Staff and supporters paddle their way to £16,000 for hospital charity

The first-ever Theo’s Dragon Boat Race in support of The Children’s Hospital Charity saw nine teams

and more than 150 participants battle it out in heats at Manvers Lake, making a splash to the tune of £16,000.

Three teams of hospital staff, including the board of executives, signed up to compete In the inaugural event, alongside other charity supporters such as the Sheffield Chinese Community, with Team Nick crowned the winners and lifting the trophy.

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Ruth Brown, who took part in the event at the lake in Wath, said: “The support we receive from the charity makes a difference to our patients, our families and our colleagues every day.

“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who joined us.

“It was amazing to see the community that came along to show their passion and care for Sheffield Children’s.”

Event manager at The Children’s Hospital Charity Emily Beahan said: “We had an incredible day at the Dragon Boat Race and were lucky to be joined by so many people from the hospital.

“Everything we do is to support the incredible work at Sheffield Children’s and the fact so many of them wanted to get involved with this event is such a testament to the dedication of the trust’s staff.”

The hospital charity established a partnership with the Sheffield Chinese Community in 2022, becoming the official charity partner of the Sheffield Lunar New Year celebrations.

Chair of the Sheffield Chinese Community Centre Sarah Ng said: “We are all from Sheffield and have a deep passion for this city, and supporting Sheffield Children’s is part of that.

“Theo’s Dragon Boat Race was a brilliant opportunity to continue our support of The Children’s Hospital Charity while taking part in an event from Chinese tradition.”

Money raised at the event will support the charity's latest appeal to raise £2 million for a National Centre for Child Health Technology – a place to develop world-leading research and build new technologies to solve challenges in children's healthcare.