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Our York Rotary Dragon Boat Challenge 2025 will take place on Sunday July 13th on the River Ouse.
We're raising funds for a wide range of local charities chosen by teams, our nominated charity
Citizens Advice York, and our York Rotary Charity Fund
Applications to enter a team will open in early February..... Interested in taking part? Click here
LAST YEAR......
On July 14th 2024, 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 22 years the cumulative amount raised, for a whole host of worthwhile local charities, is
c. £1.6 million
Our 23rd year - and aiming to beat all records!!
Video of the 2024 Grand Final and "The Growlers" Triumph
Some Photos from 2024
Photos on this page are courtesy of Kris Brown; and York Rotary
Door 84's crew
The Growlers
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