SCORES of residents made asses of themselves at the weekend, by taking part in the annual Muswell Hill Festival and Donkey Derby.

Riders in the derby, as well as those who decided to take a ride on the animals at a more leisurely place around the arena, helped to raise thousands of pounds for Muswell Hill-based charity the London Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy at the Cherry Tree Wood event on Sunday.

As well as stalls, games and fairground rides, visitors to the festival enjoyed performances by the Muswell Hill Karate Academy and live music from bands including Dog Day and Palpitations.

Even those who fell off the donkeys during the comical races seemed to add to the fun, according to the centre’s events co-ordinator Daisy Mathebula.

“It was all really light-hearted and the incidents during the races just made it more enjoyable,” she said.

Local groups from the Muswell Hill Toy Library to St James’ Church were involved in the event, holding stalls.

So far, the amount raised has reached around �6,000, which will help to support the centre over the coming year. It is hoped the final target could be as large as �9,000 once all the money has come in.

All of the funds raised go to the charity, which is the only site in London which supports children with cerebral palsy, their families and the professionals who work with them.