'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