The Greenfingers Charity Dragon Boat Race made a triumphant return to Grendon Lakes on Sunday 6th July, with thrilling races, fierce competition, and plenty of family fun.

Topping the leaderboard and taking home the winner’s title for the second-year running were the Westland Warriors, led by Simon Mulholland, who stormed to victory with a final race time of 56.14 seconds – also securing the fastest time of the day with a blistering 55.95 seconds in an earlier heat.

It was a tightly contested final, with Evergreen’s Miracle (G)rowers, which included Colin Stephens, finishing a close second with a time of 58.18 seconds. In third place were The Notorious BGC, one of two teams fielded by British Garden Centres, who turned heads all day long with their commitment to fancy dress and face painting, joined by their fellow BGC paddlers, The Iconic Duo.

The 2025 event saw a colourful and eclectic mix of teams take to the water, including the brilliantly named Law & Oar-der from Franklins Solicitors, and the FlOARal Flyers, a team made up largely of Greenfingers’ Event Fundraiser, Kirsty, and her family, who brought bags of spirit and sunshine to the day, fully embracing the Greenfingers cause.

As ever, the atmosphere was electric with laughter, encouragement, and cheering from the lakeside, as teams got to grips with their oars, ready to race in support of the Greenfingers Charity.

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising and Communications at the Greenfingers Charity, said: “What an amazing day! We had such brilliant competition, and so much heart from every team who joined us. The Westland Warriors were phenomenal again this year, but every team gave it their all.

“These events not only bring our industry together in the most fun way, but they also help fund the beautiful gardens we create for children’s hospices across the UK. Thank you to everyone who rowed, supported, dressed up, donated, and helped make the day such a success – we’ll see you next year!”

Find out more

If you are interested in any future Greenfingers Charity events, please reach out to the team for more information by emailing linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk

In the meantime, you can also follow all the latest updates from Greenfingers on social media - @Greenfingerscharity on Instagram and LinkedIn, https://www.facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity/ and @GreenfingersCha on Twitter.