Community Activities
For the second year running Wendy Speight, Diary Manager at Wm Dodgson Funeral Services in Leeds, has single-handedly organised a Duck Race in the village of South Milford.
She first decided to organise a duck race in 2016 following a holiday to Ireland: “On the last day of the holiday, as we were waiting for a taxi, I noticed a duck race being set up at a stream close by.
“All the locals were absolutely enthralled waiting for the ducks to come down and as there is a stream in our village I thought that I could organise an event back at home.
“After the first race the whole village was buzzing about it and it now a popular annual event.”
This year’s charity race, held on 30 April, raised over £2,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice in Boston Spa.
Wm Dodgson joined other neighbouring businesses to donate a hamper to the list of prizes on offer for owners of the winning ducks.
Wendy is now known locally as the ‘duck lady’ and this fame has proved helpful with her day job:
“Everyone knows what I do for a living and that I work for Wm Dodgson, so people regularly approach me with questions about funerals. It is nice to know that they feel comfortable to get in touch and that I can be of help.”