'Best Dressed Stall!

The Procession  - stunning spectacle of colour and music in Radcliffe 

Meanwhile at least 200 intrepid souls from the Methodist Church, Radcliffe Olympic FC, Radcliffe Guides, Brownies & Rainbows, Radcliffe Pre- School Playgroup, Simply Dance, Radcliffe Sword Club, SNATCH, Radcliffe on Trent Drama Group, and the Boys Brigade had donned their glitter, feathers and masks and were ready to show us Mardi Gras !

 Led by the Boys Brigade Marching Band with the United Schools Samba Band bringing up the rear in a very lively fashion, the procession made its way through Radcliffe. 

They were watched by a magnificent crowd, who especially enjoyed the Samba Music& Dancing from SNATCH and the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang walking float built by Steve Phair for the Boys Brigade. 

A special mention has to go to the inspired Brownie or Rainbow leader who devised Mardi Gras multicoloured and beautifully decorated waterproof ponchos for the girls ! ( Did she know something we didn't?)

So how do you top that ?

With a Flypast by a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight !

I should add that this wonderful photo was taken by Adam Thacker 

who  has generously allowed us to share the image on this Website 

Radcliffe Carnival Procession leaves Bingham Road Playing Fields at 1:00 pm on Saturday 9th July

A selection of the great raffle prizes available at the Carnival tomorrow

Have you got your raffle tickets for the Carnival ?

There are so many great prizes to be won including a first prize of £100 and other cash prizes!

All our prizes have been donated by local businesses and retailers, so every £ raised goes into the Carnival funds which, as you know, are all given back to the Community Groups and good causes in the village, who do so much to make Radcliffe on Trent a great place to live.

Raffle tickets will be on sale at the Carnival tomorrow in the Grange grounds. 

Don't worry if you aren't going to be there at 4:30 when the raffle is drawn as we'll give you a call if you are a winner and make arrangements to get your prize to you.

Mardi Gras Shop Window Competition ...The heat is on !

 Great 'Mardi Gras' Window Displays are starting to appear around Radcliffe on Trent - how many have you spotted?

Thank you to all the shops and businesses in Radcliffe who are supporting Carnival by decorating their windows for Carnival and helping us to get into the 'Mardi Gras' spirit.

A quick walk round today and it was great to see displays at House into Home, Lesley Cree Opticians, Nottinghamshire Hospice, Cancer Research UK, Bowler & Charsley Opticians, and Love Fabric already.. plus lots of activity at Burleys. There will be more ....

A really imaginative & detailed display at the Nottinghamshire Hospice Shop from their team plus the Duke of Edinburgh volunteers
 

At Love Fabric, a new business in the village,  giving Carnival their full support

 

Lively and very colourful from Cancer Research UK. Display all from donations to the shop created by  volunteers.

Look out for their Mardi Gras costumes on Saturday too!

Judging for the Shop Window Display will take place from 2:00 Friday 8th July 

Spitfire Flypast for Radcliffe on Trent Carnival

Look up in the sky on Saturday 9th July at 1:40pm

Radcliffe on Trent Carnival are delighted to welcome The Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which should flypast as the procession reaches The Grange, at around 1:40pm

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane.

The flight is administratively part of No. 1 Group RAF, flying out of RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

This iconic British single-seat fighter aircraft was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries before, during and after the Second World War.

The Spitfire played a major part in achieving ultimate victory in World War Two and truly deserves its place as probably the most successful fighter design ever, and certainly as the most famous and charismatic of all time.

The development potential of the original design allowed the Spitfire to establish and then maintain the air superiority so vital to the defence of Britain and to keep pace with the improvements in performance of enemy fighters throughout World War Two.

Spitfires fought in every operational theatre of the War and remained in RAF front-line service up to 1954.

 At the end of its development the Spitfire carried an engine producing more than twice the power of the original, its maximum take-off weight and rate of climb had more than doubled, its firepower had increased by a factor of five and its maximum speed had been increased by a third; all this in essentially the same air-frame.

Great Entertainment at the Radcliffe Carnival on Saturday 9th July

The Dako Flying Angels will entertain at 

Radcliffe on Trent Carnival 

If you and your family enjoy a thrilling display of teamwork, acrobatics and skill,  then make sure that you are in the audience for the Dako Flying Angels who will be giving one of their marvellous displays at Radcliffe Carnival at 2:45 on Saturday 9th July at The Grange 

The Dako Flying Angels are a Gymnastics display club, based in Sneinton, Nottingham. They perform gymnastic displays from village festivals to gymnastic festivals across the world.

If you have any questions or queries about anything to do with the Carnival you can contact us by email via our Contact Us page or you can follow us on Twitter at @ROTcarnival or join our group,Radcliffe on Trent Charity Carnival, on Facebook.

