ORGANISERS of the Dorchester Carnival have been spreading the joy by handing out cheques to local good causes.

This year’s celebration in the county town raised more than £4,000 to be handed out to 36 local organisations.

A special presentation at the Dorchester Rugby Club saw more than 50 representatives of the various groups turn out to receive their donations from the Dorchester Round Table.

Among those benefitting were Dorchester’s Youth Theatre, local schools, scout groups, the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

The evening also saw the announcement of the overall winner for the best float in the carnival procession, which was claimed by the dragon float designed by youngsters at St George’s Sunday School.

It beat off the other class winners from Westfield Art College, Dorchester Football Club Supporters Trust and the Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre.

This year’s procession had a heroes and villains theme and boasted more than 40 entries led off by a cavalcade of motorbikes.

Dorchester Round Table’s carnival chairman John Palmer said: “We received excellent support again from the local community without whom the carnival could not happen.

“Many entered into the spirit of the theme.

“Next year we have decided to not have a theme for a change which means we could have all sorts of entries.”

The 2012 carnival procession will take place on Saturday June 16 and members of the Round Table are already busy planning.

The group also has a fun packed diary of evening events lined up and work will be beginning next week on jointly organising the town’s Beerex festival next February.

Anyone who would like to come along to a Round Table evening or find out more about next year’s Dorchester Carnival can email dorchroundtable@yahoo.co.uk or visit dorchestercarnival.co.uk