GOOD NEWS!!! We are pleased to announce that we have been nominated by Out for Sport for London Sport – The London Together Award! London Sport is an initiative supported by Sport England, London Councils and the Mayor of London to create the most active city! This is a new category added this year to celebrate projects that have the greatest successes in building bridges between different groups and communities of Londoners.
2017 has been an amazing year for Thames Dragons. Our membership has increased more than 150%, which means we have successfully reached out to more people to get involved in Dragon Boat racing to be more active in London! It has always been Thames Dragons values in not only promoting the dragon boat sport but also aiming to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all different communities in a very diverse city like London.
Diversity and Equality
Thames Dragons members are made up of 18 different nationalities speaking 17 different languages! With 50% male to female ratio, we continuously encouraging both men and women to be more active in sport. We also create a safe and welcoming environment for people of all ages and different competence level. We have members from 21 years old to over 60’s and beginners to GB paddlers all training together! Through our association with Out For Sport and Pride in London, we reached out to the LGBT community to promote dragon boat racing and equality in sport. We hope that through team sport, we could promote more integration with and support for the LGBT community.
Charity and Community
Each year, we will support a charity or two through fundraising or community work. In 2017, Thames Dragons successfully raised over £1500 for a local children hospice, Richard House Trust and supported the Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre’s Youth Programme charity race.
Competitive Racing and Social
We are British Dragon Boat Association Premier League team and came 2nd in both the Mixed Team and Senior Team (over 40’s) categories in 2017 National Championship. Our Ladies team is also the National Champion for 2015 & 2016. Apart from racing, we also organised various social activities to provide a space for members to expand their network. Last year, 17% of our new members were new to London, from around the UK and aboard, and these social activities have become an important way for them to get to know London and integrate with the local communities.
2017 was a busy and yet an extremely memorable year for Thames Dragons so far. This would not be possible without the support of our partners and communities. A special thanks to Out For Sport for nominating us for this award, we are hoping to continue our effort into 2018 to build a healthier and happier community in London together!
If you are interested to find out more about dragon boat racing, contact us now!