IT’S BACK! The Bordon Charity Soapbox Derby will be taking place on Sunday, July 23.

And budding Lewis Hamiltons, Max Verstappens and soapbox cart builders are now being invited to enter amateur and professional teams.

The amateur Everyone Cart involves carts built for a cost below £500, and the Pro Cart category is for the all-singing, all-dancing carts that cost more than £500 to put together.

All the teams, with their hand-made soapbox carts, will get a chance of two runs of the Chalet Hill downhill course in a bid for ‘soap and glory’.

The track will include five jumps, slalom and some tough scrutineering to ensure equal opportunity for all.

The Whitehill & Bordon soap box derby last ran in 2012.

Emma Selby, the managing director of SiGNAL, said: “Four years ago a team from SiGNAL and the Bordon Builders Network put a cart together and raced down Castle Hill at the Farnham soapbox derby.

“It was such a brilliant day that ever since then a plan has been bubbling under to bring the derby back to Bordon.

“Originally planned for 2020 then shelved during Covid, this year’s soapbox derby is finally being brought to the town by two local business leaders, Gary Newell – who runs the Bordon Builders Network and his own company Jigsaw Property Maintenance – and Barry Parker, who is best known for running BTE Automotive on the Woolmer Industrial Estate.

“Both businessmen are members of SiGNAL BIZHUB, a business group that meet at The BOSC one Friday a month.

“Whitehill and Bordon Regeneration Company is the main sponsor and is co-organising the event with the soapbox team.

“We hope 65 cart teams will race down Chalet Hill on the day which promises to attract between 5,000 and 10,000 spectators.”

Emma urged anyone who would like to meet the people and main sponsors behind the event to attend the SiGNAL meeting at the BOSC on May 26 or June 23. Places can be booked at www.signalbordon.org/events

She added: “All bookings for carts and banners can be made directly through the soapbox website at www.bordonsoapbox.co.uk

“And it’s all for charity as Bordon Soapbox is raising vital funds for Help for Heroes, which helps the armed forces community live well after service, as well as four local charities.”

The day will start at 9am with a car show on the parade square, and the first cart will thunder down the track at 10.30am. Live music will be played throughout in the town park at The Shed.

The afternoon racing starts at 1.30pm with the presentation of awards at 3.30pm.

There will be more music from 7.30pm in The Shed.

There will also be a fairground at Jubilee Park from 3pm and a DJ set at The Shed from 6pm.

The event is planned to finish at 11pm.