The Corfe Mullen Carnival committee is a group of dedicated individuals who voluntarily work tirelessly throughout the year planning and organising the various Carnival events.

Many of the team have had a long association with the Carnival, including the Harrison family who were first involved in the early 1980s and today remain as dedicated and enthusiastic as ever.

Each member of the committee has multiple roles and gives a great deal of their personal time and energy to ensure that we are able to provide something of interest to entertain the whole family.

Whilst we may only have a small committee, the number of people required to help on Carnival day swells to more than 60, with volunteers giving just a couple of hours of their time to help ensure that the event runs to plan.

If you feel that you would like to put a little something back into the community and would like to play a part in supporting the Carnival, however small, please contact us.

My role as Life President is to be an ambassador for the Carnival and for its committee, by making the public aware of the history of Corfe Mullen Carnival, having served on the committee since the early 1980s.

As Stall Bookings Assistant, I liaise with local groups, charities, good causes and businesses, to organise a diverse mixture of stalls on Carnival Day.

I also contact all of the Stallholders and, with the assistance of our Events Ground Coordinator, plan the pitches and layout of the recreation ground for Carnival Day.

On Carnival day I meet with the judges, brief them on their duties and then ensure they are in the right place at the right time!

Having lived in the village as a young child and then returning as an adult in the mid-1980s, I was keen to become involved in promoting and supporting local community related activities.

I passionately believe that supporting events such as the Carnival is vitally important in promoting a positive and healthy community spirit.

I have been a member of the Committee for over 20 years and was proud and privileged to be elected as Chairman of the Carnival committee in 2014.

My primary responsibility is to ensure that all Carnival events are carried out safely and in compliance with the ever increasing legal requirements.

My role and duties are varied but as Chairman I aim, with the help of the dedicated members of the committee, to continue to improve and develop the Carnival each year.

However, whilst change is inevitable and necessary to ensure that we continue to entertain our visitors,  I am committed to ensure that we retain the traditional values from the very first Corfe Mullen fete that started the event way back in 1967.

As procession coordinator it is my responsibility to manage the procession entry process, arrange road closures, and organise the 30 plus helpers required to marshal procession activities.

The Carnival has an annual turnover of circa £20,000 and much of the money required to fund the event comes from the generosity of many local businesses.

In 2020 I will endeavour to attract local organisations to support the Carnival by providing financial, material or physical help.

If you wish to support the Carnival in any way, please contact us.

I am a relative newcomer to Corfe Mullen having moved here at the beginning of 2016. Living locally to the recreation ground, it immediately became apparent how significant the carnival is as a community event but also in terms of fundraising for local charities and and so when the need for a treasurer arose, I jumped at the opportunity to get more involved.

As treasurer, my function is to handle all monies generated from corporate sponsorship, donations, advertising, etc; to ensure that suppliers are paid and organise the donations to the charities. Most importantly of all however, my role is to keep the committee informed as to our financial resources as we plan the events.

Angie was born in Upton and has lived in Corfe Mullen for 30 years. She joined the Carnival Committee over ten years ago in the role of Secretary & Programme coordinator.

She returns to her former role following a break from being a member of the committee during which she continued to be responsible for producing the printed Carnival programme and helping on Carnival day.The programme is an important part of Carnival week and provides recognition to our sponsors and supporters and gives our visitors all the information they need to maximise their enjoyment of the Carnival events.

Work on producing the 2,000 programmes starts in early February when she contacts our existing advertisers to establish their requirements. She also makes contact with new businesses located in Corfe Mullen and the surrounding area to seek their support in purchasing advertising space which funds the production cost of the programme.

I have 30 years association with the Carnival - initially through participation within the procession and in more recent years also helping out on Carnival Day.

I have the responsibility for co-ordination of Stall Bookings on Carnival Day. Making use of Martin Harrison's many years of experience in this role, this involves liaising with individuals, groups and businesses who wish to have a stall. Together with the Events Ground Coordinator, I help to plan the pitches and layout of the recreation ground for Carnival Day.

