Farndon Soapbox Derby 2024
Looking at the glorious sunshine which this week has welcomed, it seems like a rather ironic twist of fate after the relentless downpours of Sunday which drenched competitors and spectators alike at this year’s Farndon Soapbox Derby.
As dawn arose over a murky and decidedly wet Farndon, final preparations were made before opening the gates. A few hours later the Rickitt Partnership team had all gathered together in the village of Farndon to celebrate this year’s soapbox derby. We were immensely proud to be gold sponsors of this fabulous community event for the third year running and, of course, we were also excited to be giving Rickitt’s Racers another run out in the Derby itself!
It’s really important to us at Rickitt Partnership to support our local community and good causes don’t come any better than the Hospice of the Good Shepherd. The hospice provides end of life care and bereavement counselling to the people of Chester and the surrounding areas. It is one of those vital services which support people when they are most in need. We are always honoured to do our bit to help them raise the staggering £5000 they need every day to keep the doors open.
Every year the Farndon Soapbox Derby donates 90% of the funds raised to the Hospice whilst the remainder is distributed to a variety of local good causes. Last year these included the Holt under 5’s, Holt Primary School, Holt Community Gardeners, Farndon Memorial Hall, The Kenyon Hall in Holt and Kelly’s Kitties and K9s . Knowing each year that we contribute in some small way to helping our local community is what it is all about for us. And so, when we were asked if we would like to be involved again this year, the answer was a resounding Yes!
So, in the pouring rain, the Rickitt Partnership banners went up on the start line and around the course; the hog roast was roasting away and the bottles of fizz were submerged in buckets of ice (not that this was necessarily needed – we could have just dropped them in a puddle!)
and by mid-morning the first guests began arriving at the gazebo.
In between playing the perfect host, Tim was kept busy piloting Rickitt’s Racers in each of the heats of the Derby.
No less than three times, our aerodynamic machine hurtled down the ramp of the flatbed and set off at an impressive pace through the start line. Tim skilfully manoeuvred around bends, through a chicane and over ramps to complete each heat in ever improving times, despite the testing conditions.
All day we were on the edge of our seats with Tim ranking in the top three for much of the time. At the end of the day when final times were collated Rickitt’s Racers came 2nd in class and 3rd overall in a field of more than 30 karts. Suffice to say we are all very proud.
In between the racing we were delighted to see so many friends and clients of RP who braved the weather to join us in the VIP area – I don’t think it was any surprise that the hearty hog roast went down a treat as the perfect antidote to the cold and rain!
So, all in all, despite the weather, we had a wonderful day, and it was great to see how many people donned their waterproofs and braved the elements to support the event. Each year the competitors seem to raise the bar, it truly is amazing to see the effort that has been put into the karts and the costumes. This year we were entertained by Beach Boys (oh the irony!), Ken and Barbie, Del boy and Rodney, Rose and Jack from Titanic, a flying mermaid and a gaggle of minions to name but a few!
Along the side of the course spectators could also browse the shopping stalls and indulge themselves at a variety of delicious eateries – with anything from homemade cakes to pizza on offer.
I think its fair to say that the weather this year threw us lemons for the Farndon Soapbox Derby but, with that great British spirit, we delivered lemonade!
