Kingston Rotary Club’s Dragon Boat Challenge attracted thousands of participants and raised tens of thousands of pounds for charities and good causes.

On Sunday, 53 teams representing local businesses, charities and organisations met at a gazebo village, set up in Canbury Gardens on the banks of the River Thames.

Now in its 17th year, the annual event raised £59,000 in 2016 and the club is hoping to beat that total this year.

This year’s winner was Team TK from TK Mechanical Services, raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Only 1.7 seconds separated the nine teams in the grand final.

The President of Kingston Rotary Club Phillip Holt escorted the mayor of Kingston-Upon-Thames Julie Pickering along the riverbank to view the races and to meet the competitors.

Mr Holt said: ‘’Dragon Boats is an important event, the record number of teams entered has raised, I trust, a huge sum of money for charities and good causes whilst having lots of fun, making new friends and contacts.

“I have never heard so many people thanking Rotary in Kingston for facilitating such a great event.’’