Frome Carnival is set to return on Saturday September 21, and there are more entries than there have been for many years.

The carnival organisers have been looking at new ideas for enhancing the main evening procession.

They know that the public have missed the carts in recent years, and therefore the committee has made changes to its prize structure for the evening procession.

Each entry will be judged in the usual way and awarded certificates and associated trophies for first, second and third place.

However, instead of prize monies for those placed - all entries taking part will receive an appearance money award - the amount varying according to the class entered.

Procession secretary Kevin Sivell said: "I am incredibly pleased to announce that we have received more entries from all categories, especially cart entries - than in many years.

"We are so excited and cannot wait for our 2019 carnival processions as they are set to be the best yet."

Included this year will be a Carnival Mile - 365 miles for WHY, kick-starting the day leading the Children's Procession.

This year, fundraiser Rachel Clark will be starting the afternoon procession which, at exactly one mile long qualifies as part of her challenge 365 miles for WHY.

Rachel has been running a mile a day since New Year's Day to raise funds and awareness for Frome cancer counselling charity WHY.

This special Carnival Mile, will leave Rachel "just" 100 more miles to run. The Carnival Committee and Rachel are inviting children (who must be accompanied by an adult) to join her in starting the afternoon carnival procession by running or walking the route with her.

Two children (one boy and one girl), who run the mile with Rachel, will be randomly selected to join her later in the year by running the Bath Rugby mile.

Anyone wishing to take part is requested to meet Rachel by the bandstand, in Frome Victoria park at 1.30pm.

The committee would be grateful to hear from anyone interested in volunteering. There are numerous opportunities available, from shaking buckets, selling the re-usable LED lights, selling programmes to acting as a street marshal.

Anyone interested in volunteering is urged to contact the committee via email on info@ fromecarnival.org.uk or you can message them on Facebook.

Each year, the committee fundraise throughout the year to pay the costs associated with the event, in order that donations given on the day can be put back into the local community through its registered charity.

The carnival charity has given thousands of pounds in donations in recent years, helping local people and organisations, including: Fair Frome - who have taken over a large amount of the charity work, Mencap, YMCA and Active & In Touch, who all received a cheque earlier this year for £1,125 and a further cheque for £500 was given to the Rode Scouts Group.

The beneficiaries from the 2019 collection will be Fair Frome, YMCA Routes and Zero Nights.

Carnival chairperson June Barnes said: "Help others by donating as much as you can into our collection buckets and collection float.

"The more we raise in our collection, the more we can donate to these fabulous and worthy causes.

"If you know of a local group, charity or organisation that you would like to put forward for consideration from next year's 2020 street collection, please do get in touch."

The committee will once again be selling their own reusable light up carnival toys. These will be sold from three static stalls located by the old Weaver site in the Butts, in the Market Place and also by the Vine Tree.

There will also be official carnival sellers walking the route in between these static pitches. The public are kindly asked to only purchase toys from Official Carnival Sellers, who will be wearing Carnival Volunteer hi-viz jackets.

The timings for Frome Carnival are as follows: Children's Procession 2.30pm from the Victoria Park (entries up until 1.45pm on the day). Evening Procession 7pm from the Marston Trading Estate (entries up until 5.45pm on the day).

On Sunday September 29 will be the Frome Carnival Annual Duck Race - ducks will be on sale for £1 each from 10am from outside the Cheese and Grain, then at 2.30pm 1,000 plastic ducks will be dropped into the River Frome from the Jenson Button Bridge.

The first, second and third ducks across the finish line, which is near the Frome Rowing Club, will win their lucky owners £50, £25 and £10.

The Spot in the Window competition until September 29 - each shop taking part will display a red dot and they will have hidden an object in their window that they would not normally display.

You just need to spot that object. Entry forms available from the shops taking part.