Ponteland Duck Race Saved by The Sunshine Fund

One of Ponteland's best-loved traditions has been saved. The annual Duck Race in Ponteland Park, which has drawn families to the banks of the River Pont for more than 40 years, looked to be at risk after Ponteland Rotary Club closed its doors in June. Now the North East children's charity The Sunshine Fund has stepped in to keep the event going.

The Duck Race began in the 1980s as a volunteer-run fundraiser and had been organised by the Rotary Club throughout its life. When the club wound up after decades of service, the future of the race was left uncertain. As the Hexham Courant reported, The Sunshine Fund, which supports disabled and seriously ill children across the region, agreed to take on the event and preserve it for the village.

"The Duck Race is part of Ponteland's heritage, and we knew we wanted to be part of keeping the event going," said David Wilson of The Sunshine Fund.

This year's race was held on Sunday 6 September in Ponteland Park, with free entry and a full afternoon of family fun. The day featured eight races in all: five main duck races, a children's duck race and two business boat races, with hundreds of numbered ducks tumbling down the Pont. Alongside the racing there were food stalls, market traders and fairground rides to keep families entertained.

The event was backed by a number of local supporters, including Ponteland Town Council, Newcastle International Airport and Newcastle Building Society. Their involvement, together with the charity's, means one of the village calendar's happiest fixtures now has a settled home for years to come.

The Duck Race is not the only Rotary tradition set to carry on. The club's popular Christmas Market at Ponteland Memorial Hall and its Santa's Sleigh collection are also continuing under new organisers, ensuring the community events that generations of Ponteland families have grown up with are not lost.