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Teams at this year’s Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival smash last year’s fundraising with £40,000 for the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Teams taking part in this year’s 2025 Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival have done it again – beating last year’s fundraising total to raise an impressive £40,000 for the new Cambridge Cancer Hospital (CCRH).

Thanking everyone who took part – from teams of rowers to volunteers who helped on the day, to friends and families and members of the public who came along to watch – Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust’s Head of Community Fundraising, Donna Lee-Willis described Saturday’s event as “brilliant.”

“It was such a great atmosphere, and I thought all the races were really close this year. When you are watching, you really can’t call some of them, especially in the final – which was great.”

A total of 43 teams and around 600 competitors – including a last-minute entry from ACT after one team dropped out and donated their boat to the charity – raced 30ft Dragon Boats up a 200-metre stretch of river at Fen Ditton, with a novice team claiming first place this year. 

The ‘Rowfessors’ from Illumina dressed as mad professors
Rosie midwives dressed as characters from The Very Hungry Catapillar

Many of the teams dressed up for the annual event, organised by NewWave Events for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) and sponsored for the second year running by Illumina to raise money for the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH).

The new specialist hospital for the East of England is bringing world-leading research and clinical excellence together, to change the story of cancer, and improve the lives of cancer patients across the UK and beyond.

Built over seven floors, the new hospital will house three world-leading University of Cambridge research institutes focussing on early detection, integrated cancer medicine and precision breast cancer medicine to accelerate and bring new innovations to the bedside faster, detect cancer earlier and treat it more precisely.

Praising teams for their fundraising, Donna said: “Everyone that took part said there was a connection to the cancer hospital in some way or another and I definitely think this helped everyone get behind the fundraising, knowing what they were fundraising for.”

As well as the races, bankside entertainment included lion dances and Tai Chai displays from the Cambridge Chinese community, with family-friendly entertainment provided by Illumina, including strawberry DNA extraction and dragon chain making. There was also a caricature artist as well as face painting – with live coverage and interviews on the day from Cambridge Radio presenters Gavin Richards and Fen Orr Ewing, with print coverage from the Cambridge Independent.

ACT staff were also there on the day, running a Guess the Dog’s name competition (Biscuit!), hook a duck and a prize raffle.

A highlight of the day included a flypast from a 1945 Lancaster Bomber – the UK’s only surviving flying Bomber, nicknamed ‘Thumper’ – which flew over the river before circling back round a couple of times to dip its wings to the waiting crowds.

Donna said other memorable moments from the festival included “the screaming coming from the Illumina tent from the team dressed as the mad professors as they pulled off their eyebrows and moustaches” as well as the Rosie Maternity Team, dressed as characters from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Senior midwife Annie West had stayed up until 2.30am the day of the festival hand sewing all the costumes, with midwife and boat drummer, Bethany Franqueira, deciding to shout ‘Push!’ to her team, rather than ‘one, two!’

Mark Robinson, VP and GM, UK and Ireland, said: “Illumina is proud to once again have joined forces with ACT to support the 2025 Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival. This year’s event was a fantastic success, bringing our teams together in support of a vital cause. It’s always inspiring to see the energy and generosity of our community as we raise funds for the new Cancer Research Hospital at Addenbrooke’s. We’re honoured to play a part in improving outcomes for children with cancer and giving back to the communities where we live and work.”

Lucy Morton, Executive Director at NewWave Events, said: “There was a great turnout this year with lots of new teams which is always nice to see, with absolutely fantastic fundraising efforts from everyone. We were really happy to see the sun shining and the fly past was the icing on the cake for us as it hasn’t been done for a few years.”

“Thank you to all of our event and media partners – Illumina, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, Cambridge Radio and Cambridge Independent.”

Nikki Murphy, Deputy Project Director for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital said: “Many thanks to everyone who came to the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival this weekend, including all the crews, supporters and donors. This year’s event raised around £40,000 for the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, which will detect cancer earlier, treat it more precisely, and save more lives. We would also like to extend our thanks to Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust for organising such a great event! We entered our own crew for the second year running and it was fabulous to have our team of staff and patients involved in such a fun event.”

The best dressed category went to the ‘Rowfessors’ – one of Illumina’s three teams, dressed as mad professors in white lab coats, wild white wigs and stick-on eyebrows and moustaches. Highly Commended in the category went to the Rosie Maternity Hospital team, dressed as characters from The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Ark Colour Design, dressed as sunflowers.

