Organisers of Winchester’s annual city centre fireworks extravaganza have praised the public’s generosity as this year’s Winchester Round Table Bonfire & Fireworks made enough money from sales to benefit local charities.
More than 16,000 people came to the city to enjoy a return of the famous torchlit procession along the High Street before the bonfire was lit and the city enjoyed a fireworks display in North Walls Recreation Ground, complete with a popular street food festival on site.
The display is put on by Winchester Round Table every year as a not-for-profit event; any money raised after covering the costs of putting on the display is given to local good causes selected by Winchester Round Table’s community services team. Donations are still accepted at winchesterbonfire.co.uk/donate and local organisations can apply for charity funds at communityservice@winchesterroundtable.co.uk.
Alex Reeves, bonfire chairman, Winchester Round Table, said: “We are incredibly grateful for everyone who came along and enjoyed the 64th year of Charity Bonfire and Fireworks. £60,000 of profit going back to help the community is very much needed right now.
"It’s a unique and special experience seeing thousands of people in the procession holding wax torches through the city centre, all coming together at North Walls Recreation Park for the Bonfire and Fireworks spectacular. I am immensely proud of everyone who made this possible.
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"We listen and act on feedback each year to ensure that the event continues to adopt, adapt and improve. The addition of the Street Food Festival this year thanks to I Am Group helped to give the visitors local food and drink, while supporting city businesses.
"Some 30 volunteers all-year round work tirelessly to run the event, with the kind and generous donations of local businesses. The Charity Bonfire and Fireworks is about bringing together people from across Winchester and raising money for local people who need support over the next 12 months. I encourage any local organisation or charity to apply to our Community Services fund to see if we can help them."
Winchester Round Table chairman, Simon Baker, said: “For us as Round Tablers, this is the highlight of our year; we are a small group of men who come together to put on this event in our own time, and I’m delighted to see how positively everyone who came has responded to this year’s event.”
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