The winning floats from this year's Lord Mayor's procession were thanked for helping to raise over �5,500 for current civic charity, Big C, at City Hall this afternoon.

Lord Mayor Jenny Lay and Sheriff of Norwich Chris Higgins welcomed the winning floats to the ceremony, as well as wineers of The Great Norwich Duck Race that was held as part of the Lord Mayor's Celebrations.

Judges awarded first place, based on carnival spirit, in the procession to the UK Centre for Carnival Arts, with the Red Hat Society's Norfolk Broads Chapter taking second place and the Sewell Toy Library in third.

Runners-up prizes were also awarded to the Norwich Community West Schools Cluster, Bayer Crop Science and InTouch Systems - whose pirate ship float proved as popular as ever.

The Lord Mayor thanked the attendees for helping raise the figure of �5,568.99 for her chosen civic charity and said: 'I would like to thank you all for taking part in this year's street procession and helping to make it such a colourful and fun occasion for the thousands of spectators that lined the city centre streets.'

Winners, UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA), worked with Sprowston High School and The Hewett School - who provided the many dancers and colourful costumes - as well as the Hi-Jacks stilts group and Bloco Esquilo Atomico samba band to create their eye-catching float.

Leader of the samba group, Marcus Patterson, said: 'We hadn't thought beyond getting from one end to the other so had forgotten about the judges until we were approaching where they were sat.

'There was a real energy and high spirit to our float though so we're really happy to have won.'

Regional co-ordinator for UKCCA, Ellie Diver, added: 'It was not really about the winning, this has been an added bonus, it was about having a good time and making sure people that were watching were having a good time, which is hard because people are standing there for a long time.

'The kids that took part for us were fantastic and I know they would have loved to have come and met the Lord Mayor to collect this prize.'

The winner of the Great Norwich Duck Race - which raised a total of �6,830 to be split between the Big C and the project to build a new headquarters for 1st Norwich Sea Scouts in Old Lakenham - was Peggy Sparrow, of Eversley Road, Norwich.

Raced on the Sunday of the Lord Mayor's Celebrations weekend, the event was run from the Lady Julian Bridge on Riverside and saw hundreds of plastic ducks race.

Mrs Sparrow collected her �200 prize from the Lord Mayor, a nice surprise as it was her son-in-law who had bought the duck for her.

Unable to attend was runner-up and winner of �150 Mark Sayer, from Forncett St Peter, as was the winner of �100 in third place David Simnor of Yarmouth Road, Norwich.

However fourth-placed Gillian Russell, from Greys in Essex, was present to claim her �50 and trophy.

Two special prizes were also handed out to two members of the 1st Norwich Sea Scouts who had raised over �100 through selling ducks for the race.

Beaver Scout Tilly Connors-Beckett, 7, and Scout Domynyk Belcher, 12, were both presented with prizes and thanked by the Lord Mayor for their help.

The winner of The Corporate Duck Race - raced by larger plastic ducks bought by local companies - was Green Cuisine food suppliers from Watton. The company's �500 prize will be donated to African Appeal.

Are you organising a community event in the Norwich area? Call reporter David Freezer on 01603 772418 or email david.freezer@archant.co.uk