Charity Trophy for top fundraiser went to Crestel Projects Limited, who as of Saturday had raised just shy of ÂŁ1,700. Commended went to Ark Colour Design; Illumina; Thaxted Dragons; Telefonica Tech; Cambridge Vacuum Engineering and Cheffins (all who raised over ÂŁ1,000). A special thank you goes to The Tivoli in Cambridge for donating a Mini Golf session with prosecco and pizzas for the top prize.

In Mixed Crew (minimum of five female paddlers), 3rd place went to The Savillians from Savills; Runners up went to Hawaii Five-O from Four Corners Farming, with the Winning team – aptly named – The Winner Is! from TWI Ltd (UK).

Festival champions were Dragon Boat novices – Bango

Festival champions were Dragon Boat novices – Bango – whose exciting reaction to hearing they’d won was great to watch! They came first with a time of 62.79 seconds. 4th place went to the Railway Arms with a time of 63.44; 3rd place went to Penta Row Paddlers from Pentaco Construction, with 63.27 and runners up went to Speedy Boaty from TWI Ltd (UK) with a time of 63.06.

ACT would like to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone taking part who made this such a special event – with a pledge to make it ‘even bigger and better’ next year.

Donna Lee-Willis said: “Next year is going to be even bigger and better. We are going to raise more, have more teams and also add more activities on the day for families and entertaining.”

If you would like to donate to Cancer services at Addenbrooke’s and the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, please visit: www.act4addenbrookes.org.uk/cancer

To reach ACT’s friendly fundraising team to find out what you can do to support our hospitals, visit: www.act4addenbrookes.org.uk/fundraising

To listen to Cambridge Radio’s live coverage from the day, please click below:

New care packs set to alleviate stress and pressure for families

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

Funding for new care packs means families admitted to Addenbrooke’s in an emergency with a poorly child no longer need to worry about packing the essentials. They can now concentrate on being by their child’s side where they’re needed most.

Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals regularly have children admitted and transported from outside the region with their parents. These children are often extremely poorly and admitted in emergency situations, and families often arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs having not had the time to even think about packing bags.

Now, thanks to Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) and the support of Illumina, families arriving in these situations will receive new emergency care packs filled with essential items such as toiletries, underwear, clothing and sanitary products. These invaluable packs will provide much more than the items inside – they will give families a sense of dignity and support and crucially allow them to do the most important thing at that time – be there at their child’s bedside.

For Stephanie McCrae, Senior Sister in the Children’s Services team at Addenbrooke’s, these packs are essential to the care Addenbrooke’s provides to the whole family in situations like this:

“The emergency care packs will make a significant difference to families who are resident in the hospital with a sick child. Families may have arrived unexpectedly or have an unplanned extended stay with little or no personal belongings. By providing these basic necessities, we can ease some of the immediate stress they face. We are grateful to ACT and our generous corporate sponsors Illumina for funding this project. It’s donations like these that help us offer additional support beyond nursing and medical care.”

Each week it is estimated that at least one family will be admitted to Addenbrooke’s in an emergency with a poorly child needing these essentials because they haven’t been able to prepare or pack in time. That’s more than 360 families every year who are faced with the stress and pressure of this situation. Through Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and Illumina, approximately 550 emergency care packs will be made available which is enough to provide families with essential items for at least the next 18 months.

For Shelly Thake, Chief Executive of Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, these packs represent the vital projects that help to make Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals even better, and the power of partnerships with supporters like Illumina:

“We are extremely grateful to Illumina for funding the emergency care packs. When children are admitted in emergency situations they are often extremely poorly, and their families or carers simply don’t have time to even think about packing all the essentials before getting to hospital.”

“Sometimes they come straight to hospital and arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs, to then have to think about going out to buy essentials when all they want to do is just be there with their child is just extremely stressful for the family.”

“To now be able to provide enough packs across all the paediatric wards for the next 18 months is amazing. It will ease the pressure and stress the families and carers face and just allow them to do what they want to do – which is be by their child’s side.”

These packs will be available across every children’s ward and emergency department for at least the next 18 months, supporting every family that needs this help.

Clare Kingsley, Senior Director in the Clinical Lab at Illumina Lab Services said:

“Patient experience is important, which is why we align with ACT’s mission. Illumina is proud to support the emergency care packs project. We hope to provide some small comfort with these essential items during what can be a difficult for families and primary carers.”

