PLACES are still available at this year’s Bradford Dragonboat Festival for teams looking to get their hands on the trophy and raise money for local charities.

Three spots are still open on the main day of the three-day festival, which runs from Friday, June 22, to Sunday 24, the Lord Mayor’s Appeal Championship day on Saturday 23, at Roberts Park in Saltaire.

Spots are still up for grabs for the Friday’s Youth Championship, which is open to schools, youth and community groups from across Bradford and the rest of the UK who work with young people aged 11 to 19, or 25 for disability teams.

There are three categories on that day; junior for Years 7 to 9, senior for Years 10 to 13, and disability for ages 11 to 25.

Organisers are also appealing for more education providers and employers to sign up to take part in the Education and Careers Zone on the Friday, where they can speak to the workforce of tomorrow and showcase the opportunities their courses, apprenticeships or businesses have to offer young people.

Exhibitors each receive a marquee right next to the action, and the Education and Careers Zone is being marketed to all participating schools and groups to attract as many young people as possible to the event.

To book a stand at the event costs £300. Entry for schools and youth groups for the Youth Championship is free, and almost 30 schools and groups have already signed up to take part.

One education provider that will be staffing a stall at the festival is the district’s newest further education provider, Bradford New College.

The further education college, run by the New Collaborative Learning Trust, will take in its first cohort of students in September 2019 when the college opens in Nelson Street in the city centre.

Gareth Dodson, marketing manager at the New Collaborative Learning Trust, said attending the festival was a “really good opportunity” for the college.

He said: “Because we are new to the area, we want to get to know all about the big local events that take place in the district.

“With us being based in Pontefract, we don’t really know that much about the area, but one of our colleagues lives in Saltaire and told us about the event so we looked into it.

“It is a really big event so we thought it would be a really good opportunity to speak to the young people of Bradford in a less formal environment that’s not fully educational, and would be a nice way of getting our message across.

“We love any event like this with a big community involvement, where it’s a really fun day out, and is the perfect way for us to spread our message.

“Next year we might event enter a team of students once we get started, or it could even be something our business students get involved with as part of their curriculum which is something we are passionate about.”

Last year thousands of people attended the festival, which has a wide range of attractions including live music, children’s activities and a market alongside the main event of the boat races.

Appleton Academy won the Youth Championship, while Provident were the victors of the Lord Mayor’s race.

The deadline for sign-ups is Friday, June 1, so if your school or youth group wish to enter, or you would like to enter the Lord Mayor’s Championship, visit bradforddragonboatfestival.co.uk