Staff raise £3,000 in Dragon Boat Race

A team of of CLS staff took part in the Chester Dragon Boat Race, raising £3,000 in sponsorship for resident activities and outings. The ‘CLS Vikings’, a crew of 16 rowers, including care staff from the organisation’s Chester and Ellesmere Port homes, Managing Director, Robert Black, and members of the CLS central office management team, competed against 30 teams to complete the 250-metre course on the River Dee.

The £3,000 raised will help to enhance the lives of residents by funding activities, social events and outings. After the success of this year’s Dragon Boat Race, the team hopes it will be one of many more for the CLS Vikings in the future.

Managing Director, Robert Black, heads up 26 CLS residential care homes in Cheshire, Warrington and Wigan. He comments: “This was the first year we entered a team into the Chester Dragon Boat Race and it was a hugely rewarding experience. We managed to improve our performance dramatically in the timed races as the day went on, and really pulled together as a team. The support from our colleagues, family, friends and sponsors was fantastic, and we’ll certainly be there again next year when we’ll be looking to win it.”

The CLS team was formed by CLS Learning and Development Manager, Emma McCarthy, and captained by Jenny Jobber, Home Manager of Florence Grogan House in Chester. Joining them were care staff Gemma Spencer, Gemma Thomas, Katie Roberts, Emmie Jones (Florence Grogan House); Jodie Barnett, Sam Nash (Wealstone); Lyndsey McNally, Zoe Moore, Steve Maddock (Astbury Lodge); Elaine Smith, Georgie Herbert (Whetstone Hey); CLS central office staff, Zoey Nightingale and Sophie Whittingham; and CLS Operations Manager, Sheila Wood-Townend, and Managing Director, Robert Black.

An excellent backroom team made sure that refreshments were available throughout the day, not only for the rowers, but also for the many friends, relatives and colleagues who turned out to cheer the crew on.