Over £12k raised from the Great Ilkley Duck Race

Wednesday, 2 July 2025 13:56

Representatives of the eleven groups (Photo: Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale)

Eleven local charities have received donations from the £12,500 raised by Ilkley Wharfedale Rotary Club at their Great Ilkley Duck Race in April.

They are Ilkley Good Neighbours, Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks, Ilkley Food Bank, Wharfedale Air Cadets, Clarke Foley Centre, Nell Bank, Improving Ilkley, Dans Den at Christchurch, Burley in Wharfedale Community Trust, Blue Bell Rural Activities and LS29 Special Needs Support Group.

Representatives of the groups visited a Ilkley Wharfedale Rotary Club meeting in June to celebrate receiving their donations. Thanking them for their work, Club President Stephen Hey said:

“We have some remarkable charities in Ilkley that carry out tremendous work for the community and we are so pleased that our Great Ilkley Duck Race can raise funds to help them.

The fantastic sum raised was thanks to the generosity of the people of Ilkley and our many business supporters. It turned out to be a Duck Raffle rather than a Duck Race due to our unpredictable weather, but was still a fun, family day out and we’ll be doing it all again next year on Saturday April 18th 2026”

Also present for a celebratory glass were Business Duck Race sponsors Ilkley BID and Ilkley Business Forum – who provided prizes, and Melissa Brown of Yorkshire Hot Tubs who sponsored the Yellow Duck Race.

Melissa said:

“All the charities do such sterling work supporting local people and facilities in Ilkley and we are so pleased to be able to assist in raising money for them”.

Other guests included Town Crier, Isabel Ashman, who helped the Duck Raffle run smoothly and Chris Matthews and daughter Chloe from Eatons Funeral Directors. Chris organized a Charity Hand Car Wash event in May which raised £280 for Dan’s Den and this was included in the Duck Race donation and gratefully received by the Dan’s Den representatives.