The crowds were drawn to Swanage in Dorset throughout the long hot summer, but especially during Swanage Carnival 2026, which meant more money was raised for local charities than expected.
At the Swanage Carnival presentation evening on Friday 25th September 2026 at The Mowlem in Swanage, an amazing £41,100 was handed over to more than 23 different charities and organisations.
The Swanage Carnival volunteers – it couldn’t be done without you!
Attracted thousands of visitors
The annual event took place over eight days from Saturday 25th July to Saturday 1st August 2026 in Swanage, Dorset, and attracted thousands of visitors to the seaside town.
Welcoming everyone to the presentation ceremony, chair of Swanage Carnival Neal Diffey thanked all the 130 volunteers who made the carnival possible, and also paid tribute to all the volunteers from all the charities and organisations who were there to receive cheques.
He then added:
“2026 was an exceptional year for us in many ways. A new event was yoga on the beach at 8 am each morning. On some days there were over 100 people taking part, no charge, just donations into a bucket, so people could just pay what they could afford. We raised more than £2,000 with that event.
“At the end of one of our Silent Disco events an elderly gentleman handed back his headphones to me and said, ‘Thank you so much, that’s the best three pounds I’ve ever spent!’
“The weather played a huge part in our success, I don’t ever remember so many people sitting on Sandpit Field relaxing and socialising after 11 pm when all had finished for the day.
“The procession was the largest we’ve seen in many years, and to see articles in the national press about an amazing carnival week in sleepy Swanage was very humbling.”
Swanage town mayor Chris Tomes (centre) is presented with his 25 years of service badge from The Swanage Carnival committee members (left to right) Kevin Lyons, Darren Strong, Cam Tomes, Kevin Langdon, and Neal Diffey
“Everyone gets to be part of something together”
Also speaking at the presentation evening was Swanage town mayor Chris Tomes, who is also a former chair of Swanage Carnival and currently a committee member. He said:
“One of the things I love most about carnival is that it belongs to everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve lived in Swanage all your life or you’re visiting for the first time. It doesn’t matter whether you’re eight years old or eighty.
“For one week, everyone gets to be part of something together. And in a world where communities can sometimes feel less connected, that sense of togetherness is something we should never take for granted.
“It would be easy to look at the carnival and see the floats, fireworks, music, competitions and crowds. But behind all of that, are people who have given their time to make it happen.
“And tonight, we are celebrating not just what carnival has achieved, but the people who make it possible – and the charities and organisations who will use the money raised to continue helping others throughout the year. I can’t think of a better example of what Swanage is all about!”
Donations 2026
- Swanage coastguard and Swanage RNLI: donation
- Friends of Dorset Young Carers: £1,000
- Friends of Wareham Hospital Purbeck Community Services: £1,000
- Herston Village Hall: £1,000
- Swanage Pier Trust: £1,000
- Swanage Disabled Club: £1,500
- 4th Swanage Scout Group: £1,500
- Explorers Childcare Group: £1,500
- Purbeck Gateway Club: £1,500
- Swanage Railway Sygnets: £1,500
- The Mowlem: £1,500
- The Swanage School: £1,500
- Swanage Skatepark Community Project: £2,000
- National Coastwatch Institution: £2,000
- Swanage and Wareham Hockey Club: £2,000
- Swanage Musical Theatre Company: £2,000
- Child bereavement charity Mosaic: £2,000
- Swanage Sea Rowing Club: £2,000
- Swanage Town and Herston Football Club: £2,000
- Dorset Deaf Children Society: £2,000
- Purbeck Parky’s: £2,000
Annual charities
- Swanage Community Defibrillator Partnership: £1,500
- Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance: £2,000
Chair’s charity
- Dementia Friendly Purbeck: £4,000
Presentations
The emergency service received a donation which was picked up by Russell Brayshaw from Swanage RNLI (centre) and Ian Brown (right) from Swanage coastguard
Debbie Dunford from Friends of Dorset Young Carers receives £1,000
Christine Kemp (left) and Maggie Hardy (right) from Friends of Wareham Hospital is presented with £1,000
Herston Village Hall gets £1,000 which was accepted by Kim Gallagher
Dolly Brown from Swanage Pier Trust receives £1,000
Virginia Payne (left) and Sue Payne (right) are presented with £1,500 on behalf of Swanage Disabled Club
Clare Byford (left) and Neil Brooks (right) from 4th Swanage Scout Group receive £1,500
Left to right: Natasha Ramsay, Claire Collins, Vanessa Simpson, Julia Croucher and Megan Cox from Natasha Ramsay, Claire Collins, Vanessa Simpson, Julia Croucher, and Megan Cox from Explorers Childcare Group are presented with £1,500
Lucy Clarke (left) and Kelly Griffin (right) pick up a cheque for £1,500 on behalf of Swanage Railway Sygnets
Kate McGregor from The Mowlem receives £1,500
The Swanage School gets £1,500 which is picked up by Sue Fletcher
Left to right: Matilda, Barry Mawson, and Harry receive £2,000 for the Swanage Skatepark Community Project
Martin Jones (left) and Ann Seedall (centre) from the National Coastwatch Institution are presented with £2,000
Left to right: Theo Smith, Stuart Grenville-Cleave, Nikki Grenville-Cleave, and Sophie Mahendran from Swanage and Wareham Hockey Club get £2,000
Karen Dormer Woolley and Tasha Norman receive £2,000 on behalf of Swanage Musical Theatre Company
Jen Heath from child bereavement charity Mosaic receives £2,000
Swanage Sea Rowing Club get £2,000 received by Michael Foster (left) and Oscar Williams (right)
Jessyca Levitt and Barry Audley from Swanage Town and Herston Football Club are presented with £2,000
Yazz Hansford and Madeline Forbes from Dorset Deaf Children Society receive £2,000
David and Ann Gynes receive £2,000 on behalf of Purbeck Parky’s
Swanage Community Defibrillator Partnership are presented with £1,500 picked up by (left to right) Dave Corben, Maggie Hardy and Ian Brown
Gabby Norman receives £2,000 on behalf of Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance
Sue Plowman from Dementia Friendly Purbeck receives £4,000 from Swanage Carnival chair Neal Diffey as his charity of the year
Watch Swanage Carnival 2026 by Andy Lyons
Watch flashback to Swanage Carnival 1997
Further information
- More about Swanage Carnival