Radcliffe Carnival 2016 The Grange Site Layout

This is the layout for the stalls at the Grange on Saturday July 9th 2016. 

We have done our best to accommodate everyone's requests but please respect that this is for information not negotiation !

1. Radcliffe Gardening Club
2.  Grantham Canal Society
3.  Marie Curie
4. Radcliffe Animal Shelter
5. Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance
6. Radcliffe Guides 
7. Radcliffe Conservative Association 
8. Radcliffe WEA 
9. Radcliffe Lions Club 
10. Radcliffe Ladies Choir 
11. Guide Dogs 
12. NSPCC Radcliffe Group 
13. Radcliffe Methodist Church 
14. Radcliffe Methodist Church
15. 22nd Nottm. Boys Brigade 
16. Radcliffe Surgery Forum 

    19. Radcliffe Signing Choir

   20.  Simply Dance

   21.  Vale of Belvoir Rotary Club   

   22.  Radcliffe Labour Party  

   23.  Darwin Dogs  

   24.  Ruddington Riding for the Disabled 

   25.  Radcliffe Scouts  

   26.  Radcliffe Probus Club 

   27  SNAPS

   28. SNAPS

   30. Radcliffe Archaeological Society 

Stall Holders - We are very grateful for your support but please don't arrive to start unloading and setting up before  9:00am. 

Can you be first to spot the Mardis Gras Shop Windows?

Do YOU Remember these fantastic Radcliffe Shop Windows?

and who will ever forget Burleys becoming Arkwrights!

The wonderful retailers and businesses of Radcliffe have, as ever, been very supportive of the Radcliffe on Trent Carnival which will take place on Saturday July 9th from 12 -5pm. 

They have donated some really great raffle prizes and are gearing up to decorate their windows in Mardis Gras style which will help everyone to get in the mood for the Carnival.

Judging for the Shop Window competition will take place on Friday 8th July in the afternoon but I know that some of the businesses are getting ready to put on their display ....so how many can you spot and who should be the winner !

If you have any questions or queries you can contact us by email about anything to do with the Carnival via our Contact Us page or you can follow us on Twitter at @ROTcarnival or join our group,Radcliffe on Trent Charity Carnival, on Facebook.

Meet Clara - Radcliffe on Trent's 4 legged Carnival Supporter !

A Great big Thank You to all our Supporters

As the planning and organising for the Radcliffe Carnival on July 9th gathers pace,  we recognise how much help comes from local businesses and community groups.
 We couldn't do it without you!

So can we say A Very BIG THANK YOU to:

The Children of Radcliffe on Trent Junior School who have designed great Mardis Gras posters

The Retailers and Business community of Radcliffe on Trent for their support by loaning vehicles, sponsorship, donating raffle prizes, decorating their windows,  and  even dressing up!  

Shops participating in the Mardis Gras SHOP WINDOW competition:

House into Home, The Baker's Daughter,   All Creatures Veterinary, Silk,

Nottinghamshire Hospice, Burleys, Pen to Paper, Bowler & Charsley Opticians, 

Cancer Research UK, Lesley Cree Opticians, Love Fabric.

Kevin and Sherborne Sound for supplying and operating the sound system

John A Stephens for vehicles and drivers for the Procession

The brilliant team of people who help set up & run the day especially, Mark Greenhalgh, John James, Mark Knighton, Radcliffe Olympic FC, RAINS, SNAPS, Radcliffe Playdays, South Notts Academy 6^th Formers, Radcliffe Lions, Rachel Ramsden &our Procession Marshalls.

Companies  and organisations that help us every year: Radcliffe Scouts, Spencer Signs, Nottinghamshire Police, Buttercross Veterinary Surgery,  Trent Barton Buses, BRM Productions, Keep the Beat, Lisa Simpson and the Caretakers at Grange Hall

The Radcliffe Royal British Legion Club  for providing a venue to hold the AGM 

.......and lots of other unsung Heroes and Heroines.....

Raffle tickets are on sale in the village every Saturday Morning until Carnival Day

Fantastic prizes to be won including cash prizes of £100, £50 & £25 plus  wine, champagne, beauty treatment vouchers, restaurant meals, & many more.

Get ready for Mardis Gras - Radcliffe on Trent Carnival July 9th 2016

Are you ready for Mardis Gras ?

The Carnival takes place on Saturday July 9th 2016 from 1- 5pm.

The planning is well underway and we have some great entertainment and activities for everyone to enjoy - so come along,  support all the local groups and charities and have a great time!

Timings: 1:00 Procession sets off from Bingham Road Sports Ground

                 1:40 VERY SPECIAL NEW EVENT - Keep your eyes on the sky.......

