The 1st Norwich Sea Scouts are entering the home straight in their mammoth fundraising challenge to raise �400,000 for a new headquarters.

The scouts are now �50,000 short of being able to start preliminary work on new 21st century facilities for its 1960s riverside base in Old Lakenham.

They are hoping to move another step closer this week, after Norwich City Football Club provided a club pennant signed by its first-team players.

Kelvin Woodard, treasurer of the fundraising committee, said: 'Currently we are some �50,000 short of being able to have meaningful discussions with our builder about starting work on the project, but all efforts will be made to get it built this year.'

'Recently as part of the ongoing fundraising effort letters were sent out to 50 businesses which are situated in the general area of the HQ in Mansfield Lane.

'The letter asked for support via our Sponsor a Plank Appeal, sponsoring a metre of cladding for the outside of the new building at �25 per metre.'

One of the organisations to reply was Norwich City, offering the signed pennant as an auction item and the sea scouts are hoping that will bring in as much as �100.

The sea scouts are also hoping to hear back about applications for various grant this week so Kelvin is hoping the project will start to pick up pace very soon.

He added: 'We should be in a position by the end of the week where we can start talking to builders about starting work.'

The sea scouts are also once again running the Grand Norwich Duck Race during the Lord Mayor's Celebrations, which Kelvin hopes will generate another �5,000 for the project.

This year's duck race will be run on Sunday, July 8, seeing thousands of plastic ducks racing from the Julian Bridge on Riverside, Norwich.

The auction will run until midnight on Tuesday, May 1. For further details, and to see the current highest bid, go to https://sites.google.com/site/ 1stnorwichseascouts/new-hq-project

To make a bid, or to get involved with the Sponsor a Plank scheme, email 1stncss@gmail.com, or for more about the duck race, go to www.greatnorwichduckrace.co.uk

- Are you raising funds for a community project? Contact Local life editor David Freezer on 01603 772418 or david.freezer@archant.co.uk