Quacking good fun for Horncastle's fundraising scouts

The town went utterly quackers last weekend thanks to Horncastle Scouts and their ducking fantastic fundraiser.
The ducks are launched!The ducks are launched!
The ducks are launched!

The 1st Horncastle Scouts group – encompassing the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts – held their fundraising duck race on Saturday September 24.

The duck race aimed to raise funds to send the whole troop to a spring campout in Sudbroke, near Lincoln, which will see the boys take part in activities such as climbing, outdoor cooking, archery and crafts.

In total, just shy of 1,000 ducks were sold by well-wishers – largely helped by Scout Leader Jayne Wiltowski dressing up as a duck and heading out into town in the days leading up to the race.

The ducks make their way down river.The ducks make their way down river.
The ducks make their way down river.

The ducks were successfully launched at the bridge on Conging Street near Tesco’s after a slight delay to allow the Scouts who were taking their 11+ exams to attend, and they sailed down river through town.

Jayne confirmed that all of the ducks were successfully rounded up after the event, with the winning duck, number 696, won a £50 prize.

Altogether the event raised just over £600 towards the camp fund, and Jayne said it was a really good event:

"We all had a lot of fun and we’re really pleased with how it went – it was a fantastic success.

The crowds watch the duck race.The crowds watch the duck race.
The crowds watch the duck race.

"And at our next meeting on Tuesday night, all the scouts spent ages cleaning and drying the ducks and put them away for next year!”

The 1st Horncastle Scouts’ next fundraiser will be a stall at Horncastle’s Christmas market on Sunday December 11, where they will be running a bottle stall.