Dragon Boat Race returns to Leeds next weekend as donations near £850,000

On Sunday 26 April, visitors to the Leeds park will see 48 teams – each made up of ten rowers and a drummer – go head-to-head in colourful dragon boats, battling to be crowned champions on Waterloo Lake.

Racing begins at 10am, with a series of heats culminating in a grand final, where the winners will take home the coveted Dragon Boat Race trophy.

Alongside the action on the water, visitors can enjoy a full day of entertainment, including a tug of war contest, family funfair, food and makers’ stalls, and a Martin House donation station for preloved items.

Now in its 18th year, the much-loved fundraising event has raised an incredible £848,513 since its debut in 2008.

The return of the race is particularly anticipated after last year’s event was cancelled due to blue-green algae on the lake.

Two of this year’s teams have a particularly personal connection to the hospice.

Caroline and Michael Lambert are leading Team Evelyn, named after their daughter, who died aged just seven months following a brain injury around the time of her birth. Martin House supported the family with respite stays and symptom management, alongside 24/7 access to its specialist consultant doctors. Over the years, Caroline and Michael have raised over £120,000 for the charity, and their Dragon Boat team has already raised a fantastic £2,361.

Esta’s Stars are fundraising in memory of Esta Alina High, who died aged just five months and 21 days in November 2023 from bacterial meningitis, sepsis and meningoencephalitis. After her death, Esta was moved to one of Martin House’s Snowflake Suites – specialised, cooled bedrooms where families can spend precious time together and say goodbye to their child. The family stayed for a full week, and have since raised an amazing £5,646 for the hospice through this year’s event.

Maddie Massey, special events team manager at Martin House, said: “The Dragon Boat Race is always a great spectacle. With races taking place every 10 minutes, there’s plenty of fast-paced action for people to enjoy.”

“After last year’s cancellation, we’re so excited to bring the event back bigger and better than ever. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone – rowers, drummers and spectators – for their support.  Every pound raised will help us continue providing specialist care and support to children, young people and their families across West, North and East Yorkshire, when they need it most.”

“And thanks to our headline sponsor HARIBO, even more of the money raised at the Dragon Boat Race will go towards supporting families.”

HARIBO is also providing a prize to the team that raises the most money for Martin House, and the team with the best fancy dress.

Tabea Powell, Head of Communications at HARIBO UK, said: “As lead sponsor, the Dragon Boat Race is always a hotly anticipated date in the calendar for the HARIBO UK team.

“We’re proud to have been a partner of this important Yorkshire charity and its fundraising campaigns for 18 years now, with our shared purpose of creating memorable moments of childlike happiness for children and families in need. Our team HARIBO will be out in full force with our paddles at the ready!”

Races start around 10am and go on throughout the day.

To find out more about Martin House and how you can support it, visit www.martinhouse.org.uk.