A Cheshire village is preparing to welcome another day of high-speed thrills, homemade engineering and community fundraising when the Farndon Soapbox Derby returns on Sunday, September 13th.
The popular event will see teams take to the start line in gravity-powered homemade karts, competing against the clock on a challenging 325-metre course.
The track will feature a ramp, gradual declines, curves, jumps, a chicane and steeper downhill sections – putting both the drivers and their creations to the test.
Racing is scheduled to run from 7.30am until around 5.30pm, with entries open to everyone. Teams are encouraged to combine creativity with engineering as they design and build their own karts before taking on the course.
But while speed and spectacle are central to the derby, fundraising remains at the heart of the event. The organisers are asking every kart team to set up a JustGiving fundraising page, with teams strongly encouraged to aim to raise at least £500. Money raised supports local charities and community causes, including the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.
This year marks the 5th year of the event and more than £167,000 has been raised to date over the last four years.
A spokesperson for the Soapbox Derby said: “Every year we’re blown away by not only the phenomenal success of our fundraising event, but by the generosity and goodwill of our awesome community who come out every year to show their support.”
The derby has become an opportunity for local businesses, residents and visitors to come together, with organisers offering a range of ways to get involved.
Businesses can sponsor the event, while volunteers are also needed to help make the day run smoothly. Sponsorship packages include opportunities for companies to have banners around the course and promotion through the event’s website and social media channels.
For the hundreds of spectators who come to watch, the attraction is as much about the atmosphere as the racing. The sight of colourful, unconventional karts hurtling downhill, combined with the enthusiasm of teams and supporters, has helped establish the event as a distinctive community occasion.
The 2026 derby also promises to continue the event’s tradition of turning ordinary streets into a temporary race track while raising money for good causes. With teams preparing their designs and organisers working towards September, anticipation is already building.
Whether competitors arrive in serious racing machines or wonderfully eccentric creations, the objective remains the same: make it safely to the finish, beat the clock and raise as much money as possible along the way.
Headline sponsors for this year’s event include the Barnston Estate, Daulby Read Insurance and Palmers Scaffolding.
Anyone interested in volunteering their time either on the day, to help set up the track, or to help steward the car parks, can get in touch with the team at getinvolved@farndonsoapboxderby.co.uk
