COMMUNITY groups in Malmesbury have received £18,000 in donations thanks to money raised at the town’s annual carnival and festival.

Groups to receive financial windfalls include Malmesbury Film Society, who received £1,375 for a new projector and Blu-ray player, Corston Pond and Nature Reserve, given £1,500 for dredging and clearing the pond and Movies at Malmesbury, who received £500 towards black-out blinds.

Charles Vernon, who coordinates Movies at Malmesbury, said: "The assembly room in the town hall where we show films has thick velvet curtains but there's leakage around the top, side and bottom which creates streaks of light on the screen during afternoon performances. Matinee performances will be much better as a result of this generous grant."

The money was raised through a series of events throughout August, including performances by musicians, speakers and actors, culminating in the parade, which saw dozens of floats enter into the 52nd consecutive carnival since it restarted in 1952, after the Second World War.

Carnival organiser Steve Cox said: "We were delighted that the carnival parade did so well. About 4,000 people turned out in total.

“It’s an awful lot of hard work as we spend a whole year planning it and coming up with new ideas and the number of people involved is quite small as it’s hard to get volunteers, but we enjoy it.”

The tradition of raising money for the people of Malmesbury began in the 1920s when cash was raised for the Malmesbury Cottage hospital. In the 1930s a group raised funds to build an outdoor swimming pool in the town, which closed in 2003.

Mr Cox, 67, a former Malmesbury Town mayor, continued: “The tradition remains but now we raise money for groups in the town instead.

"The money raised is slightly down on last year but it’s a tremendous effort and we have had no costs to pay as we got a £6,000 donation from Dyson, who sponsored the event."

Mr Cox called on anyone who is interested in becoming an organiser to join them.

He added: “We’re always looking for new blood so join us on the third Wednesday of every month at the Warden & Freeman Rooms, near the town hall, at 730pm.”

Other groups to benefit include Athelstan Museum (£500 for a new donation box), Cartmell Community Minibus (£500 for a wheelchair lift), The Children’s Centre in Malmesbury (£994 for events for families in August 2015), Malmesbury Library (£300 for a children’s author in next year’s carnival) and Malmesbury Youth FC (£585 for a gas barbecue).