NOVEMBER'S Bridgwater Carnival broke recent all-time attendance records and raised the highest amount recorded since 2008.

On carnival day, an army of volunteers collected £24,724 – an increase of 16% on last year.

Mark Robson, collections officer for Bridgwater Carnival since 2003, said: “On the day, the town was buzzing with a wonderfully infectious atmosphere which obviously contributed to our success and the willingness of visitors to donate

“We are also immensely proud of our ‘Pete the Pound’ campaign which, with the wonderful support of Gerber Juice, not only helped to increase the level of donations but also spread the message about the invaluable works undertaken here in the local communities by our partnering charities.”

The donations will be shared between: the Carnival itself; Bridgwater Rotary Club; The British Red Cross; Bridgwater Lions; International Snap; Compass Disability Service; Breaks 4 Kids (YHA); the Ron Peberdy Cyberknife Trust; Bridgwater Victoria Park Rangers FC; and Robert Blake Science College.

Information on how donations were spent will be published on the Carnival website throughout the year at www.bridgwatercarn ival.org.uk