Future of Bridgwater Carnival 'at risk' due to lack of young club members

A Somerset carnival club, which has been running since 1966, has said the future of the tradition is at stake unless more young people get involved.

Marina Sydenham was left with only six members at the start of this year after the Covid pandemic put a stop to the events for two years.

The club is for young people aged 16 and under and hopes it can bring new blood in this year.

Like all carnival clubs, the last time Marina Sydenham appeared at Bridgwater Carnival was in 2019. Little did its members know that it would be three years until it could repeat this normally annual tradition.

It is known as a 'juvenile' club - for young people who have to be 16 or under on the day of Bridgwater Carnival. However, without the shop window of the event itself membership has plummeted.

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Marina Sydenham JCC has been running since 1966 Credit: Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival

Donna Angell is a parent at the club, and said: "Juvenile clubs are the future of the carnival. We want to bring our numbers up to keep going, because even some of the children that we've got now only have a year or two left within the club, because of their age.

"We need to bring in new members to carry the club on", she added.

After starting this year with only six members, this club now has eleven and they are keen to share the experience with many more.

Member Hollie Adlam said: "Carnival really is such an amazing thing - the fact everyone gets together to build these amazing carts and light shows for everyone around the world who comes to visit. I just think it's such an amazing thing to be part of."

There is great excitement from people of all ages at cart building sheds all over Somerset. At the moment, the county’s carnivals will be back this autumn.

Preparation and building of this year's carnival carts is well underway Credit: ITV News West Country

Donna Angell said: "It's brilliant. It's so nice to hear the saws and it's really noisy and really loud, but it's a really good feeling to be actually able to come back down to the shed and start building again.

"Carnival is a family, so, as a juvenile club, our kids are the ones that get to go on the cart but our families are the ones that build the cart, raise the money to build the cart.

"We work as a massive family and a massive team, and it's really a big effort on everybody's part to get that cart out there in November."

Marina Sydenham has a history going back over 55 years. It is hoping young people will reach out to it on Facebook to be the next generation taking a starring role on carnival night this November.