2023 DUCK RACE RAISES NEARLY £1,600

The 23rd Wimborne in Bloom August Bank Holiday Weekend Duck Race has raised nearly £1,600 towards ‘In Bloom’ funds in particular towards the planting up of the planters around Town for the Autumn.

The Mayor of Wimborne Minster, Cllr Mrs Diann March and the Town Crier Chris Brown together with members of the Wimborne in Bloom Committee launched the Ducks into the River Allen by the Riverside Mews Café Bridge on the afternoon of Saturday 26th August. The ‘ducks’ made a quick swim down river with the first duck crossing the finishing line behind the Rising Sun Public House in East Street in less than fifteen minutes.

Photo: The Mayor with Richard Nunn, Chairman of Wimborne in Bloom and Brenda Hare-Brown with her First Prize Winnings

Once again to meet the demand for tickets some of the ducks were ‘co-owned’ as it would have been impractical to increase beyond a thousand the number of ducks launched into the river. It meant that the prize money could be doubled as both owners would be eligible for the full value of all prizes. In the event four of the winning ducks were ‘co-owned’ and the full list of results is as follows:

1st Duck to cross the line was No: 796 owned by Brenda Hare-Brown who won £50. The 2nd Duck No: 614 was co-owned by Barbara Dean and Keith Sheppard who both won £25. 3rd Duck No: 730 was owned by Elsie Dean who received £10, the 4th Duck No: 1000 was owned by Barbara Robinson who kindly donated her winnings of £5 back to Wimborne in Bloom. 5th Duck No: 658 was co-owned by Kirsty Whitfield and Terry Wheeler who both received £5 and the 6th Duck No: 598 was also co-owned by Julia & Geoff and Lara Soto the winnings were £5, the latter donating theirs to Wimborne in Bloom. The last Duck home No: 247 was co-owned by Ted Daniel and Carl Hurren who both received a bottle of wine.

Photo: The Town Crier with third prize winner Elsie Dean and the Mayor and Richard Nunn

All ducks had been pre-sold at £1 a time thanks to both the Co-Op and Waitrose Supermarkets allowing members of Wimborne in Bloom to sell tickets outside their stores.

Photo: Fifth prize Winners Kirsty Whitfield and Terry Wheeler with the Mayor and Richard Nunn

Richard Nunn, Chairman of Wimborne in Bloom speaking after the Race “thanked everyone who helped with the selling of tickets and all those who purchased ‘Ducks’ in support of Wimborne in Bloom. It was great to see all those smiling faces as people followed the race down the river trying to spot their 'duck'. In addition to thanking both the Co-Op and Waitrose he also expressed thanks to the Slocock Trust for the use of the Bridge from which to launch the ducks and the Rising Sun for all their help with the use of their garden area after the race and indeed for the ‘ducks’ they sold beforehand".