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Ducks go quackers for charity shop fare

21st November 2019

Posh nosh is being served up to the feathered residents of the river Mole thanks to a local heritage and conservation project being supported by the Princess Alice Hospice shop.

Custom-made duck food pellets – said to be better for aquatic birds than common or garden bread – are now available from the Hospice’s Cobham shop, just a few yards from the Riverhill platform installed by the river in the village.

The duck food, sourced by the Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust, is being sold at the shop with a proportion of the profit going to the Hospice funds. Donations of £1 are requested for each packet.

“It’s a wing-wing situation!” said area retail manager Libby Dey. “There’s a new CCHT sign at the duck feeding station telling people they can get the special duck food at the Hospice shop – so they pop along to buy it and often end up browsing our rails and shelves for bargains.

“It’s a great way of being part of the community in which the Hospice’s services are available.”

The trust – which holds an annual duck race on the river every September – is dedicated to the protection, enhancement and development of Conservation Areas, of which there are four in Cobham.

The trust is a local charity which relies on volunteers to help run the trust, promote local history and conservation issues and organise fund-raising events.

“The village is very much defined by its association with the River Mole,” said CCHT environment officer Laurence Wells “and the traditional simple pleasure of feeding the ducks is very popular for all ages.

“By highlighting the importance of supplying good quality food to our wildlife, in partnership with the Hospice’s nearby shop, it reinforces everyone’s feeling of community spirit.”

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