The Rotary Club of Oxford Spires, organisers of the famous World Pooh Sticks Championships, is delighted to announce that it has found a new Oxfordshire venue to run the event at Langel Common in Witney. The Club is planning to run the Championships this year on Sunday 7 June.

Langel Common, that boasts a bridge over the River Windrush, links Witney Town Centre to Cogges Manor Farm, a growing visitor attraction and famous for being one of the Downton Abbey film locations. The Rotary Club is thrilled to be working in partnership with Cogges which is planning to organise a ‘Stick Day’ to join in with the fun alongside the Championships.

Colin Shone, Director at Cogges Manor Farm, said “Playing Pooh Sticks is one of the most special and essential memories of any childhood. Cogges is delighted to be supporting the new home for the World Championships.”

The annual event had been held at Day’s Lock, Little Wittenham for 31 years and had become so popular in recent years that it had outgrown the space available so the Club announced in January that it was actively looking for an alternative venue in or around Oxford. The event helps the Rotary Club to raise thousands of pounds for many local, national and international charities and it also gives people the chance to become a World Champion.

Karen Eveleigh from the Rotary Club says “We were delighted to receive such great publicity and support in our search for a new venue and are thrilled to have found this location in Witney”.

Due to the high level of boat traffic on the River Thames at Little Wittenham, the Environment Agency would only permit the event to be held between October and March and this sometimes meant that the event had to be either postponed or cancelled due to bad weather. The new location on the River Windrush, which has no river traffic, will mean that the Rotary Club can hold the Championships during the Summer months and members are gearing up to hold it on Sunday 7 June in partnership with Cogges Manor Farm, subject to obtaining the usual permissions for such events.

Cllr Richard Langridge, Cabinet Member at West Oxfordshire District Council said, “We are thrilled that Witney has been chosen as the new venue for the World Pooh Stick Championships and we can assure them that they will be given a very good welcome.”

Visitors are encouraged to go to the event website for more details: www.pooh-sticks.com