The fourth annual Newark Dragon Boat Festival raised nearly £46,000 for two of the town’s charities.

Crowds cheered on teams at Riverside Park during the free family fun day.

Profits from the event will be split evenly between Beaumond House Hospice Care and the Children’s Bereavement Centre, meaning both charities will receive nearly £23,000 each.

Many local companies, organisations, and community groups worked hard to secure sponsorship to take part in the race on the River Trent.

There were a total of 35 teams with CF Surfers, of CF Construction, taking the crown of Dragon Boat Champions 2023, closely followed by Usain Boat, of SAB Carpentry and Landscaping, and third-placed Absolutely Oarful, of Blueprint Gaming.

The Most Fundraised Team was The Barcode’s Ark, of The Barcode Warehouse, who raised £3,774. The best dressed award went to Digital Space Cadets in orange astronaut suits, from Digital Space.

Rachel Wilson, fundraising manager at the Children’s Bereavement Centre, said: “There is an incredible amount of work that goes into organising such a big event, with the planning beginning many months ago and involving lots of different people.

“Thank you to all the people that made this year’s festival possible. To our headline sponsors, GXO and Newark and Sherwood District Council, as well as all the teams, our event partners, suppliers, the many volunteers who gave up their time, and, of course, to the people that came out to watch and support us —thank you.

“Last year, the Children’s Bereavement Centre supported more than 1,000 local children and their families during one of the most traumatic times in their lives.

“Despite this, demand for our service remains unprecedently high and our waiting list is longer than it’s ever been, but thanks to support from our local community at events like the Dragon Boat Festival our help is available now, and into the future.

“Our services are offered completely free and these funds will have a huge impact here at the Children’s Bereavement Centre.”

Matt Colbourne, head of Fundraising and Communications at Beaumond House, added: “The Newark Dragon Boat Festival is one of the biggest fundraising events for both charities, and we are overwhelmed with the support from the community and local businesses.

“To be able to organise an event that brings the whole community together for a fantastic day of fun and fundraising is amazing and we are absolutely thrilled with the fundraising total this year. Thank you to everyone that supported us.

“At Beaumond House, we continue to offer day therapy, in-patients, and Hospice at Home, along with complementary therapy and bereavement support.

“This year, Beaumond House needs to raise around £1.1m. The funds raised from the Newark Dragon Boat Festival are vital to the continued operation of the hospice, meaning that our core services are available free of charge to patients and their families, when every moment matters.”

Newark Dragon Boat Festival will be back next year on Sunday, 15th September. For updates, visit www.newarkdragonboatfestival.co.uk