CHOBHAM Carnival Association has again distributed a record amount in grants – an increase of more than £4,000 on last year’s total.

Twenty-one good causes received a total of £13, 084, the proceeds of this year’s carnival fete and black-tie ball.

In 2025, the association distributed £8,641, which was £3,500 more than the previous year.

“It was another spectacular year for our fundraising efforts,” said association chairman Tim Elwin. “Carnival-goers were amazingly generous with their donations on the gates, where we collected £6,000 more than in 2025.

“The ball tickets sold out a month before the day. The auctions and raffle brought in over £8,000, so many thanks to all those who donated items to encourage the ball-goers to keep bidding.”

Three organisations each received £1,500 – Chobham Village Hall for refurbishment of its toilets, Friends of Valley End Infant School to help make up the shortfall in government funding for sports activities and St Lawrence Primary School for refurbishment of the school wildlife pond.

There were three awards of £1,000. Chobham Army Cadets will help fund another battlefield tour, this year to Arnhem in the Netherlands. Quest Riding for the Disabled will buy a new saddle for one its ponies and Friends of St Lawrence School will improve the school’s Key Stage 2 playground.

Grants of £600 went to Chobham Agricultural and Horticultural Society, for replacing its gazebos, and Chobham Scout Group, for purchase and installing a new scout hut sign.

Chobham Parish Council will use £534 to pay for signs that give advance notice on roads around the village of the annual Remembrance Parade taking place.

Grants of £500 went to Surrey Search and Rescue, towards replacing the organisation’s incident command unit, and St Lawrence Church, which is refurbishing the oak-block floor in the church hall.

Chobham Museum has used its £450 to refurbish the telephone box next to the museum that it uses for mini-exhibitions. The Grade II-listed structure, donated by BT after the payphone was removed, had been found to be in a poor condition.

Chobham Tennis Club received £400 towards buying a bigger, more secure shed for storing an increasing amount of equipment, while Sheila Hancock Riding for the Disabled Association group is buying five replacement riding hats.

Chobham Recreation Ground Charitable Trust will put £300 towards buying cake ingredients, tea, coffee and milk for the fundraising Tea On The Green sessions on Friday afternoons at the Parish Pavilion.

There were three grants of £250, to Chobham Players to support the planning of and staging of a panto, RSPCA Woking branch to help pay for vet bills and medication and Woking and Sam Beare Hospice to fund community services.

The hospice’s boutique in Chobham will puts its £200 towards buying an industrial clothes steamer. Chobham Country Market also got £200, paying for a new bank card reader and covering printing and advertising costs.

Finally, Chobham Morris Dancers were awarded £150, which will pay their website costs and their insurance and registration fee with the Morris Federation.