PEWSEY carnival will continue to run despite rising costs and limited sponsors that had threatened the future of the festivities.
Despite increasing insurance levels for carnival events and struggles to secure sponsorship, organisers have vowed to celebrate its 120th year in style.
New chair Carol Parsons has spent 50 years involved in the carnival and follows in the footsteps of her father Cossor Clifford Goldsworthy, who ran the Cossor charity auction from 1948-1998.
In 2017, £10,000 was raised for charity, with local charities befitting from the annual fortnight of activities.
Ms Parsons said: “There isn’t one single thing that has gone up in price, every cost involved in putting on a carnival has gone up.
“Insurance has increased too for events and sponsorship is less because people have tighter budgets.
“The carnival was originally set up to raise funds for Savernake Hospital and 120 years later to still be raising money is a great achievement.
“It is down in part to the volunteers and shoppers at Cossers shop. Without that we wouldn’t have the funds we need. Carnivals nationwide are decreasing but we are proud to still be here.”
Both her daughters Lauren Cook, 26 and Hannah Parsons, 15, have been carnival queens and this year a new group will take to the thrown.
Ms Parsons continued: “Carnival has always been in my family. I used to take a few days off school every year to help my father with the auction. All my memories are related t the carnival or the fire service.”
Four-legged and wheelbarrow events will continue alongside newer activities including the scarecrow trail now in its third year.
Running over the August bank holiday August 25 to 27, this year’s theme is music stars. Pewsey carnival takes place from September 9 to 23 with the illuminated carnival procession on September
22.
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