Rotary duck race to make splash again in Ludlow

Following the success of Ludlow Rotary Club’s Duck Race over the past two years, the club will be holding another at Dinham Bridge on Bank Holiday Monday, May 25.

This fun event is being arranged to raise funds for Ludlow Rotary Cares, the club’s community grants scheme, and other Rotary causes.

Over the past 11 years the Ludlow Rotary Club has been able to give grants totalling £60,000 to over 110 local community projects through this scheme, and the Duck Race is just one of the ways in which the club is able to continue this work.

 All told there will be four ‘duck races’ beginning at 11am with everyone who sponsors a duck for £2.50 having the chance of winning £100 if theirs is the first across the winning line.

 There will be plenty of opportunity to cheer on the ducks from the banks of the river on the day.

Organising a duck race is not always straightforward as Ray Cork of Ludlow Rotary explained: “Last year the river flow was so slow due to low rainfall that we had to shorten the course so that the races didn’t take all day. Even so, with the encouragement and cheering from the crowds, some of our helpers in canoes had to use their paddles to encourage the ducks towards the finish line.

“We’re hoping that this year the ducks will be able to swim the full course unaided.”    

Ducks will be available to sponsor on the day, but queues may be avoided by sponsoring them in advance online at ludlowrotaryclub.org.uk, by using the QR code on the posters displayed around the town, or at the club’s market stall in the days leading up to the event.