Dragon Boat Race
Event information
Date: Thursday 11 July 2024
Location: South Dock, Canary Wharf
Open to: Corporate teams of between 11 and 17 participants
Based on a Chinese tradition dating back over 2,000 years, dragon boat racing is one of the fastest-growing and most popular corporate sports in the UK today.
Suitable for all ages and abilities, you don’t need any previous experience to join us: our expert partners, Dragon Boat Events, provide full training and all equipment – so all you need to bring is your team and a boatload of enthusiasm!
What to expect on the day
After a full safety briefing and instructions from the experts at Dragon Boat Events, you'll take to the water in a series of races to determine which team will be crowned the champions of Canary Wharf.
We'll also be awarding first, second and third place prizes for the best fundraising team, as well as a special prize for the best dressed crew – team outfits are strongly encouraged!
The afternoon includes lunch, and in the evening we'll move to a nearby venue for the post-event reception, including a celebratory drink for all participants.
Fundraising
Team entry fee: £350
Team fundraising target: £1,500
It's easy for us to take water for granted – whether we're drinking it, washing with it, or even racing dragon boats on it!
But right now, 703 million people around the world – that's almost 1 in 10 of us – don't have clean water close to home.
Whole communities are held back: children miss out on education, people struggle to earn a decent living, and families are often ill.
By fundraising with your team, you can help us work with more communities to ensure people have a reliable supply of clean water – and with it, the opportunity to thrive.
Your questions answered
Dragon boat racing is a fun-filled, adrenaline-pumping, water sport activity!
Teams of up to 16 people sit in pairs in the dragon boat – a large canoe-like vessel, decorated with carved dragon’s heads and tails – and paddle together in races over distances of around 250m.
Each team also has a drummer to keep the paddlers in unison, and a professional helmsperson to guide the boat.
Don’t worry – to ensure a fair race, the minimum people per team is 11. If your workplace is on the smaller side, why not try teaming up with your office neighbours or similar companies from Canary Wharf?
If you have any concerns about recruiting a full team, email Megan at meganelworthy@wateraid org – we might be able to put you in touch with a similar group.
Dragon boating truly is the ultimate sport for all abilities, and no previous experience is required – if you can hold a paddle and sit in a boat, you can take part!
You'll receive full training and support, and all the equipment you need, on the day.
If you have additional accessibility needs, or any questions about taking part, please get in touch with us on [email protected].
Your team leader will need to create an online fundraising page for your team when they register for the event. This will automatically generate an individual fundraising page for you, linked to your team page.
It's best to include all your donations – both online and offline – on this page, so your team total is always up to date.
Yes! We encourage all teams to check whether your company offers matched giving for your fundraising efforts.
Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows UK taxpayers to increase their donation by an extra 25%, without any extra cost to themselves.
Donors can add on Gift Aid by selecting the option as part of their donation process via the Enthuse platform.
Contact us
If you still have any questions, or would like any advice on taking part or fundraising, please get in touch with us at [email protected] – we'd love to hear from you!