Countdown to Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance Dragon Boat Festival

There are just over two weeks to go before the Lincoln Dragon Boat Festival returns to the Brayford Waterfront on Saturday 11th July raising money for the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA).

The event will bring teams, businesses and communities together for an unforgettable family fun day on the water, and every penny raised will support the LNAA Mission Possible 2 Appeal – helping fund a second life-saving helicopter.

The second helicopter will enable the LNAA to respond to two emergencies at the same time in any corner of Lincolnshire or Nottinghamshire, ultimately helping to save more lives.

Rachel Wilson, Head of Community, Corporate and Events, explained: “Over recent years demand for our services has increased by 135%. May was our busiest month ever with the crew attending a total of 187 missions, averaging six missions a day – up from the usual five.

“However, with only have one helicopter to cover both counties, sadly we know there are patients that we can’t currently reach as our crew are deployed elsewhere. We call these ‘missed missions’.

“To reduce the number of missed missions we’ve launched our Mission Possible 2 Appeal to raise £7m for a second helicopter which will enable our critical care paramedics and doctors to be by the side of around 400 additional patients each year.”

On the day there will be plenty for visitors to do including balloon modelling, hook a dragon, face painting, temporary tattoos, a 3D printing shed and a human fruit machine!

They will also be able to meet the Lincolnshire Fire Service, visit the ice cream van or pop to Guiding Sparks Circus to say hello to Boris the Dragon and his friends, and take part in the dragon head workshops.

Lincoln Rock Choir will be performing during the day, and the Odeon Cinema will be running a special showing of How to Train your Dragon at 9.30am as well as hosting a Family Zone where you will find lots of child-friendly activities between 10am and 4pm.

Visitors can also take part in a Dragon Trail around the city centre, with the chance to pick up a special discount booklet packed with vouchers from restaurants and hotels along the Brayford.

Beginning at the LNAA pop-up stand in the Waterside Shopping Centre, the trail will guide participants through a selection of key retail outlets before finishing at the Odeon.

At each retailer, participants can scan a code to reveal a letter. Once all the letters have been collected and the mystery word has been correctly spelled, they will receive a discount booklet featuring offers from many of the restaurants and hotels along the Brayford.

Those who complete the Dragon Trail will also be entered into a prize draw to win a VIP trip for four people to Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance HQ.

Magna Radio will be broadcasting live from the event, interviewing the teams as well as the families visiting the event.

This year’s event is being organised by the LNAA in partnership with Ringrose Law.

Alex Bennett, Head of Marketing at Ringrose Law, said: “The Lincoln Dragon Boat Festival has become a much-loved annual event, and we are incredibly proud to have helped it grow into the success it is today.

“It has been a pleasure to work alongside the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance as they prepare to take the helm and lead the festival into its next chapter.

“We have every confidence that under their stewardship, the festival will continue to go from strength to strength, raising vital funds and awareness for a charity that provides a lifesaving service across our communities.”

To find out more about the Lincoln Dragon Boat Festival, please visit ambucopter.org.uk/lincoln-dragon-boat-festival or to donate to the Mission Possible 2 Appeal, visit ambucopter.org.uk/mission-possible-2-appeal