                 2:00 Start of a full afternoon's entertainment at The Grange & Grange Hall

Radcliffe on Trent Carnival - a few facts ...

The Carnival has been going in one form or another for many years, back to the 1950s, maybe further. In its present form - a summer procession and carnival with stalls and events taking place in mid July - we reckon this will be our 32^nd year. 

In earlier days, it will have been all about produce and entertainment with, hopefully, as much involvement of local schools, people groups and interests as we enjoy in the 21^st century Radcliffe on Trent Carnival.

  We still retain some of the 'old favourites Punch and Judy (watch the kids’ faces – the magic still works, oh, yes it does!), the Tug of War  and a range of entertainment showcasing the talent of local people.

The Carnival is many things and just about every village group/ organisation is involved in one way or another. It is  a snapshot of just how much community engagement Radcliffe benefits from all year round, and how much energy and commitment such a lot of people, unsung, put into making the village the astonishingly vibrant community we get the chance to showcase each July. 

We'll be posting lots more information here about the Carnival in the next few weeks but if you have any questions or queries you can contact us by email about anything to do with the Carnival via our Contact Us page or you can follow us on Twitter at @ROTcarnival or join our group,Radcliffe on Trent Charity Carnival, on Facebook.

Radcliffe Carnival 'Hero' honoured by the Parish Council

Congratulations, Steve!

We are so pleased to share this picture with you ! 
Radcliffe Carnival's very own Hero was honoured by the Parish Council at the Parish Meeting on 20th April.

Here's Steve Sugden with Georgia Moore, Chair of the Parish Council who is a great supporter of the Carnival, with his Civic Award. 

Steve has been recognised and thanked by the Parish Council for being a 'resident who has made an outstanding contribution to the village of Radcliffe on Trent’.

Steve has been involved in the running of the annual Radcliffe on Trent Carnival for over 25 years and continues to be an integral part of the Carnival Working Group. He organises almost every aspect of the fete held in the grounds of the Grange on Carnival Day.

Steve has an amazing knowledge of how to do things or ‘who to go to’, so nothing ever seems to be a  problem even if it's rearranging the site due to inclement weather, obtaining  40 foot scaffold poles, hay bales for seating or how to fix the generator!

He is universally respected by everyone who comes into contact with him and he makes time to explain and show new members of the team what happens next, even when things are a bit hectic.

Steve was also one of the founder members of the Radcliffe Twinning Association in 1995 when the first steps in twinning the village were taken following a meeting in a Parish Councillors house through to successfully twinning with Bussy Saint Georges in 1999. Steve remains very involved in the running and activities of this group today.

Many congratulations Steve & here's to another very successful Radcliffe Carnival on July 9th

Are you part of a Community Group or Charity in Radcliffe on Trent?

Could the work of your group or charity benefit from some additional funds?

Have you considered being the Raffle Partner for Radcliffe on Trent Carnival this year?

The raffle is a very high profile part of the Carnival and over the last few years has raised between £600 and £2,5000.

The Carnival Raffle has excellent credentials, built up over many years, not only in ticket sales but the support given by sponsors for the cash prizes and the quality of non-cash prizes.

The raffle raises funds for the good causes of the village, and the partnering  group or organisation receives a donation at the AGM in October ( typically one third of the profit).

It also provides an opportunity for local businesses to get involved with the Carnival and show their commitment to the community. 

The raffle assists in promoting the Carnival through ticket sales, particularly on the 2 Saturdays before Carnival Day in the village centre.

Has your organisation or group the resources and support to make a success of the raffle? 

There’s support and guidance from the volunteers who organise the Carnival but we just don’t have the capacity to organise it ourselves.

We've had a chat with a number of groups in the village but so far we haven’t got the right partner for 2016.  Could this be you - please have a chat with one of us if you feel you could help?

You can contact us by email about anything to do with the Carnival via our Contact Us page or you can follow us on Twitter at @ROTcarnival or join our group,Radcliffe on Trent Charity Carnival, on Facebook.

Some clarification about our increased stall fee

Applications are coming in for Stall and Procession entries so please complete your application and return as soon as possible. If you have already sent in your application many thanks, an acknowledgement is on its way to you.

We've had a few enquiries about the stall fee, which has been raised to £20, and we'd like to explain the reasons for this which we hope you will understand and still feel that you can support us on Carnival day.

The reasons for the increase are:-

• Following a much needed review of our insurance, we felt that our policy needed to be amended to ensure that both our visitors and helpers were correctly insured. This lead to an increase from £225 to £525.

• Stall fees haven't increased in nearly 15 years.

• More and more of our stall holders are requesting additions such as electrical supply, which means that if we are able to accommodate this it puts a greater strain on our resources and usually results in additional expense.

