Shrewsbury coracle championships raise nearly £30,000 for Macmillan
One of the county's most popular and entertaining events raised nearly £30,000 for charity, it has been revealed.
The Macmillan Coracle World Championships has been a spectacular feature on the Shrewsbury calendar, taking place on the River Severn at Pengwern Boat Club.
It has now been confirmed that this year's event raised £29,500 for Macmillan.
A total of 160 competitors took part in the competition, using their round coracles to cross to the banks of the river between the club and the Quarry and back.
The event, supported by Welshpool-based company Invertek Drives, has now raised more than £380,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support services since the championships began in 2007.
Adrian Ellam, CEO of Invertek Drives Ltd, praised the organisers and competitors on their achievements.
He said: “We’ve supported the event for two years now and it never ceases to amaze me how much it raises for such a vital and worthwhile charity. We were pleased to have several teams in the event who supported fundraising and helped make the day such a success.”
Jayney Davies, chair of the organising committee, added: “The hard work of our volunteers, competitors, and the support of the public who came and watched the event has paid off yet again, helping raise much needed money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
“We’d like to thank all the businesses who supported this year’s event by entering teams and helping fundraise towards the total we’ve achieved, in addition to the ongoing support of Invertek Drives who were our main supporters.”
The championships was won by Team Tit-Tanic, a team from Shropshire Paddlesport Club, in a record time of four minutes 21 seconds.
Kate Thomas, Macmillan Relationship Fundraising Manager for the West Midlands, who helped organise the event, said: “The money raised through the coracle championships funds vital services in Shropshire and the surrounding area for people living with cancer and their families.
“Events such as this and the support they receive are vital for us to continue our work at Macmillan. We’d like to thank everyone involved who helped raise such an amazing figure. We’ve now raised more than £380,000 since 2007 and we hope to surpass the £400,000 mark next year.”
The date for next year’s Coracle World Championships is on Friday, September 13, at the Pengwern Boat Club, Shrewsbury.
