WEYMOUTH could make history this year with the first ever sponsorship of its popular carnival walking parade.

Organisers of the August 20 event say it will be an excellent chance to raise more money for this year's charity, the Round Table's Children's Wishes, which grants wishes to terminally ill children.

Weymouth Carnival is now in its 51st year and local communities and groups have worked to form a committee to ensure carnival tradition continues after Weymouth Round Table stood down as organisers last year.

The 2008 carnival parade will start with children from local schools dressed up with the theme Kids walking for Kids.

Making the parade a walking one is a big change on previous years, say organisers, but prohibitive insurance restrictions have signalled the end of traditional vehicle-based floats.

Now the committee feels it has a great opportunity to reinvent Weymouth's traditional carnival as something both locally distinctive and contemporary in the run up to carnival in the Olympic year of 2012 when the committee wants to produce a unique event.

Carnival company Kinetika, which has been commissioned by the likes of Weymouth College, Weymouth and Portland Partnership and England South West Arts Council to start training in design and making carnival costumes locally, has made some of the costumes for carnival.

The committee adds that previous organisers did an incredible job creating 50 years of carnival history and this year's format will be very similar to previous years.

There will be crowd favourites including the world famous Red Arrows aerobatics team, a carnival queen, a spectacular fireworks display, a variety of aerial events, trade stands and a grand prize draw.

The committee, which is made up of Weymouth College, Weymouth Community Volunteers and the Weymouth Beach Group, says it also hopes to plan some surprise events with all profits from activities again going to local charities.

Charity group Ladies Alive will work alongside the committee, the Dorset Echo is the official media partner and hoteliers are the official accommodation partner. For parade sponsor forms see www.weymouthcarnival.co.uk