The event, organised by the Rotary Club of Abingdon, will return on May 24 at Sandford Lock and is expected to draw families, competitors, and spectators from across the region.

This year’s championships are especially meaningful as they celebrate the centenary of Winnie-the-Pooh, the much-loved bear who made the game of PoohSticks famous in A.A. Milne’s The House at Pooh Corner.

Richard Kirby, event organiser from the Rotary Club of Abingdon, said: “The World PoohSticks Championships has been such a joy to organise over the years, and it’s wonderful to see generations of families coming together for a day of fun.

“Celebrating 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh this year makes it even more special, and I’m personally so grateful to partners like Allica Bank for helping us continue this tradition while raising funds for causes close to our hearts.

“It’s a day that truly celebrates the spirit of our community.”

Set on the River Thames, the event brings to life the simple pleasure of dropping sticks into the water and watching them float beneath a bridge, just as Pooh Bear and his friends did in the classic stories.

What started as a small local activity has grown into a global event, with competitors travelling from across the UK and abroad.

Participants range in age from four to 84, making it an event that spans generations.

Importantly, the championships also support charitable causes, with all funds raised going toward Rotary-supported projects, including donations to the Alzheimer’s Society and other community charities.

Allica Bank returns as the main sponsor after a successful partnership last year.

Gareth Adams, Allica Bank’s relationship manager for Oxfordshire, said: “At Allica Bank, we are proud to support the communities where established businesses thrive.

“Events like the World PoohSticks Championships are a brilliant celebration of local tradition, fun, and community spirit, bringing people together from across Oxfordshire and beyond.

“We’re delighted to return as the main sponsor for such a milestone year, supporting an event that shines a spotlight on the area while raising important funds for local charities.

“It’s a wonderful reminder of the value of community traditions, and we’re thrilled to play a part once again.”

The championships will begin at 11am with registration available on the day or in advance at https://poohsticks.uk.

In addition to the main event, attendees can enjoy charity stalls and activities throughout the day.

All proceeds will support Rotary charities, furthering their commitment to making a lasting impact both locally and internationally.

Company Bakery has been awarded gold, silver and bronze at the British Baker ‘Britain’s Best Loaf 2026’ awards.

Natural Bread is an independent, family run artisan bakery in Oxford.

A spokesperson said: “We make all our own wonderful breads, rolls, bagels and pastries by hand, from scratch, and fresh every day in our Botley bakery without using additives.”

The bakery, which operates market stalls each weekend in and around Oxford, took home the top prize for its Brainy Tin Sourdough in the wholegrain category.

Its German Rye Sourdough won silver in the international category, while two breads,the Oxford Sourdough and Three Seed Sourdough, earned bronze in the plain and seeded sourdough categories.

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A spokesman for the bakery said: “Honestly, we feel so honoured and grateful.

“Every loaf our bakery team creates is a labour of love, slow-fermented, carefully crafted by hand, and baked fresh each and every day.

“And being able to share that with so many in our local community means everything to us.”

The bakery, which also supplies fresh bread and pastries to cafes and restaurants, has built a loyal following at its weekly markets.

One of the owners making the bread (Image: Natural Bread Bakery)

Regular customers can find Company Bakery at East Oxford Farmers Market, South Oxford Farmers Market, Wolvercote Community Market, and its pop-up shop at the Marcham Centre.

It also appears at Deddington Farmers Market on the fourth Saturday of each month and the Abingdon Local Excellence Market.

The spokesman said: “These markets are at the heart of what we do, and there’s nothing better than seeing familiar faces, and meeting new ones, over a loaf of our fresh bread or one of our hand crafted croissants.

“All of our hand-crafted artisan loaves are made using traditional methods, without any additives or preservatives. just simple, quality ingredients and time.”

Beyond its market stalls, Company Bakery delivers bread and pastries seven days a week to wholesale customers across Oxfordshire, including cafes, restaurants and shops.

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The spokesman said: “We couldn’t do any of this without our amazing bakery team.

“Their skill, care and dedication go into every single loaf, and we’re so lucky to have them.

“A huge thank you as well to all of our customers, both at the markets and wholesale, for supporting us week in, week out.”

The company also acknowledged its partnership with flour supplier Matthews Cotswold Flour, crediting the quality of its products to the use of “beautiful, high-quality local flour”.

The spokesman said: “If you haven’t visited us yet, we’d love to see you at one of the markets soon.

“There’s always something hand crafted and fresh out of the oven waiting for you.”

Local government reorganisation is set to come into force in April 2028, with elections for a temporary shadow authority or authorities taking place next year, 2027.

Today, May 7, voters in Oxford city and areas of Cherwell and West Oxfordshire will likely be the last to head to the polls under the two-tier system.

Currently, the running of services such as social care, roads, libraries and waste disposal by a county council, with five district and borough councils responsible for rubbish collection, housing and planning, and environmental health.

According to proposals made by the existing councils in November 2025, Oxfordshire will be divided into either one, two, or three unitary authorities, and the government is set to decide on this before the parliamentary summer recess in July of this year.

There was a consultation on plans, which ended on March 26.

The government has described its reasoning for the change.

A statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government states: “Our ambition is to simplify local government, ending the two-tier system and establishing new single-tier unitary councils that are responsible for all local government services in an area.”

The reorganisation also saw the potential for the postponement of today’s elections across 30 councils.

However, the government abandoned plans to hold off the polls after receiving advice from lawyers following a legal challenge from Reform UK.