Raft race celebrates 40 years on the River Avon
THE idea of a raft race on the Avon was born out of a conversation between two men in a hairdressing salon.
Robin Hammond, then a police officer, and Brian Walden, then a hairdresser, were both members of Wellesbourne Lions.
The group was looking for a new way of raising money for charity, and had heard of a similar event in Birmingham.
Brian, who was president, tasked Robin with setting up the Lions’ own water race to be held in what was the hot summer of 1976.
Fast forward 40 years and the annual event has gone on to raise a whopping £750,000 for charity.
This year’s anniversary race along a seven-and-a-half-mile stretch of the Avon between Wasperton and Stratford takes place on Sunday, 24th July.
So far, 28 teams have signed up and Stratford-based Heart of England Mencap will be the
recipient of the money this year’s rafters raise.
Robin, now aged 73 and still a member of Wellesbourne and District Lions to this day, used his many contacts to set about finding suitable launching and finishing points along the River Avon.
He decided upon a field for the start in Barford while the finish was to be opposite the iconic Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford.
Realising there were two weirs to be negotiated, Robin recruited local sub aqua clubs for their help in making the weirs safe for the rafters, and St John Ambulance to provide medical cover.
Local ambulance, fire and police services were very supportive in entering rafts and in the end a total of 58 were launched.
The nominated charity was Selly Oak Hospital Children’s Kidney Unit and when the counting up was done a total of £1,800 was donated. It was considered an excellent figure for a first-time event.
A few years later the start was moved to a field in Wasperton, where it remains, and over the years the number of rafts increased, buoyed by local manufacturing companies such as Automotive Products, the Coventry motor industry, N C Joseph, Flavel, Alfred Herbert, Potterton and Triumph.
The number of rafts peaked at 360. Today, the race still attracts around 60 rafts and raises well over £10,000 to help fund important charitable projects.
Robin told the Herald: “We had 58 rafts in the first year and within five years we were up to 360, people were spread out across two fields and at one point we had over 1,000 people in the water.
“It really caught people’s imaginations. We advertised all over the district and the response was always tremendous.
“On the first year we had cash prizes and at a presentation at the Charlecote Pheasant afterwards each one of the winners gave the money back. They didn’t want the prize, they were delighted to have taken part and wanted the money to go to the charity.
“The money we raised, £1,800, was a real bonus, back then it was a lot of money. We never expected it to be so much, and to have raised as much as we have over the years [£750,000] is just fantastic.”
As well as the rising amount of money raised, competitiveness has also grown since 1976. The average time it takes to complete the course is around three hours, with the longest journey to date taking eight hours.
But in recent years there has been the introduction of an F1 class — the current record is just one hour and ten minutes.
Robin added: “Once it was set up it pretty much manages itself. We’ve changed the rules a little bit over the years, and there are a lot more safety aspects that have to be considered than there were when we first started, and in terms of finding teams and making sure we’ve got sufficient help on the day it can feel like an ongoing process.
“I am very proud that it’s still going and that so much money has gone to charity.”
Pirates take control of the Avon
This band of pirates are ready to set sail on the River Avon for the 40th Wellesbourne and Shakespeare Lions Raft Race, and will be paddled by a motley crew of staff from Heart of England Mencap, the main beneficiary of this year’s race.
The six ‘pirates’ will include head of operations, Hayley Hemmings, quality assessor, Yvonne Ferguson, and team leaders, Chris Howkins and Ben Pate, all pictured above.
Friends reunited
Among the participants this year will be a group of friends who will be flying in from their homes all over the world to reunite for the event they first took part in in 1986.
David, a retired teacher, now living in Solihull, was 35 when he entered the Raft Race with friends Jean Tobin, Rob von Bergen and Richard Jolly back in 1986.
The four will return to the river joined by Richard’s wife June — part of the onshore party back in 86 — and David’s son, Rob. Jean will be coming from his home in France, Rob from his home in Switzerland and Richard from Australia.
Team Globetrotter have a combined age of 371, but can’t wait to roll back the years. David said: “Unfortunately we rarely all get together but on a recent visit to Australia my wife and I stayed with Richard and June in their house near Brisbane, and whilst reminiscing happened to discover that this year was the 40th anniversary of the raft race.
“My wife said: ‘Why don’t you do it again?’ and it mushroomed from there!” Organisers are urging other past participants to relive years gone by.
This year’s race committee chairman, Kelvin McIntosh, said: “It’s a very special event, started in the days when challenges like this were far from the norm. We owe a huge thank you to everyone who has helped make the raft race such a success over the past four decades — and to all of those who will help us make another 40!”
Anyone who has taken part, helped at the riverbank or watched from dry land is being asked to share their memories via the raft race Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lionsraftrace To enter see www.raftrace.org.uk
STRATFORD-based housing developer Rosconn Group is this year’s main sponsor of the Lions raft race.
The company — founded almost 11 years ago — will pay for the safety teams on hand on the day to look after the competitors, and to help them negotiate the two weirs en-route.
Managing director, Daniel O’Donnell, said: “Working with local communities is very much at the heart of what we do and we are committed to supporting that community in every way we can.
“We feel very honoured to be the headline sponsor for this year’s raft race, supporting the Lions and Heart of England Mencap, a charity we have formed a very strong link with.
“They do such great work with a broad spectrum of individuals and we applaud that dedication. Our aim is to work closely with such organisations as they make such a difference to the lives of vulnerable people who need some support.”