I am the newest member of the committee having joined 2021. I moved to Corfe Mullen in 2016 and was originally from West Sussex where I formerly volunteered in the running of the local village hall. 

After getting know other Carnival committee members I have volunteered to help at the Carnival for road closures and procession over the last few years. Now I have joined the committee my role going forward will be Events Ground Co-ordinator. 

My responsibilities include planning the layout of the Events Ground on Carnival Day. Working with the Stall Bookings Co-ordinator to ensure the pitches are set out appropriately, and with the Activities Bookings Co-ordinator to plan suitable space for the scheduled Activities and Arena Events.

I have many decades of association with the Carnival (in fact, I think I was a spectator at the first one)!  Leading a Cub Scout Pack for many years, I have regularly taken part in the Procession - missing just one year out of the last 30!

I am responsible for booking and organising all the Activities for Carnival Day and ensuring that they all have the correct insurance and risk assessments in place.

If there is anything you would like to see at Carnival, please contact us to let me know.

My job interlinks with a number of the other members of the carnival committee, as, wherever there is an opportunity to publicise an aspect of Corfe Mullen Carnival, whether that be in the run up to our Princess Selection Night, to making people aware of the date and times of our events or the review of Carnival Day.

I write the press releases and send them to local newspapers, other publications and local community websites. I take the photographs at a number of our events, to correspond with the press releases, giving people a visual reference of what our latest news is.

I organise the posters that go up in the local area, in the weeks running up to Carnival Week, to publicise our events. I also liaise with our sponsors, regarding quotes and photo opportunities.

I manage the Corfe Mullen Carnival Facebook page, keeping it relevant and up to date.

I joined the Corfe Mullen Carnival Committee in October 2008, after responding to an advert in one of the local newspapers.  I was keen to get involved as I grew up in the village, taking part in Brownies, Guides and numerous Carnivals.  My own children have grown up in the village and taken part too.

My role starts way before the Carnival itself; as early as the preceding October, when I start to make the arrangements for the Prince and Princess Selection evening, which takes place in February/March.  I then make all the arrangements leading up to the ‘big day’, including dresses, flowers and hair appointments.  The morning of Carnival day is spent decorating the ‘carriage’ for the Carnival 'Royalty' and their Attendants, who lead the procession through the village to the Recreation Ground, where they officially open the Carnival.  We then have a couple of months of well-earned rest, until the Presentation/Thank You Event when we take delight in distributing the proceeds of the Carnival to our nominated charities.  The whole process then starts all over again for the following year!

I have lived in the area for most of my life, but have only recently moved to Corfe Mullen. After serving as Secretary for two years, I now focus on organising and administrating the Grand Draw.

The draw provides the Carnival with an important opportunity to raise a significant sum for the nominated charities. This is made possible by the generosity of local businesses and attractions that I contact to seek donations of prizes for the Carnival Grand Draw.

I manage the distribution and collection of the draw tickets amongst the committee, charities and helpers. I also promote the sale of draw tickets at the various Carnival events in the months leading up to the Carnival.

On Carnival day I create display boards featuring leaflets and/or literature from the prize donors, and I set up the Grand Draw stall display.

The draw takes place at the recreation ground before the event closes and I then inform the lucky winners, to notify them of their good fortune and arrange either collection or delivery of their prize.

Last year, I also took over the microphone at the Carnival Events Ground as Master of Ceremonies on Carnival Day.

I have lived in Corfe Mullen for 35 years, at one time next-door neighbour to Kathleen Gartell, the founder of our Carnival.  In retirement, I am a voluntary helper for the Wednesday Lunch Club at St Nicholas' Church, and see my role in assisting with schools liaison as an opportunity for putting something back into our community.

I have been involved with the Corfe Mullen Carnival since I was a child and am now a member of the committee.

I am a keen photographer and I take all the official photographs at the various carnival events.