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust are delighted that staff from Illumina will be downing tools on 21 November to help pack these essential supplies, so that they will be available for families who need them well before Christmas – a time of year when all too many families will see themselves admitted to hospital with a poorly child, and when the time of year only adds to the stress and pressure, making these packs all the more important.

2024 Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival – ‘the biggest yet!’

Posted on by Danni Smith

The 2024 Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival looks set to be the biggest race yet – with over 40 teams and 600 competitors taking part to raise funds for the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.

This year’s 18th Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival takes place on the River Cam at Fen Ditton on Saturday 7th September with teams of 10-15 paddling 30ft boats up the river with a drummer at the front beating time and a helm at the tail.

Races start at 10am, with a prize ceremony at the end of the day. Festival sponsor Illumina will be taking part on the day and with bankside entertainment, food vans and an on-site bar the event is guaranteed to be a fun-packed, family day out.

Lucy Morton, Executive Director at NewWave Events, said: “We’re on track for this year’s Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival – which is being held in the Chinese Year of the Dragon – to be the biggest one yet with record team entries! We have 41 team entries and over half the firms competing this year have taken part in previous years.”

“It is amazing to see this event growing year on year and incredibly rewarding to see how the fundraising efforts from all teams makes a difference to such a worthy cause. Each year, the event brings a fantastic atmosphere to the city and the energy on the day is amazing.”

“The races are really exhilarating and extremely rewarding to be a part of. For the teams that are competing it is a chance for them to be part of the incredible atmosphere. For spectators, it is a fantastic family day out.”

Friendly rivalry is a big part of what the event is about, but Lucy said it is the unpredictable element that makes the day fun for both competitors and spectators.

“Some of the strongest crews can be knocked out in the heats if they aren’t working together to paddle down the course so it’s very common for novice crews to take home the winner’s trophy on the day as long as they have the determination and team spirit to carry them through!”

All funds raised will help boost ACT’s ÂŁ14 million public appeal to help build the new specialist cancer hospital, whose pioneering research is expected to have a far-reaching impact not just regionally, but nationally and globally too. The Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) will be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus by 2029 and bring together clinical and research expertise in a new, world-class hospital, designed in partnership with staff and patients. The new hospital will detect cancer earlier, treat it more precisely, and save more lives.

Donna Lee-Willis, Head of Community Fundraising at Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, said: “We are so excited to be running this event again this year with our longstanding partners NewWave Events and this year’s sponsors, Illumina. Everyone who is there on the day – whether it be competitors or spectators – has a lot of fun and for us to be able to raise money for what is such a good cause makes everyone at ACT incredibly proud.”

Elaine Chapman, Lead Advisory Nurse for CCRH (pictured left), who is taking part herself as a member of the CCRH Project Team, said: “We are delighted this year’s Dragon Boat Festival is dedicating funds to the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital project. This hospital will bring together the very best clinical care and research expertise in a specialist building that has considered the wellbeing of patients and staff. Thank you for supporting us, you are helping to change the story of cancer.”

Mark Robinson, VP and GM, UK and Ireland, Illumina says, “Illumina is proud to support this year’s Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival to aid ACT. This unique event is just one of the ways that our team here in Cambridge is giving back to communities in which we live and work, while at the same time having a lot of fun!”

Each team completes three heats, with the 12 fastest teams going through to the semis. Three semi-final winners and the fastest runner-up go through to the final. Each boat seats up to 10 paddlers and 1 drummer. The racecourse is a 200m straight course with each race lasting anywhere between 55 and 90 seconds, with times affected by water flow and weather conditions.

Trophies are awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place as well as to the highest placed mixed crew (minimum of five female paddlers), best dressed crew and top charity fundraiser. Medals also go to the top three crews and the highest placed mixed crew.
The winner receives a bottle of bubbly, with the top charity fundraiser winning a punting experience courtesy of Let’s Go Punting.

Bankside entertainment and refreshments include traditional lion dance performances. There are also funfair style rides on the day, with sponsors Illumina hosting several fun activities including strawberry DNA extraction, dress like a scientist with a walk through Cambridge DNA history, a cake stand, face painting and flag making. Cambridge 105 is supporting the event, with live coverage and interviews, on the day.

Come along and support our teams on the day – and help boost our ÂŁ14 million appeal to see the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital built in the City by 2029.

For a taste of what to expect on the day, click on the video below.