ABOUT US

The Ringwood Carnival Society is a registered charity established to co-ordinate, manage and develop a guaranteed festival of fun for the whole family to enjoy and also to raise funds & make donations to local charities and good causes.

Ringwood saw it's very first Carnival in 1929 and was originally set up to fund the purchase of a field from a Mr Carver to provide the town with a sports ground, as well as to raise monies for the Royal Victoria and West Hants Hospital. Carnivals followed in 1931 and 1934 when the Coldstream Guards marched through the town in full dress uniform. The first Carnival after the war was in 1950 and there has been one every year since. The Carnival now acts as a focus for the local community and charitable groups as well.

The Carnival has three main elements...

• Afternoon Procession with coin collection
• Evening Torchlight Procession with coin collection
• The Bickerley with Fair, Live Bands, Trade Stands, the "Village Green" with charity/community stalls and Grand Firework Display evening finale - FREE admission to all.

The Carnival always takes place on the 3rd Saturday in September and acts as a major showcase for business and charitable groups. All the Carnival organisation is undertaken by unpaid volunteers and the procession is traditionally marshalled by willing volunteers. If you would like to be a marshall please call Howard Cox on 01425 479254. Planning for Carnival is done on an all year basis. Immediately one Carnival finishes, planning for the next begins. The successful implementation of plans depends very much on good co-operation and liaison with many local agencies that support the Carnival. They include Ringwood Town Council, New Forest District Council,Greyfriars, the Police, St John's Ambulance, the Fire Brigade and the Bickerley residents.

The Ringwood Carnival Society procures funds with which to celebrate Carnival. These funds are obtained from a number of different sources such as society membership, corporate sponsorship and street collections. The funds are primarily used to secure the existence of Carnival and guarantee the day by paying for street entertainment, decorations, bands, public safety by barrier and fencing erection, but also with the overall goal to raise funds for local charities.