Teams race to sign up! Posted on 12th March 2019 by Gable Events Teams race to sign up for the Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival! Companies, clubs and organisations from across the region are getting their teams together and signing up to take part in the eagerly anticipated Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival which celebrates its 18th anniversary this year. The Dragon Boat Festival takes place at Willen Lake on Sunday 23rd June in aid of MacIntyre and there’s plenty of time to get a crew together and guarantee a place on the start line. Each year the Festival, supported by Business MK and MKFM, attracts a complete mix of new and returning crews. The dragon boats and qualified helms are provided by organisers Gable Events, each team is guaranteed a minimum of three races and no previous experience is needed, just plenty of team spirit. One of the first companies to sign up this year was Kuehne + Nagel who have entered three teams representing their various sites. The Kuehne + Nagel Brinklow Barbarians team will be defending their title having won the event for the first time last year, narrowly beating the ‘Dragondoliers’ team from Little Star Media into second place. Based in Magna Park in Milton Keynes, crew manager Tracey Theobald explains why the Dragon Boat Festival is one of the highlights of the year for Kuehne + Nagel staff and their families. “It’s a great way to bring the workforce together and a tradition as Kuehne & Nagel have entered many boats over the years. Our very loud captain Ady Smith, who you can hear shouting across the lake every year, will be joined by new captain Michael Moyle who got the buzz last time and now wants to win the whole festival! We are hoping to enter one mixed boat as well if we can drum up enough interest from the ladies onsite. The event lifts staff morale, shows teamwork pays off and most importantly raises a lot of money for charity”. Other early entrants include Gold entries from SMC Pneumatics with two teams, The Paterson Group and Little Star Media plus EDW Technology and Team (EAA Ltd). All the entered teams are encouraged to raise sponsorship for Festival charity MacIntyre, a national charity based in Milton Keynes that supports over 1,200 children, young people and adults who have a learning disability or autism. The top fundraisers for MacIntyre will win the Charity trophy plus a special prize meal, sponsored by Merinvest, at highly rated Melis Restaurant in Central Milton Keynes. MacIntyre’s Head of Fundraising, Claire Kennedy, adds, “MacIntyre is delighted to again be the official charity for the 2019 Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival. Last year’s event was amazing and we’re really looking forward to doing it all again! Every penny raised at this event will be used to benefit people in the Milton Keynes area. The funds raised will support our sports projects which aim to make sport equally accessible for people with a learning disability and other complex needs who want to participate.” For further information and an entry form visit: www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/miltonkeynes or call Gable Events on 01780 470 718. For information about MacIntyre, visit www.macintyrecharity.org or call 01908 230100.
Teams race to sign up! Posted on 12th March 201912th March 2019 by Gable Events Teams race to sign up for the Nottingham Riverside Festival Dragon Boat Challenge! Companies, clubs and organisations from across the region are getting their teams together and signing up to take part in the eagerly anticipated Nottingham Riverside Festival Dragon Boat Challenge which celebrates its 11th anniversary this year. The Dragon Boat Challenge takes place on the River Trent at the Victoria Embankment on Sunday 4th August in aid of Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People and is one of the key attractions of the Riverside Festival. One of the early entrants are event first-timers, NAPIT from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, who offer membership services to the building trade. The company has chosen to enter both a Gold and Silver team to involve as many NAPIT members as possible and maximise the funds raised for Rainbows. Crew manager Helen Willings explains how they hope to benefit from their participation; “The NAPIT teams will be made up of colleagues from a range of departments led by the Group’s Chief Executive, Mike Andrews. Team members include our resident action man, Gareth Davies, who competes in triathlons and long distance swims and avid fundraiser Linda Elliott who has already sailed three times down the River Adur in a bathtub to raise money for charity! We aim to take away fun and happy memories of employees working together and with those who come along to watch and support with their families. We hope the challenge brings colleagues together and gets them connected with staff from departments they might not usually work with to create new friendships.” Other early entrants include Gold crew, Abel Alarm Company, silver crew DeltaNet International and standard crews, Hallmark Consumer Services and Midland Quarry Products. To take part in the dragon boat racing and help raise money for Rainbows, no previous experience is required, just plenty of team spirit and enthusiasm! The dragon boats, qualified helms and all racing equipment are provided and each crew is guaranteed a minimum of three races. Teams and spectators also benefit from being part of one of the region’s largest family festivals with a bustling fair and vibrant mix of music, dance, crafts and food from around the world, staged by Nottingham City Council. Challenge media partners are Business Link East Midlands and Notts TV. All the crews are encouraged to raise sponsorship for the Challenge’s official charity, Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, and help make a difference to over 400 children and their families that the charity supports across the East Midlands. Tom Stanyard, Corporate Partnership Fundraiser at Rainbows, said, “The Dragon Boat Challenge is an amazing event. With up to 50 companies competing for a number of prizes the day has a great atmosphere. More amazing than the event however is the generosity of the crews who take part. It is only through your support at events like this that we are able to help and care for those families who need it most.” The top fundraisers for Rainbows will win the charity trophy plus a special prize of a premiere escape room experience at Escapologic. For more information and an entry form please call Gable Events on 01780 470718 or visit www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/nottingham For information about the services of Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People call Tom Stanyard on 01509 283919 or visit www.rainbows.co.uk