Town council £2,000 award keeps Teignmouth Carnival afloat

Organisers of this year’s Teignmouth Carnival have welcomed a £2,000 cash boost from Teignmouth Town Council saying it could make the difference between this year’s event staying afloat or going into the red.

A decision to award the funds was taken by members of authority’s Finance Committee, three days after the 2025 carnival programme had swung into action.

They heard from Chair Sarah Woolway who reported escalating costs, examples of which included Teignbridge District Council’s charges for electricity and administration which topped £600 and the hire of gazebos and tables that came in at more than £500.

With the bar being the only potential source of income to offset the costs, now running at more than £70,000 for 2025, Sarah said: ‘It’s going to be close.’

She added: ’The carnival is a completely free event run by volunteers who give up their holidays and don’t get paid a penny,

‘Thousands of people come in to enjoy the events, the whole town is benefitting from the carnival.’

Members agreed and voted to settle some carnival invoices direct if the committee passed them on.

A likely candidate is the bill for fireworks which could exceed £2,000.

Afterwards Committee Chair Cllr Joan Atkins said: ‘The carnival has been such a valued event over many many years and brings in people who love the entertainment, particularly as it’s followed by the regatta.

‘It’s really important that the carnival committee get some sort of reward if you like for all the hard work they do on behalf of the town and the council.

‘It’s absolutely an investment in the town and I think it would be wrong if we didn’t.’

Sarah said: ‘It’s absolutely brilliant and will go a long way to getting this carnival to break even, we really appreciate it.

‘We’re hoping that with this grant, and all the other supporters we have plus the community of Teignmouth, we’ll be fine.’

Fellow Committee Member Cathy Hooper said: ‘The local shops benefit from carnival, the restaurants, the whole town, getting the grant is absolutely brilliant