Liverpool city centre will be invaded by an army of giant ducks this summer – in a bid to support cancer patients.

Each towering seven feet high, a trail of twenty ‘pop-up’ sculptures celebrating ‘Liverpool firsts’ will pepper the city centre this May and June to thrill visitors during the One Magnificent City programme.

To coincide with Light Night , the event run by AquaDucked will launch on Friday, 15 May, and aims to raise awareness for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Nesting at various locations across Liverpool city centre, including the commercial district, Liverpool ONE and Albert Dock, the ducks will be on show for public display until the 9th June, after which they will be entered into a celebrity gala night auction taking place in July.

Following on the success of previous trails such as Go Superlambananas in 2008 and Go Penguins in 2010, the Liverpool Duck Trail will entertain visitors for major events such as Sound City and the 175th Anniversary of The Cunard; and two charity duck races at Liverpool’s International Mersey River Festival will provide a climatic point for the inaugural event  on Sunday 7th June.

Each duck is themed on an event in history that Liverpool for which Liverpool is famed for being first; for example, the first motorised municipal fire engine, the first woman to top the pop charts (Lita Roza), the first major under-river tunnel (Mersey tunnel) and the world’s first purpose-designed public park in Birkenhead.

Ducks will be sponsored by local businesses with the aim of raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Local artists and community groups will be asked to submit designs and paint the ducks, bringing to life their ‘Liverpool first’ themes in a fun and creative way.

In 2014, eleven of the ducks featured in a Lancashire Duck Trail, eight of which were designed by celebrities, including fashion designer and co-founder of Red or Dead Wayne Hemingway; actress, television presenter and former model Linda Lusardi; Coronation Street’s Jane Danson; comedian, actor, Dave Spikey; actress and singer Jodie Pregner; and Emmerdale’s Emma Atkins.

 Barry Cole, founder and managing director at AquaDucked says:

“I am really looking forward to the duck trail and races in Liverpool and I am delighted with all the help provided by some great people in the city who have helped in the hosting of this event. It is knowing that my mother’s memory can be the catalyst that will help someone else stricken with the same disease, get the same care and attention that she received at the end of her life. “

 Tracey Crosbie, Events Manager for Liverpool BID Company who are supporting the event, added:

‘’The Duck Trail is going to be a brilliant event for all the family and will help kick start an amazing summer of events in the city centre. The fact that its celebrating Liverpool Firsts means it’s an event that will not just entertain but educate visitors and locals alike, while at the same time raising money for a cause which affects us all.’’

You can find out more about AquaDucked’s Liverpool Duck Trail at http://www.aquaducked.co.uk/events/liverpool/the-duck-trail/