Bedford Colleagues Make a Splash with Raft Race Fundraiser

August 01, 2022

Colleagues at A.F. Blakemore’s Bedford distribution depot have braved their local river waters to take part in a raft race in aid of charity.

A team of eight constructed a homemade raft and took to the riverbanks to participate in Bedford River Festival’s Raft Race on Sunday 24th July.

The Bedford River Festival Raft Race is a highlight of the town’s biannual River Festival, which draws in around 250,000 people over the course of a weekend.

Homemade rafts crewed by teams of up to eight rowers compete in two qualifying heats and a grand final on the River Great Ouse. Teams are encouraged to fundraise for Beds Prostate Cancer Support or a charity of their choice.

The A.F. Blakemore team was made up of Transport Manager David Philpott, Stock Control Manger Tara Philpott, Transport Supervisor Klaudia Slota, Jenifer Smith and Edward Smith from Stock Control and Samuel Amodeo from the Warehouse team. They were supported by Deputy General Manager Phil Burton and HR Officer Natasha Bristol.

The team created their raft, named ‘Rafty McRaft Face’, with a helping hand from a few repurposed items from their depot and competed in the second heat to come fourth with a time of 15 minutes and 24 seconds.

David Philpott reported: “We didn’t sink and we didn’t come last, so it was a total success!”

The team did a fantastic job and were able to raise money for a great local charity whilst also having a lot of fun. Well done Team AFB! 
 

The team putting their raft to the test out on the River Great Ouse

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