A TRAUMATIC year for the Hatherleigh community due to the foot and mouth crisis failed to dampen spirits at the Hatherleigh Carnival in November which raised a fantastic total of £1,400 for local charities and organisations.
Those to benefit are the Hatherleigh Guides (£400), Devon Air Ambulance (£275), Okehampton and District Hospital (£200), Hatherleigh Silver Band (£150), MS Society (£100), Hatherleigh Rotary Club, Okehampton Air Training Corps and Army cadets and the Okehampton branch of the Dartmoor Rescue Group (£50 each), Arthritis Research (£50), Parish Pump (£25).
The guides received the largest percentage as carnival queen Laura Reddaway stood as a candidate on the organisation's behalf.
The male collector whose total of £256 was the highest on the night was Ivor Pellow while Louise Bater collected the most in the female section with £117. The Hatherleigh WI ladies jointly collected £237.
Carnival organisers have paid tribute to all the collectors who beat last year's total by almost £200. They also praised everyone involved in the event who had given time, assistance, money and loan of equipment from the stewards to the torch and barrel makers and the lovely carnival royalty Laura Reddaway, Andrew Collier and Martha Fawcett.
The annual meeting to discuss this year's carnival will take place on March 20 at the Old Schools, Hatherleigh at 7.30pm and anyone interested is welcome to attend.