about team information visitor information north bank gala our sponsors 2024 event contact us york rotary
Our York Rotary Dragon Boat Challenge 2025 took place on Sunday July 13th on the River Ouse.
....raising funds for a wide range of local charities chosen by teams, our nominated charity
Citizens Advice York, and our York Rotary Charity Fund
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO TOOK PART AND MADE THIS A FANTASTIC (AND RECORD-BREAKING) DAY!
Interested in taking part in 2026? Click here
On July 13th 2025, 36 teams battled it out on the River Ouse for the Challenge Trophy and other prestigious awards, including awards for the fastest Charity Team, Commercial Team, and of course the "Best Dressed Team" trophy.
Over the past 23 years the cumulative amount raised, for a whole host of worthwhile local charities, is
c. £1.7 million
Our 23rd year - and beating all records!!
Video of the 2025 event featuring the Grand Final
Final results 2025
The full set of results for every team can be downloaded here
Some Photos from 2025
A wide range of superb high-resolution photos of the event can now be seen and downloaded free at https://www.chrisshepherdphotos.com/dragon-boat-race-2025 - courtesy of Chris Shepherd.
To see other excellent photographs by Selwyn Roberts, some of which are featured below click here to access a Drop Box folder.
Photos on this page are courtesy of Selwyn Roberts ; and York Rotary
Three Bears Foundation snatching victory from The Growlers
Dementia Forward's stand on the North Bank
The Grand Final
Winners of the Tailend Trophy
- St Leonard's Hospice
"Best Dressed Team" - Dragonflies
Third Place winners - "Good to Talk" team
Second Place and Ouse Trophy winners - The Growlers
York Lord Mayor Martin Rowley with Rachael Maskell MP
Elly Fiorentini
Compilation Video of a typical Dragon Boat Challenge Day
Our Nominated Charities for 2025
Citizens Advice York
Citizens Advice York (CAY) is a local, independent charity affiliated with the national organisation Citizens Advice.
We opened our doors in 1967 in York. We are here for everyone, whoever they are and whatever the problem. People come to us in times of need.
The main issues we help with relate to debt, benefits, housing, employment, consumer rights, legal advice, and immigration.
The Cost of Living Crisis really exploded in York and in the last financial year we saw 100% more clients year on year, some 7302 people. We also completed more than 30% more actions, (nearly 30,000!) on their behalf making the lives of the residents of York better in their time of crisis. We made income gains for our clients of £1,950,211, mainly in previously unclaimed benefit gains but also in grants.
We helped clients write off £1,706,020 in debts. The need in York is great, 93% of our debt clients presented with a negative budget of more than £34 per month. This means that every month they fall further into debt. This is especially true in the most deprived wards in York where one in five children live in extreme poverty.
However, all of this good work has put our service under tremendous strain. I am very proud of the efforts and goodwill of all of our team to make this huge achievement happen.
However, we are still under-resourced for the level of service the people of York expect from us, we are struggling to sustain the vastly increased number of clients on a largely static budget.
We are proud to be this year's nominated Rotary Charity, together we will move further with our aim to help everyone in need in York live a better life.
www.citizensadviceyork.org.uk Registered Charity no: 1133516
York Rotary Charity Fund
York Rotary with around 70 Members is part of a worldwide organisation which aims to help those in society who are in need.
York Rotary Charity Fund is the charitable arm of York Rotary and raises funds to support a whole range of (mostly) small local charities which do invaluable work in the community.
The good that those charities can do, and the services they can provide, is so often limited by the funds they can access and that’s where we in York Rotary can help.
York Rotary’s carefully targeted funding, using money raised in the 2025 Dragon Boat Challenge, will support and extend the good that those charities and their dedicated staff and volunteers can achieve.
www.yorkrotary.co.uk Registered Charity no: 1025046
York Rotary raised funds to support the redevelopment and upgrading of one of the outdoor spaces at York Hospital to create a "Peace Garden" for the benefit of patients and staff
