PADDLERS in an annual raft race helped raise a huge £21,343 for charity.

The 54th Monmouth Rotary Raft Race saw 57 crews cruise 6.5-miles down the Wye to Whitebrook last September.

And the giant sum raised means the organisers have raised an incredible £329,076 since taking over the reins 15 years ago.

The rafts put on a magical show once again as the Hogwarts Express steamed downriver alongside a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, a Viking ship, a fire engine and a crew of Wonder Women.

Taking time out from Brexit and the White House, even Boris Johnson and Donald Trump put their oar in, while one raft overturned and spilt the whole eight-man crew into the drink at the first set of rapids below Monmouth’s old railway bridge.

Monmouth Rotary Club handed a cheque for £16,007 to main beneficiary St David’s Hospice Care last week with the remaining £5,336 going to other local good causes.

Terry Ing, Monmouth Rotary president, said: “As is our custom 75 per cent of the sum we raised through staging of the raft race was donated to St David’s Hospice Care to help them to continue to carry out the fantastic work that they do throughout our community.

“We really can’t thank all the people enough, especially the rafters, who work so terribly hard each year to make this annual raft race the success that it so definitely is year on year.

“In the 15 years since taking over the annual Monmouth Raft Race, Monmouth Rotary has raised the amazing total of £329,076 for charity from this one event.”

Emma Saysell, Chief Executive of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “We are ever so grateful for the continued support from Monmouth Rotary.

“The amount of money Rotary has raised for us and other local charities over the past 15 years is really quite remarkable.

“The annual staging of the Monmouth Raft Race, is a monumental task.

“It is a highlight of our year and is something that I know the rafters, who return without fail, look forward to competing in with enthusiasm year after year.”

Hundreds flocked to the riverside to cheer on the rafts, which started at Monmouth Rowing Club and paddled along the Monmouthshire/Forest of Dean border from Redbrook to finish at Tump Farm, Whitebrook, courtesy of the Cullimore Family, where there was a family festival.

Family and friends’ entry Henson’s Heroes from Woodcroft again cast their spell over the judges to take the best creatively-themed raft for the sixth year running with their Harry Potter-inspired Hogwarts Express, leaving from ‘Platform 9 3/4’.

In 2018, their highly realistic World War 1 tank, marking the centenary of the end of the conflict, scooped the pize, and previous craft to catch the eye included Titanic, Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka, HMS Victory, the Space Shuttle, Noah’s Ark and a London bus.

They also won the prize for most cash raised and handed in on race day, with their £1,400 taking their total raised over the last 13 years to more than £16,000.

Crew member Vicky Henson, who retired as head teacher of Primrose Hill CofE Primary School in Lydney in July, dressed as Professor Sprout, while others on board included Harry himself, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Luna Lovegood and Hermione.

“We started doing the race in tribute to my father-in-law Mervyn Henson who died in 2007 and was looked after by St David’s, and we absolutely love it,” she said before launching out last time.

“This time we voted for Harry Potter with the local connection of JK Rowling.”

Landy Paddlers, crewed by leaders from 1st Tidenham and Sedbury Scouts, knew they were going to get wet so opted for a ‘bubble bath’ raft complete with 400 white balloons.

“It’s our third year and we’re hoping that ‘shower power’ will get us to the finish,” joked crew member Linda Sandison.

The Monmouth Free Plastic group also took their campaign onto the water, in a raft buoyed by hundreds of discarded plastic bottles which had been collected, while the Monnow Vale Hospital crew from Monmouth went ‘through the looking glass’ as Alice in Wonderland and Co, and six dads of Trellech Primary schoolchildren donned Hawaiian shirts to ride HMS Hopper floating on 26 space hoppers.

Another raft cooked up over a few pints was crewed by Bream Bandits – dressed as highwaymen – from the village’s Rising Sun pub, while six St Arvans friends donned Wonder Women costumes.

Leading natural stone and porcelain products importer Mandarin Stone from Monmouth were main event sponsors.

The 2020 raft race will take place on Sunday, September 6.

Full details are avilable at www.monmouthraft race.com