Sidmouth Lions are making final arrangements for the return of their annual Duck Derby on Sunday, September 12.
They invite you to join them for this really big charity ducks race down on the River Sid in Sidmouth’s delightful Byes parkland and enjoy a fun afternoon for all the family. The event takes place just upstream of the Old Toll House at the main Salcombe Road bridge entrance to the Byes.
The entertainment starts at 2.15pm with children’s duck and spoon races taking place adjacent to the Lawn Vista Cycle Bridge in The Byes. These races are primarily for young children, in various age ranges up to eleven years old and involve running over a short course, without their little yellow duck falling off their spoons. Subsequently, parents/grandparents are usually invited to have a go too, much to the amusement of their offspring! Tasty ice creams will also be on sale during the afternoon!
The main ducks race will start at 3.00 pm from the Lawn Vista Cycle Bridge, with hundreds of little yellow ducks being launched into the River Sid and racing downstream to the finishing line at the base of the big weir just upstream of the Salcombe Road bridge. The ‘owners’ of the first 19 ducks will each receive a cash prize from prizemoney totalling over £1,000. The first prize is £400, second prize is £100, third prize is £75, followed by six £40 and ten £20 prizes.
However, the principal beneficiaries from this year’s charity Duck Race will be Devon Air Ambulance Trust and the Sidmouth Lions Club Charity account.
Because of the pandemic, Sidmouth Lions have not been able to hold any of their usual fundraising events during the past 17 months.
Notwithstanding this lack of income, since February 2020 the Club has donated over £8,300 to worthy causes and needy individuals. Lions Clubs focus on supporting key projects including sight conservation, young people, humanitarian crises, the environment, hunger, and diabetes. So the £8,300 of charity donations included providing Sidmouth College with five new laptop computers for the College’s learning at home schemes; also donations to Sidmouth Hospice at Home; funding towards the purchase of a special camera for early detection of sight problems in young children, to Devon Freewheelers, to support the elderly and several more needy local organisations and individuals.

Consequently, the Lions Club now needs to replenish its charity funds in order to support its future community service activities. So you can support both Devon Air Ambulance and Sidmouth Lions charity activities by buying some duck tickets now!

Tickets at £1 each for the yellow Ducks Race are on sale in advance of the Duck Derby as follows: Sidmouth Lions are selling tickets from 10 am to early pm from Tuesday to Saturday, outside/adjacent to the Co-op store and Potburys/Cornish Bakery; also outside Lidl store from 10 am to early pm on Saturday September 11.

Duck tickets are also on sale at:  Paper Moon at 38 Fore Street (opposite Boots), Cards @ 83 in High Street (by Lloyds pharmacy) and Woolbrook News in Woolbrook Road. 

Looking forward, Sidmouth Lions Club is hoping to resume its Santa Sleigh activities, around Sidmouth and neighbouring villages in December 2021, provided any Covid restrictions allow it to do so!