Back with a splash!

Devon Air Ambulance roars back to Exeter Quay with the return of the Dragon Boat Festival after a two-year interruption 

Teams, old and new - friends, community groups and colleagues - are signing up to the Devon Air Ambulance 2022 Dragon Boat Festival following a two-year COVID hiatus. 

The popular fundraiser returns to Exeter Quay on Sunday 11 September where the day-long, fierce-yet-friendly competition will raise essential funds for the local lifesaving charity. 

The event, this year kindly sponsored by South West Water, costs just £300 for each boat deposit on behalf of the team, with the opportunity for Dragon Boat contestants to raise further funds through sponsorship.  

This year’s event will focus on raising funds for a new laryngoscope, a special piece of kit used when oxygen can’t reach a patient’s lungs. The existing laryngoscope is approaching the end of its useful life and an updated model will enable the correct and quick placement of tubes in a patient’s airway. The charity is hoping to raise enough for four new units, one for each of the two helicopters, and one for each of the two critical care cars. 

Acting Head of Fundraising at Devon Air Ambulance, Jo-Anne Rigby says: “With 1900 missions last year, we are experiencing an ever-increasing demand on our service. As a charity that is 100% independent of government funding, every penny raised or donated by our supporters helps the charity to bring advanced time-critical care to local communities across Devon and beyond.”  

“We’re looking forward to welcoming our teams back to Exeter Quay in September, where we anticipate a fun day of competition and celebration, and all for a great cause!” 

Teams can sign up to this year’s Dragon Boat Festival by visiting www.daat.org/dragon-boat-festival-2022 - but be quick! There are just 20 boats available and paces are filling up fast! 

If you would like to donate to Devon Air Ambulance and support their life-saving work, you can do so by visiting their website here: www.daat.org