Our Chosen Charities for 2026
Each year, the Andover Carnival Committee selects two local charities to support through our fundraising activities and events. For 2026, we were delighted to receive around 12 applications from a wide range of deserving organisations. Following a panel interview process with each applicant, we carefully considered the incredible work being carried out across our community.
Every penny donated through our Carnival Day bucket collections, along with even more from the event's proceeds, will be shared equally between our two chosen charities. By supporting the Carnival, you're helping to make a real difference to local people and causes right here in our community.
We are proud to introduce our two chosen charities for 2026 – Stormbreak and Andover Child Contact Centre. Both organisations place children and young people at the heart of everything they do, and we are honoured to support their work throughout this year's carnival.
Stormbreak
Their mission is to embed mentally healthy movement for every child, every day. They believe that;
1. Children are happier and healthier when they move more
2. Children and their trusted adults are happier and healthier when they interact together through movement
3. Movement improves children’s wellbeing and provides vital opportunities for them to develop emotional and physical life skills.
At the core of this, they try and reduce the stigma around mental health by enabling everyday conversations whilst engaging in movement. They aim to encourage children to talk openly about their own and others’ emotions with trusted adults and their peers and to explore how movement can shape and support mental health now and in the future.
Andover Child Contact Centre
The Andover Child Contact Centre provides a safe, welcoming and neutral environment where children can spend valuable time with a parent or family member they no longer live with following family breakdown.
Offering supported contact sessions, the Centre enables families to rebuild and maintain relationships in a relaxed setting, with trained staff and volunteers on hand should they be needed. Their approach is always impartial and confidential, with the child's wellbeing at the heart of everything they do.
By helping families maintain positive relationships during difficult times, the Centre provides an invaluable service to children across our local community.
Apply to Become a 2026 Andover Carnival Beneficiary
Each year, Andover Carnival raises thousands of pounds to support local charities and community groups — and applications are now open for our 2026 beneficiaries. Two organisations will be chosen to share the funds raised at next year’s Carnival, offering a fantastic opportunity to gain both funding and awareness through one of Andover’s biggest community events.
If your charity or group would like to be considered, simply complete the application form by 31st December 2025. In the New Year, shortlisted organisations will be invited to make a short, informal presentation to the Carnival Committee, before the final two beneficiaries are selected.
Our favourite time of the year is when we open up applications for charities to become our partners for next years Carnival.
Our previous Andover Carnival Beneficiaries
2025
We’re thrilled to share that this year’s Andover Carnival was able to donate a record-breaking £8,000, the highest total in the event’s history (that we can remember)! These funds were split equally between two incredible local charities: Simon Says Child Bereavement Support and the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, with each organisation receiving £4,000. We couldn’t have achieved this milestone without the generosity, energy, and community spirit of everyone involved—from our participants and volunteers to those who cheered on the procession and donated in the park. A heartfelt thank you to all, and congratulations to our 2025 beneficiaries!
Simon Says Child Bereavement Support
“Your support means no child in our community has to face the pain of bereavement alone.”
Simon Says provides vital support to children and young people across Hampshire who have experienced the death of someone close. Their dedicated team offers counselling, resources, and community groups to help children navigate grief in a safe and understanding environment. By receiving support from Andover Carnival, Simon Says can continue to ensure no child faces bereavement alone, giving them the care and confidence they need during such a difficult time.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance
“Every pound raised helps keep us flying to save lives across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance brings emergency critical care to people in their hour of greatest need, delivering life-saving treatment at the scene of incidents across the region. Operating day and night, their highly skilled crews respond to thousands of call-outs each year, often making the difference between life and death. The funds raised through Andover Carnival will help keep this essential service flying, ensuring it remains available whenever and wherever it is needed.
