The Great Norwich Duck Race 2011

The Great Norwich Duck Race will return once more as part of the Lord Mayor’s Celebrations next month.

The popular event, which is held to raise funds for the 1st Norwich Sea Scouts, will be held on the Sunday of this year’s Lord Mayor’s Celebrations, on July 8.

Thousands of different coloured plastic ducks will be released into the River Wensum from the Julian Bridge, in Riverside, from 3pm.

Jane Stafford, one of the chief organisers of the duck race said: “I’m really pleased that the good people of Norwich have taken the duck race to their hearts.

“Last year we had quite a good crowd of spectators and the fact that we have more people selling ducks for the race this year will hopefully mean we will have a big crowd this year.”

Lord Mayor's Celebrations 2012 logo.

The fundraising of the race, which has been held for the last three years, has been going towards a new headquarters for the sea scouts at their Old Lakenham Drive base.

Since last year’s duck race the group have reached the £350,000 figure they needed to get building work under way, after a grant of £5,000 from the Norfolk Community Foundation and £30,000 from the Trusthouse Foundation were received last month. Mrs Stafford said last year’s race raised £5,500 and added: “We have reached the amount needed to get the building up to a standard that building control will be satisfied with so we now need to raise money to finish the interior.

“This year we have opened it up to other groups around the Norwich area as well, so it won’t just benefit our group, because there are other scout groups selling ducks for the race and they will get a percentage of what they sell.”

For further details go to www.greatnorwichduckrace.co.uk, or for more details about Lord Mayor’s Celebrations events, go to www.norwich.gov.uk

- Are you holding an event in the Norwich area? Contact reporter David Freezer on 01603 772418 or david.freezer@archant.co.uk