Monmouth Raft Race: Our History

In our 44th year and founded (we believe) by the Monmouthshire Young Farmers Club; its next ‘minder’ for very many years was the Monmouthshire Conservative Association.
Organisation of the race was ceded to the Rotary Club of Monmouth in 2003 as its previous long term organisers aged, similar to Rotary’s taking over the local Bonfire Night on the demise of Monmouth Round Table a couple of years earlier.
The raft race has only ever failed to take place twice. Once at the time of the foot and mouth epidemic in 2001 and once in 2008 when the river was in flood.
In its heyday the race apparently fielded over 200 rafts, but in the five years of Rotary ‘ownership’ it has grown from 40 to 63 with hopes this year of 80+ craft.
Rotary bears the cost of staging the event with marketing help from the chosen charity, and the entry fees and car parking charges pay organisations such as the Scouts, Guides, St Thomas Church, Rowing, Canoe and Rugby Clubs and the Severn Area Rescue Association for helping, with any surplus being added to Rotary funds for its local charitable commitments. The last 5 races have raised a total of £56k; £11k of which was raised the last time the raft race was run in 2007. This was donated to St David’s Foundation Hospice Care.
They were such a good charity to work with that they have been chosen again for this year’s race on Sunday 6th September 2009.