• This was tabled at our AGM in October 2015 and we received no negative feedback.

• The Village Show charges £25 for a stall so we felt it was not an excessive amount to charge.

• The funds we raise are passed back to local charities and community groups in the village.

I hope that you will understand the reason for our increase and hope that you will join us at this much supported village event. We look forward to receiving your application soon.

Click here to download your Stall Application form

Got any questions or queries? You can contact us by email about anything to do with the Carnival via our Contact Us page or you can follow us on Twitter at @ROTcarnival or join our group,Radcliffe on Trent Charity Carnival, on Facebook.

Thanks for reading and we hope to keep you updated on here as we plan toward another brilliant Radcliffe on Trent Carnival at the start of July this year!

Apply to take part in the Procession at this year's Carnival

Applications for entries to the Procession  for the 2016 Radcliffe on Trent Carnival are now invited!

If you would like to take part in this year's Carnival Procession which will parade through the village on Saturday 9th July, the time has come to start applying, just follow the link: Procession entry form

We are sure that village organisations and groups are already working out how to best represent the Mardi Gras theme, and will  come up with some exciting and entertaining floats.

Competition for the Awards for the Procession will be as hot as ever and our  local judges will be looking for participation, enthusiasm, colour and getting into the Mardi Gras spirit!

Please complete the attached form and return it to 14 Bingham Road, Radcliffe on Trent.

Got any questions or queries? You can contact us by email about anything to do with the carnival via our Contact Us page or you can follow us on Twitter at @ROTcarnival or join our group,Radcliffe on Trent Charity Carnival, on Facebook.

Thanks for reading and we hope to keep you updated on progress.

Apply for your stall at this year's Carnival

Applications for Stalls at the 2016 Radcliffe on Trent Carnival are now invited!

If you would like to have a stall at this year's Carnival which will take place on Saturday 9th July.

the time has come to start applying, just follow the link here Stall application form

We would really like to encourage the organisations running the stalls to enter into the Mardi Gras theme, and to come up with some exciting and varied sideshows/stalls. There will be as always a 'Best Dressed Stall' competition judged by the Mayor of Rushcliffe and the Chair of Radcliffe Parish Council and they will be looking for innovation, colour and getting into the Mardi Gras spirit!

Please complete the attached form and return it to 14 Bingham Road with your payment as soon as possible. It’s important to book early as we are limited to the number of stalls and want to avoid too much duplication (e.g. Tombolas).

Got any questions or queries? You can contact us by email about anything to do with the carnival via our Contact Us page or you can follow us on Twitter at @ROTcarnival or join our group, Radcliffe on Trent Charity Carnival, on Facebook.

Thanks for reading and we hope to keep you updated on here as we plan toward another brilliant Radcliffe on Trent Carnival at the start of July this year!

Launching the new site & "Mardi Gras"

Welcome to the new online home of the Radcliffe on Trent Carnival, which will be next held on Saturday 9th July 2016. Our launch date for the new website today, Tuesday 9th February 2016, not only marks 5 months to this year’s Radcliffe on Trent Carnival but as Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, is very significant.

At the Carnival AGM, held in October 2015, the overwhelming favourite for 2016’s theme, voted on by all the village organisations who attended, was Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras, meaning “Fat Tuesday” in French, has its origins in medieval Europe. It refers to the practice of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lent season, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. For more about the Mardi Gras festival (and getting Radcliffe in the New Orleans mood) you can watch the short video below or have a read of this article - maybe you'll get some ideas!

Mardi Gras has become a great celebration across the world and Radcliffe on Trent Carnival will be part of this in 2016. 

Got any questions or queries? You can contact us by email about anything to do with the carnival via our Contact Us page or you can follow us on Twitter at @ROTcarnival or join our group, Radcliffe on Trent Charity Carnival, on Facebook.

Thanks for reading and we hope to keep you updated on here as we plan toward another brilliant Radcliffe on Trent Carnival at the start of July this year!

Hello from the Radcliffe on Trent Carnival!

Welcome to the new online home of the Radcliffe on Trent Carnival, which will be next held on Saturday 9th July 2016. This is site is run by the volunteers of the working group who ensure the event is a successful and enjoyable one for everyone involved. If you'd like to be involved in this year's carnival either as part of the procession through the village or running a stall at the Grange then you can find the information for how to do so here. There is also a provisional plan of the site available here.

We are community volunteer run organisation and our constitution and mission statement are available for people to read too, just click here. You can contact us by email about anything to do with the carnival via our Contact Us page or you can follow us on Twitter at @ROTcarnival or join our group, Radcliffe on Trent Charity Carnival, on Facebook.

Thanks for reading and we hope to keep you updated on here as we plan toward another brilliant Radcliffe on Trent Carnival at the start of July this year!

The Working Group