BRADFORD’S Dragonboat Festival is being used as a benchmark for other towns and cities across the UK to replicate, according to its organisers.

The event, held on a 200-metre-long course on the River Aire at Roberts Park, Saltaire, will take place over three days for the first time this year.

Now it has emerged that a number of Councils from across the country have liaised with the lead organiser of the Bradford event on their own versions.

MORE ON THE BRADFORD DRAGONBOAT FESTIVAL

These include Cardiff Council, which will hold its own Lord Mayor’s Dragonboat Festival on May 14.

Bosses of the Bradford event have also been liaising with Stockton-on-Tees Council on its dragonboat festival, to be held on September 2.

Meanwhile, Sefton Council, based in Southport, and Liverpool City Council, have both expressed an interest in holding events similar to Bradford’s in the future.

John Galt, project leader of the Bradford event and the northern regional development officer for the British Dragonboat Association, said: “People have been in Bradford and seen what we have done. We are the biggest event they have on their calendar.

“We have just got bigger. It shows everybody what we are capable of in Bradford. What we have got is so unique. We have spoken to Stockton-on-Tees Council and they wanted to replicate what we have done.”

A youth competition will get this year’s Bradford Dragonboat Festival under way on Friday, May 5, between 9.30am and 2.30pm, with teams of youngsters aged 11 to 19 taking to the water. This will be followed by a sold-out main festival day on Saturday, May 6, with 40 competing teams, each featuring 16 paddlers and one drummer, taking part in two rounds of heats.

Participants on the first two days will be encouraged to raise funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, which this year is children and young people’s mental health charity Young Minds, which has been chosen by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Geoff Reid.

Meanwhile, at this year’s Bradford event, companies have also been urged to sign up for a corporate team building event on Sunday, May 7, where workmates can compete against each other.

Each team will pay £2,000 to fund their participation, including boat hire and food. They can then raise money for any charity they wish. Teams and volunteers can sign up for the youth and corporate team building days at bradforddragonboatfestival.co.uk