Thousands of plastic ducks will take to the Thames for the 2019 Lechlade Duck Race.

Organised by volunteers from RAF Brize Norton, the fun family fundraiser returns to Riverside Park after taking a break in 2018.

The fundraiser, which takes place on May 6, will feature a wide variety of attractions, including fairground rides, a mobile farm, a static helicopter, food and drink stalls, inflatables and face painting, but the main draw is the duck race itself, which will see around 6,000 plastic ducks released onto the river and carried by the current to the finish line. Spectators can sponsor a duck for £3 and the lucky winner will receive a cash prize of £300, with prizes for the runners-up.

A fleet of bigger ducks will do battle in the corporate duck race before the main event, with entries from sponsors Bloor Homes, Advantage One Security, The Riverside Pub and other entrants. All money raised on the day will be shared between the Royal Air Force Association, the Cotswold Water Park Trust, the Lechlade Memorial Hall and Lechlade Little Learners.

Sgt Jonathan Owen-Williams, Project Manager for the 2019 Lechlade Duck Race, said: “After taking a break last year to focus on the RAF 100 celebrations, we are really looking forward to bringing the Lechlade Duck Race back to Riverside Park in 2019.

“It is a fantastic family event which brings the whole community together and we will be putting on a much bigger range of attractions this year, including more fairground rides, more entertainment for the kids and live music for the first time.

“We’re delighted to have Bloor Homes as our Gold Sponsor for this year’s race. An event of this scale would not be possible without sponsorship so we are extremely grateful to Bloor Homes and our other sponsors for their support.”

Bloor Homes, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, is set to launch its new Brize Meadow development in Brize Norton next month, and also has developments nearby in Witney, Long Hanborough and Bourton-in-the-Water.

Clare Doody, Sales Manager at Bloor Homes Western, said: “As a housebuilder we are always keen to support the local communities in which we build so we are proud to be sponsoring such a popular charity event.

“We are really looking forward to what should be a fantastic day and to cheering on our very own Bloor Homes duck in the corporate race.”

Visit lechladeduckrace.com