CHOBHAM’S BIGGEST COMMUNITY EVENT OF THE YEAR
FUNFAIR
ARENA DISPLAYS
SIDESHOWS
REFRESHMENTS
MAY BALL
PUNCH AND JUDY
A new record set!
PROCESSION

Good causes receive a total of £8,641 in grants

TWENTY five organisations have benefited from a record amount of money raised by Chobham Carnival Association this year. A total of £8,641 has been handed out from the proceeds of the 2025 May ball and carnival itself – around £3,500 more than last year. “It was a spectacular fundraising year,” said association chairman Tim Elwin. “The sell-out ball made an amazing profit of £4,953 and the carnival had a magnificent £3,378 surplus. “The previous record, set in 2022 when we held both the ball and carnival for the first time since COVID, was exceeded by £300. “We are extremely grateful to the generous sponsorship from businesses and to those who contributed the ball’s auctions and raffle and, of course, the thousands people who filled the collection buckets on carnival day.” The top grant went to Chobham Village Hall, which will use its £1,200 to help replace outdated lighting with modern LED strip lights. St Lawrence Primary School received £800, which will contribute to the cost of an air source heat pump for its swimming pool. Chobham Army Cadets will put their £700 towards a world war battlefields expedition, during which they will continuing their research into the lives of village soldiers who died in conflict. The Friends of Valley End Infant School’s £600 will improve storage for their fundraising equipment. Chobham Scouts will help pay for a trip to Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland with their £600. Kimberly Wyatt Dance Academy received £400 to help buy dance mirrors for their training base, Addlestone Community Centre. Chobham Agricultural and Horticultural Society will use its £350 grant to buy new retractable barriers for use at its annual show and to help purchase bank card readers. Chobham Museum will refurbish the old red phone box near the building that it uses for displays with its £350. Grants of £300 were made to Friends of St Lawrence Primary School, Chobham Festival, Chobham Rugby Club Under-16 Boys and Chobham Fearless Girls Club. The Friends will use the grant to help refurbish the school’s trim trail. Chobham Festival’s art show will be publicised with new feather banners. The teenage rugby players will put the money towards funding their tour to the Netherlands. The Fearless Girls will cover some of the club’s running expenses. Chobham Churches Heritage Trust, Quest Riding for the Disabled and Woking and Sam Beare Hospice each received £250. The trust will use its grant to help maintain the fabric of St Lawrence and St Saviour’s Churches. Quest will put the money towards the cost of buying its ponies. The money for the hospice will be used to run wellbeing sessions. Surrey and Woking and District RSPCA, Good Tings Gathering mental health support, Chobham Recreation Charitable Trust, Surrey Search and Rescue, Stella Hancock Driving Group Riding for the Disabled got £200 grants. The RSPCA has money to help cover its costs providing veterinary and rehoming services. The Good Tings Gathering has money to help runs its wellbeing day at St John’s on September 28. The search and rescue teams’ grant will help buy more-sophisticated drones. The driving group will buy new shoes for some of its horses. Chobham Country Market got £160 towards paying for a card reader and printing payment forms. Woking Hospice’s Chobham shop will buy new hangers with its £150. St Lawrence School Maypole Dancers will buy new ribbons for their maypole with £145. Chobham's parish magazine, the Gridiron, will fund new publishing software with £136. Windlesham Field of Remembrance has £100 for repairs to Natter Tubes play area.
St Lawrence Primary School's maypole dancers enjoy a ride around the carnival arena in John Medhurst's brewery dray. ANY IDEAS FOR 2026? THE carnival association starts planning next year's events in November and will eagerly receive suggestions for arena entertainments and the procession theme. It will also gratefully welcome offers of help to run the carnival and ball and volunteers to join the organising committee. If you would like to make a suggestion or join the organisers, email chobhamcarnival@outlook.com.