Epic 128 Mile Challenge For Dragon Boats In Aid Of Lord Mayor's Charities

Monday, 25 April 2016 13:57

Dragon boaters from the Bradford district and Merseyside will be taking on an epic one-off never-been-attempted-before challenge, to paddle two boats all the way from Liverpool to Leeds along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

This year the Leeds and Liverpool Canal will be 200 years old and the Trans-Pennine Dragon Boat Challenge aims to take two full size (12 metre) dragon boats each containing 16 paddlers, one helm and one drummer, along the full 128 miles of the canal, negotiating all obstacles on route including 91 locks, numerous swing bridges and several tunnels.

The challenge, which takes place from Monday 2 May to Sunday 8 May, will be raising money for two charities, Bradford Lord Mayor’s Appeal and Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes and will be linking up with the Bradford Lord Mayor’s Appeal Dragon Boat Festival which is taking place in Saltaire on Saturday 7 May.

This year the Lord Mayor of Bradford is raising money for the Bradford Hospitals Children’s Charity, raising funds to provide essential equipment for a new children’s ward at the Bradford Royal Infirmary and the Lord Mayor’s own ‘Spread a Smile’ appeal which makes small grants available for organisations and smaller groups across the Bradford district.

The Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes is a not-for-profit organisation which transports blood, plasma, platelets, samples, vaccines and other urgently required medical items to hospitals at night, weekends and bank holidays.

The boats will be paddled by members of the Bradford Barracudas, a new dragon boat club, based at Bradford Council’s Doe Park Water Activity Centre and The Crusaders Dragon Boat Club based in Crosby in Merseyside.

The paddlers will set off from Liverpool Albert Dock on Sunday 2 May and are due to finish in Leeds City Centre on Sunday 8 May.

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