Making waves for Lia’s Wings – the Impellam Dragon Boat Race raises nearly £10,000!
- rebeccawilson945
- Jul 15
- 3 min read
On 9th July 2025, the third annual Impellam Dragon Boat Race took place at the iconic Dorney Lake, the stunning venue used for rowing events during the 2012 London Olympics. Organised by the Impellam Group and featuring teams made up of their employees and invited clients, it was a day filled with energy, determination, generosity, and perfect weather, with blazing sunshine and a hot summer breeze that made for a brilliant atmosphere.
A total of 14 teams took part in the event from the Impellam Group (Lorien, SRG Talent, Carbon60, Guidant Global and Consumera) and some of their clients including teams from British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, 10,000 Interns Foundation, Abbvie, Workforce Solutions, Entain and The Royal Navy - each bringing passion, teamwork, and a healthy dose of competitive spirit. Throughout the day, teams raced two at a time, each getting three attempts to clock their fastest time on the water. These times determined who advanced to the semi-finals and, ultimately, the final race.
In an electrifying finale, the Digital Pirates (The Royal Navy) defended their crown with a blistering 58-second sprint, winning the event for the third consecutive year. Abbvie Dream Dragons came in a close second, with Team Tesla – Leaders in STEM taking a well-earned third place.
We were especially proud to be part of the action ourselves, with Team Lia’s Wings taking to the water and racing alongside the brilliant crews from across Impellam and their clients. Taking part meant so much to our team, and it was a joy to be involved on and off the water.
The day was about more than just racing - it featured a fantastic raffle, and teams went above and beyond to fundraise, collectively raising nearly £10,000 to support our vital work facilitating hospital air transfers for children. We were so grateful to have support from three amazing volunteers, Heather and Zuzanna from HCC Solicitors and Rosie from Fletchers Solicitors, who helped our team promote the raffle, cheer on participants and joined the Lia's Wings boat!
Off the water, attendees also enjoyed exciting side activities, including human foosball and sitting volleyball, which added to the fun and camaraderie of the day.
Our Head of Fundraising, Chris, summed it up perfectly:
"We are so, so grateful to Impellam for hosting another dragon boat racing day in aid of Lia's Wings. It was a pleasure to meet so many of your amazing team, and your clients on the day, and the support and generosity we received was truly incredible!
“It's truly heartwarming to see how much the Impellam team care about Lia's Wings, and our partnership, and the money raised is testament to how hard they worked to pull off another incredible event.
“We can only say another huge thank you for everything they have done, and continue to do for us, it makes a huge difference, and really does mean the world to us!
“We are already looking forward to next year...it's never too early to start training!"
Here are some highlights from the day:
Thank you to everyone who took part, and Impellam for organising such a brilliant event. We’re so grateful for your continued support and can’t wait to return to the lake next year!
