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Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival

To celebrate Chinese New Year, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) has joined with new event organisers NewWave Events to launch the 16th Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival!

  • 10th September 2022

The 2022 Festival takes place on Saturday 10th September on the River Cam at Fen Ditton and is one of the largest and most eagerly anticipated team events in the region. Over 40 crews representing companies and organisations from all over Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas are expected to battle it out over the 200m race course. The teams will also be raising vital funds for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals.

Dragon boat racing has an ancient Chinese history dating back 2,000 years and according to the Chinese calendar, 2022 is the year of the Tiger. Like their eponymous zodiac animal, people born in years of the Tiger are vigorous and ambitious, daring and courageous, enthusiastic and generous, self-confident with a sense of justice and a commitment to help others for the greater good – all important qualities for achieving dragon boat success this September and making a splash for Addenbrooke’s!

The Festival’s official charity is Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) which is the only charity dedicated to making a difference for patients at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals. Whether its treatment for an emergency, acute condition, pregnancy or long term illness, ACT believes that every patient deserves the highest quality of care available. By entering a dragon boat crew and raising money for ACT, the teams will be helping to raise much needed funds for cutting edge technology, additional specialist services, vital research and extra comforts for patients that make all the difference over and above what would be possible through NHS funding alone.

“Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is excited to be the official charity sponsor for the Cambridge Dragon Boat Race once again this year. We would love people to sign up for what promises to be a great day full of fun, friendly competition and team rivalry. We’re so grateful that the festival will be raising funds to support ACT this year, helping to make Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals even better for patients, their families and staff.”Emma Bray, Corporate Fundraiser

Alicja Mierzejewska, Executive Director at NewWave Events, said: “We are thrilled to be able to carry on the legacy of the festival and we are excited to bring new and fresh ideas in the years to come. Lucy and I didn’t hesitate at all with a decision of starting NewWave Events. Being involved with planning this festival previously, we knew it was and is an important event for the participants, charity, and local community, so we started planning as soon as possible. When Gable Events closed it was certainly an end of an era, but we are optimistic for the future, and we are here to bring everyone back together again after what’s been a difficult time for everyone! Our dragons are ready and waiting, so see you all in 2022 for a great day of fundraising and teambuilding!”

Lucy Morton, Executive Director at NewWave Events, said: “The Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival is definitely one of my favourite events and I am so glad we can now bring this back to the city once again. To be able to continue the partnership with Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) for 2022 is just the icing on the cake for the come-back of this event! We are all systems go now at NewWave with the preparations and cannot wait to welcome teams and spectators back for the 16th year!”

No previous experience is required to take part, just plenty of team spirit so why not take up the challenge? The dragon boats, qualified helms and all racing equipment are provided and each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races. The Festival offers a full day of fun on land as well as water with activities on the bankside to entertain teams and spectators. The event is supported by Cambridge Edition and Cambridge Independent.

The team raising the most money for ACT will be awarded the charity trophy and receive the special prize of a Punting Tour along the River Cam courtesy of Let’s Go Punting.

For further information and to book your place on the start line please visit

https://dragonboatevents.co.uk/cambridge-dragon-boat-festival/ or call NewWave Events on 01536 674 748.

To find out more about the vital work of Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust please call Allison Waterhouse, Community Relationships Lead on 01223 217757 or visit www.act4addenbrookes.org.uk

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Did you know?

Legendary rock band Pink Floyd has its roots in Cambridge, with members Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and David Gilmour born and raised in the city.