Thatcham Duck Race sets off from the Rowbarge in Woolhampton and is bigger than ever - raising money for mental health charity Time to Talk
A sea of eager faces watched on as thousands of rubber ducks were poured into the Kennet and Avon Canal yesterday (Sunday) for a highly anticipated racing event.
Despite the potential drizzle throughout the day, it was plain sailing for the 4,300 ducks that made their way through the water after setting off from the Rowbarge at Woolhampton.
Eager children ran alongside their ducks as families sat down with picnics and drinks watching the rainbow of blue, pink and yellow plastic birds float past.
The event raised a total of £3,400 for young people’s mental health charity Time to Talk.
After the watching, waiting and anticipating, the duck race winners were announced.
Leader of the flock was pink duck owner Valdy, quickly followed by David Bradshaw in second.
The winner of the first prize donated £50.00 of his winnings to the rotary's charity which the club said was "much appreciated".
The event went swimmingly for organisers Thatcham Rotary Club who commented on the record number of attendees and pre-event donations.
“It is a proper family thing,” Rotary chairman Tim Dyson said. “You can see that the kids are enjoying it. There’s families everywhere.
“We have the support from the local radio station, there is music in the background and there is a real buzz.”
He added: “Time to Talk was chosen as it fits some of our main objectives, young people and mental health charities.
“They’re keen to work with us and promote us too so it is good for both parties."
Rotarian Frank Quinn commented on the importance of the charity. He said: “Yesterday a young man came and he brought a lot of tickets and it turns out his sister has been a beneficiary of Time to Talk.
“She had some mental health problems and he wanted to give something back, which is terrific.”
The rotary thanked all organisations involved in making the day what it was.
Rotarian Bob Champion added: “Thank you to the Newbury Canoe Club and Canal and River Trust. Without them this cannot take place.”
In addition to the race itself, children were kept occupied with duck related entertainment, drinks and stalls including Time to Talk.
Charity service manager Tammy Willsher said: “Thatcham Rotary have supported us a lot over the years, they donate quite frequently with just general donations but this year they asked if we would like to be their main charity for the duck race.
“Today has been really nice. Obviously we are a children’s charity so we wanted to have things going on today that maybe would not raise a massive amount of money but the children could be involved with.”
She added: “It is about getting them over and whilst they might not remember or need us now, down the line when they might need us, they’ll remember us.”
Time to Talk has seen an increase in demand over the past year with the number of referrals doubling their previous average figures.
Earlier this year the waiting list reached 120 young people with the charity receiving 15 to 20 referrals weekly, in contrast with its average of eight to10 referrals per week previously.
In addition, the organisation is noticing a higher level of distress among the young people it engages with.
She added: “There really has been a massive demand, we do various forms and scores and we have seen that average starting score, which measures anxiety and loneliness, has gone up massively.
“So we are still having an impact and we are still able to have an impact but we are starting from a much more severe point.”
Time to Talk, using extra funds that have been independently raised, has now doubled the amount of sessions it offered pre-pandemic.
She said: “It is really lovely to have everyone’s support and normalise the idea of mental health.”
The Mayor of Thatcham Jeff Brooks said: “What a wonderful turnout for a wonderful organisation.
“This is one of the most exciting things in the Thatcham calendar. It is just brilliant to see.”
All ducks were retrieved from the canal at the end of the event.