2002 was the Queens Golden Jubilee year. Jenny Straughier the Chairman of Needham Market Neighbourhood Watch approached Debbie Cadman the Secretary, to suggest they get together to put on some events within Needham Market Suffolk to celebrate the occasion. Together with family and friends Tracey Cadman, Mel Copping, Teresa Gerrard, Karen Last, Jean Pittaway, Michael Richardson, Patrick Roberts and
Dawn Winder the Queens Golden Jubilee Committee was formed. 9 events were organised by the Committee over the Jubilee weekend starting with an auction of promises in aid of the Air Ambulance, music nights for old and young alike, and a procession through the Town to the Town Party, where we had the honour of being the first public outing for the 7 Air Assault Battalion Gun Run. Alongside these events, a raft race was organised by Karen Last and Michael Richardson at Needham Lake. So, on a sunny afternoon in June the Committee went along to act as marshals. 12 red, white and blue themed rafts took to the water and amid cheers from the vast crowd Alder Carr Farm complete with strawberries won the very first race. The Queens Golden Jubilee Committee decided that as they had enjoyed the day so much they would get together with the Raft Race organisers and make it an event in its own right. The Raft Race Committee was duly formed. In the early days, we didn’t know if we would have enough money to put the event on the following year. We need to have £5,000,000 (yes, 5 million) of Insurance which costs us over £900 every year. We also need to find funds to pay for lifeboats, lifesavers and first aiders. We have built up a good relationship with our competitors over the years, and we have more and more companies (and if you will forgive the pun) ‘coming on board’ with offers of sponsorship. At this current time we have sufficient funds in the bank to fund 2 more races. The Raft Race Committee is dedicated to making the Raft Race a free family day out and work hard all year round to make it the success that it is.
