Lincoln's First Dragon Boat Festival

 05/04/2013

Dragon boat racers will take to Lincoln's Brayford Pool this May as part of a charity event for the Bishop Grosseteste Foundation Fund.

Dragon boat racing, which originated in ancient China, is proving to be a hit across Europe and is the fastest growing water activity in Britain today.

Spectators will watch on Saturday 18th May as crews made up of 11 to 15 people do battle over the 200m course in 30-foot boats which are decorated to reflect the Chinese heritage of the sport.

The festival, a collaboration between Bishop Grosseteste University and Gable Events, will also feature family entertainment, activities for children, live music and a pamper tent.

Paul Stephenson, Fundraising and Campaigns Manager for BGU, commented that dragon boat racing is becoming ever more popular in the charity sector.

"It's something that can engage our young student population, as well as having a wider appeal to businesses with its aspects of competition and team building," said Paul.

"It's fantastic that we can bring this all together to create an exciting charity event."

Several well known businesses from the region, including the Lincolnshire Co-operative, have already signed up or have expressed an interest in entering a crew.

Funds raised from the event will go towards Bishop Grosseteste's Sowing Seeds Growing Minds Programme, an initiative designed to educate children both in England and in the developing world about nutrition and healthy diets.

While crews are encouraged to donate their sponsorship money to the BG Foundation, they can take part to raise money for other worthy causes and local initiatives.

The team that raises the most money for the BG Foundation Fund will receive the Charity Trophy and win themselves a meal courtesy of Longdales B&B at BGU. There will also be trophies and medals awarded to the top crew, the best placed mixed gender crew and the best dressed crew.

There are two categories of entry fee per team - Standard and Gold - which cost £550 and £1,000 respectively. Both include the required equipment and qualified instruction, as well as advertising incentives for participating businesses.

For further information contact Bishop Grosseteste University on 01522 583760 or visit our Dragon Boat Festival page