Totnes Mayor, Cllr Emily Price, and Deputy Mayor, Cllr Tim Bennett, joined the fun and games at Totnes Carnival’s ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’ community picnic this weekend. Held at St John’s Primary School, the Mayor judged and presented prizes for the Fancy Dress competition. She also presented prizes to the winners of this summer’s Totnes Carnival Odd Object Competition. The community event was one of a programme of summer and winter events being organised by Totnes Carnival, which received a Totnes Town Council Community Grant for £2,377.50 earlier this year to help support their activities.
Cllr Emily Price said: “After going back to school last week, this was something for the kids and their carers to look forward to. Despite the appalling weather forecast, it was very rewarding to see first-hand the results of all the hard work of Totnes Carnival and how our Totnes Town Council Community Grant has been used to help bring the community together. We’re now really, really looking forward to the next big Totnes Carnival community event, the Lantern Parade through the town on Tuesday 17 December.”
Claire Allford from Totnes Carnival added: “The great thing about using Totnes St John’s primary school is that there is a great back up plan of being able to use the school hall if the weather forecast is not in our favour, which it wasn’t for our Mad Hatter’s Tea Party which was intended to be a community picnic on the school field.
“However the lovely Totnes community supported us by showing up despite that, danced to Ben’s Band, played games and made crowns, thank you for supporting us and making all the planning worthwhile.
“We would like to say a huge thanks to our wonderful Mayor Cllr Emily Price and Deputy Mayor Cllr Tim Bennett for staying with us for most of the day, Tim even dressed up as a white rabbit for us and said “Any time” which we will definitely hold him too!”
Totnes Town Council 2024 Community Grants:
Following a record level of funding requests earlier in 2024, Totnes Town Councillors voted to increase the total Totnes Town Council Community Grant funding pot from £25,000 to £42,547.48. The following projects were awarded a 2024 Totnes Town Council Community Grant:
- Bridgetown Alive – Sky Rise Festival 2024 – awarded £1,700 (50% of amount requested)
- Totnes Rural Area Youth Engagement Project – Totnes Youth Leisure Night and Bridgetown Youth Group – awarded £8,750 (100% of amount requested)
- Totnes Carnival – Totnes Carnival Summer/Winter programme – awarded £2,377.50 (75% of amount requested)
- SASHA – Running costs – awarded £1,143.48 (100% of amount requested)
- South Hams Community Action – Volunteer recruitment support for groups in Totnes – awarded £750 (25% of amount requested subject to further information)
- Totnes Caring – Community intergenerational projects – awarded £2,446.50 (75% of amount requested)
- St Mary’s Church – St Mary’s servery and community space – awarded £1,000 (50% of the amount requested
- SPACE Youth Services – Totnes Summer Programme – awarded £1,000 (100% of amount requested)
- Food in Community – Improving Food Security for Totnes residents – awarded £5,031 (75% of amount requested)
- Totnes Skate Park – Totnes Skate Park fundraising project – awarded £8,000 (100% of the amount requested)
- Leechwell Garden Association – Sustaining Leechwell Garden – awarded £2,000 (50% of amount requested)
- Fusion – Warm Spaces Bouncy Fun (Oct 24-Feb 25) – awarded £1,461 (75% of amount requested)
- Jamming Station – Family Chill Café – awarded £1,000 (35% of amount requested)
- Citizens Advice South Hams – Totnes outreach and partnership with Totnes Caring – awarded £4,413 (50% of amount requested)
- Bike Hub – Earn a Bike Project – awarded £1,475 (100% of amount requested – to be taken from Earmarked Reserves)
In last year’s community consultation survey, residents and business owners ranked providing funding to help local community groups to support local people as a very important function of the Town Council. Community groups were invited to apply for a grant during April 2024. Unfortunately, not all applications received the funding requested because the Community Grants were so oversubscribed.
If you’d like to find out more, go to www.totnestowncouncil.gov.uk email: reception@totnestowncouncil.gov.uk or call 01803 862147.
