Please read on for more news and pictures …

We have now added two online forms to our website.  If you would like to join our lively and enthusiastic team of volunteers who RUN the Carnival please click here to find out more and submit your details.

If you would like to register an interest to TAKE PART in Newbury Carnival 2011, please click here and complete the form.  We will then add you to our mailing list and send you priority updates about the date, theme and other details of next year’s Carnival, as well as keeping you in touch with developments and events we will be running during 2010.

Although there won’t be a Carnival Parade in 2010, we still have plenty going on and we would LOVE you to be a part of it.

Members of the Carnival Team will be at the Volunteer Fair at The Corn Exchange, Newbury, on Saturday 16th January, 10am-3pm. Come and find us there and discover more about what is happening this year.  If you can spare any time to help – either on the day of the next Carnival Parade or at other events between now and then – we would love to talk to you.  And if you can’t make the Volunteer Fair, don’t forget that you can always email us: newburycarnival@gmail.com.

We’re looking forward to seeing you again in 2010.

Well it may be nearly mid-winter but the Carnival Team is still busy.  Later this week we will be meeting to sort out dates for some of the ideas proposed for events in 2010.  If you have any suggestions for these or if you can spare a little time to join the team during the coming months, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  New members are always welcome.

Here’s what we said in our press release:

The next Newbury Carnival Parade will take place in summer 2011. At the recent Newbury Carnival Annual General Meeting, members agreed to keep the current two year gap in order to allow more time for fund raising, planning and organising what has become Newbury’s biggest community event.

Commenting on the decision, Carnival Chairman, Bryan Harper said, “We had record numbers participating this year and record crowds watching, making it a huge challenge to follow this. Formally establishing this as a biennial event will allow us the opportunity to make it bigger and better than ever for 2011”.

Jennie Simmons, who was part of the Royal British Legion float this year said, “This is a brilliant idea. We appreciate the huge efforts which go into organising this event, which has grown tremendously in recent years. We would really like to take part again next time and this will give us more time to organise our participation.”

Although there will not be a parade in 2010, there will still be a programme of Carnival events held throughout next year. A detailed programme is currently being drawn up and will be announced early in the New Year.

Newbury Carnival is run entirely by volunteers and is always seeking new members. Anyone who is interested in joining the Carnival Team is very welcome. Please contact Newbury Carnival Secretary, Jacquie Cooper, at newburycarnival@gmail.com.

We won’t be posting any more news to this website until the autumn, but you can still contact us by emailing to newburycarnival@gmail.com.  We welcome your comments and suggestions for the future – and don’t forget that we’re always interested to hear from anyone who would like to help with the organisation, sponsorship or assist in any other way.

We’d like to leave you with the words of our 2009 Carnival Queen, Jenny Moorcroft:

It is just amazing what people have done this year.  This has got to be the best one yet!

Best wishes from everyone at Newbury Carnival – we look forward to seeing you again next time.

Richard is kindly donating his prize money to the Carnival’s nominated charity for 2009, West Berkshire Mencap.