Photos: Pagham Pram Race delivers colourful costumes and thousands for charity

A total of 68 teams took part in the annual event, which has been a Boxing Day tradition in Pagham for more than 70 years. Spectators lined the three-mile route to cheer on entrants as they pushed prams between village landmarks, many dressed in fancy dress.

A significant portion of the funds came from collection buckets carried around the course by volunteers, which raised £3,041.86. Organisers revealed the buckets contained 13,799 coins.

The race, first held in 1946 by a group of demobilised servicemen, was originally devised as a light-hearted community event over the Christmas period. Teams pushed a pram while stopping at village pubs, with a Christmas fruit cake awarded as the prize. While the route and stops have evolved over the decades, the core aim of raising money for the local community has remained unchanged.

The organisers explained: “In 1946, a group of demobbed servicemen decided they would like to do something over the Christmas period, so they came up with the idea of a pram race.

"One pushing the pram and another as a baby in it, making sure to drink a pint of beer each, at three of the village pubs. Due to the recent closure of the Kings Beach Hotel racers now stop at the Pagham Beach Cafe instead.”

This year’s race began at The Mill on Pagham Road at 11am prompt, continuing to The Bear, The Lamb and Maria’s Café, before finishing at The Lamb Inn car park.

All proceeds from the event will be distributed to local organisations through the Pagham Pram Race Helping Others Grant, continuing the long-standing tradition of supporting community causes.

Organisers also paid tribute to this year’s sponsors, thanking Slated Barn, KIA, Osborne Refrigerators Ltd, and other supporting businesses for their generosity and continued backing of the event.

With £4,360 raised so far, donations are still being accepted for those who wish to add to the 2025 fundraising total.