Proud to be raising over £1million per year for charity.
Dragon Boat Events' recession busting formula has produced over £1 miliion per year for our recipient charities throughout the last three years despite the recession. Our 2011 event programme currently consists of 60 charitable fundraising regattas. We are very excited by the potential this offers our charities. Help us take it to £2 million this year!
The Shrewsbury Severn Hospice Charity Dragon Boat festival was held on Sunday 26th June
on the River Severn with the boats being loaded from the pontoons of the Pengwern Rowing Club, which was established in 1871. The hard work that Lucy and her staff from Severn Hospice put in to the planning all came to fruition in an amazing event. The participants were rewarded, not only with the knowledge that they were assisting a very worthy cause, but with the best weather we have seen in the whole of June. As the temperatures soared, so did the spirits of the competitors, who began arriving from 8.45am. Racing commenced at 10 am sharp with a total of 34 teams taking part. Teams ranged from the Armed Services to local industry, hospital staff with a team of Doctors, and some very dubious looking "nurses" from RAF Cosford. The beards and moustaches being a clue to their true gender. Fancy dress abounded, with the winners of the Fancy Dress being Rowers Ark all in animal costumes. The two rounds of racing were as ever, very hotly contested. The river Severn was flowing at quite a fast rate due to recent heavy rains, and the teams had to paddle extremely hard to put in the faster times. The racing, with three boats in each heat continued in to the afternoon with all of the paddlers watching the times board to see how they were standing in the rankings. Ultimately it came down to the twelve fastest teams. Six teams (7th - 12th) racing in the Minor Final, and a further Six teams in the Grand Final. Both finals were exciting to watch. The Grand final was so close between the first four teams that none of those taking part had any idea who had crossed the line first. Ultimately the winners, Britains Got Talent, a team of Royal Navy submariners took the honours from the other finalists with the fastest time of the day, but in a very hard fought contest. Once again, a very successful event with the attendance estimated to be in excess of 2,000 individuals
Brindley Place Annual Charity Dragon Boat Challenge - Saturday 18th June
Brindley Place, Birmingham, a regenerated area formerly wharehouses and factories alongside a working canal, was the location for the Birmingham Childrens Hospital, End of Life Care Project Annual Charity Dragonboat Challenge. Twenty One teams of seventeen individuals, raced along the canal side by side. Many of the teams were dressed in exotic costumes, everything from Norsemen (Vikings) Dalmations, Workmen, Pirates and even Ghostbusters. The atmosphere throughout the day was magnificent with race times tumbling with every heat. The numbers increased as the day went on, with Saturday shoppers and passers by, intrigued by the racing, joining the spectators. As the teams raced to get the fastest times, they were finally left with four teams in two semi finals and then the grand final.
Cardiff - The Anthony Nolan Challenge Sunday 5th June
The outlook for the event was not good, only seven teams taking part and the promise of high winds and rain but still, with our usual smile and a skip in our step we happily set to work on sunday morning to make it a good day for all. How wrong can outlooks be?
Team briefings started at 10.15am and after four heats of racing, despite wind and rain, the final took place at 2.00pm and it did not disappoint. Both teams representing British Gas had been battling for the lead through all the heats with barely a second between them, and all the time they were being chased by the other five teams, times tumbled in every race and the team spirit was fantastic. All the competitors stayed to watch the final and with less than a second between the teams when they crossed the line it was well worth it.
The support for The Anthony Nolan Trust was amazing, seven teams raising over £11,000. An excellent venue, big enough for a 10 boat final, the possibilites for raising money from future events here has got to be very good.
As usual, the Dragonboat Events team gave a great performance, overcoming the weather, near capsizes and gremlins in the sound system,
but they earned the smiles and thanks of all the teams and and also Stewart, the Anthony Nolan organiser.
Small was definitely beautiful.
Mike Lanyon, our Event Manager. To see some photos of the day, please go to
www.dragonboatevents-dragonboatevents.blogspot.com
Sherborne Castle Country Fair Monday 30th May
A day reminiscent of winter greeted the start of the Sherborne Castle Country Fair Dragon Boat Challenge. The grey overcast skies that had opened the day turned to showers almost as soon as the racing started and persisted throughout the rest of the day. Nothing, however, could dampen the spirits of the teams. They all arrived for their safety briefings full of smiles and cheery banter and loaded the boats with the expectation of exciting racing, albeit even wetter than is usual.
They were not disappointed. Most of the racing was very close, and once again some super fast times were recorded. A number of the teams raced in fancy dress and had obviously taken a great deal of trouble over their costumes. The teams from the Devon & Somerset Sea Cadets fought head to head in the Youth final and recorded their fastest times of the day. The Grand final was a battle between the six fastest teams of the day and was so close that only 0.87 of a second separated all of the teams in a photo finish. Once again, a great day was had by all 28 teams.
Bill Handley, Event Manager
For photos of the final, go to www.dragonboatevents-dragonboatevents.blogspot.com
have a look at www.dragonboatevents-dragonboatevents.blogspot.com to see some photos of the day!
national & local charities
youth organisations
fundraising projects
disadvantaged groups
breast cancer action groups
access for those with disabilities
minority groups
Novice and experienced crews have the opportunity to compete in one of Britain's most unique water sport activities, where the emphasis throughout the day is on safety, challenge, team building, fund raising and of course ...FUN!
Your event is in safe hands
A typical event crew is made up of seasoned professionals, who have been delivering successful events with Dragon Boat Events for more than 10 years, thus ensuring depth and continuity to our events. They are highly motivated and promote a competitive spirit whilst ensuring the activity remains fun for those participating - so much so that many returning clients ask for specific staff by name in successive years.
All our events are covered by Marine & Coastguard Agency (MCA) approved safety boats with Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualified crews which are capable of rescuing an entire crew in the unlikely event of a capsize. For additional safety, our key event crew members are linked by short wave radios and have first aid and de fib certification.
The smooth running of your event comes first….
What's included...
full running commentary
computerised results service with up to date score leader board
background music & jingles which give our events a lively atmosphere
public address coverage throughout the day
award ceremony where Chinese-themed trophies and medals are awarded to the winning teams
all event equipment
transport & delivery charges
trained event staff, including safety boat and qualified operators
Health & Safety Officer
First Aid Cover (if contracted)
Risk Assessment & Safety plan
'Lifejackets' (EU approved personal floatation devices)
High visibility safety wristbands
Event control unit with dedicated event manager
£5 million public liability and £10 million employers’ liability
Venue selection and suitability assessment
Race results will be posted on our website results page.
Additional fundraising opportunities for your charity…
Marquees
Team marquees will compliment your event as they add a professional look to the day. Provides a potential additional income stream for you whilst offering teams an invaluable team base on the day.
Our 3m x 3m commercial quality team tents make an ideal base for each team and provide shelter from the elements, whether rain or shine. Need a larger marquee? As an approved supplier, we can provide you with marquees to any size.These are suitable for bars,, refreshment areas, or for craft stalls etc. We also have a supply of tables, chairs and benches available to enhance your event.
Boat Branding
Our boats provide a unique advertising opportunity for you and your clients. Each boat offers a highly visible branding platform on the water throughout the day. Companies and sponsors can benefit from parading their company logo or message to thousands of people, it is a fabulous and very high profile way to get their name noticed!
