Get set for the annual Bluebell Wood Dragon Boat Race – the challenge is on!
The 2026 Bluebell Wood Dragon Boat Race will return this July, with teams set to battle it out to be named the oar-some champs!
This will be the ninth year of the race, which is one of the biggest fundraising events in the calendar for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice in North Anston, near Sheffield.
The race, on Saturday, July 11 will see teams of 17 people per boat row to the beat of the drum on Manvers Lake in Wath Upon Dearne.
Sponsored again by E.ON, the Dragon Boat Race is a perfect opportunity for team building, with lots of local businesses taking part each year.
Heidi Hawkins, Chief Executive at Bluebell Wood, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome many of our valued corporate supporters back to the water this summer for our ninth annual Bluebell Wood Dragon Boat Race.
“This event has become one of the highlights of our fundraising calendar, and is always such a joyful, energising day for everyone involved. After raising more than £35,000 last year, we’re incredibly excited to see what this amazing community will achieve together once again.
“We’re also really pleased to have E.ON returning as our headline sponsor for this year’s Dragon Boat Race. Their support means the world to us, not just on race day, but all year round through their involvement in other projects including our Christmas Tree Recycling campaign. They are a truly valued corporate partner who help make a real difference for local children and families, and we’re incredibly proud to work alongside them.”
Jess Dhariwal, Plant Manager at E.ON’s Blackburn Meadows biomass energy plant, said: “We’re proud to sponsor Bluebell Wood’s Dragon Boat Race once again this year and it’s fantastic to have our own colleagues participating too.
"Supporting communities near Blackburn Meadows is important to us. This event brings people together for a fun family day while raising funds for an important and worthwhile cause. Good luck to all teams involved - we’re excited to be taking part.”
Entry for the Dragon Boat Race is £350 per team, with a minimum fundraising target of £1,000 per boat.
Bluebell Wood opened in 2008 and cares for babies, children and young people from across South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, North Derbyshire and parts of North Lincolnshire, whose lives are sadly just too short, both in their own homes and at the hospice. All services are completely free to families who are referred to Bluebell Wood.
For more details about the race and to book your place visit: www.bluebellwood.org/Event/dragon-boat-race-2026.
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