Press release: Rubber Duck Race and Dragon Boat Regatta Return to Regent's Canal

Popular Family Events Raise Vital Funds for Cosmic Children's Charity

London, 3rd June 2025: The beloved Rubber Duck Race and Dragon Boat Regatta are making a splash again this year on the Regent's Canal to benefit Cosmic, the charity supporting the children's and neonatal intensive care units at St Mary's and Queen Charlotte's Hospitals.

On Thursday, 31st July, up to 3,000 rubber ducks will be released into the canal at Merchant Square (Paddington, London W2 1JX) at noon for the annual Rubber Duck Race. The bright yellow ducks will bob along the 100-metre course to the finish line, with the quickest quacker winning first prize of two Eurostar tickets to a destination of their choice, plus additional exciting prizes generously provided by Haidilao and B.Duck. Ducks can be sponsored for just £3 each.

The fun continues later that evening as the Dragon Boat Regatta takes over the canal from 5 - 9 pm. Traditional Chinese dragon boats, manned by 16 rowers and one drummer, will race in a frenzied 100-metre competition. Competing teams often don festive fancy dress, with previous years seeing crews dressed as Minions, Drag Queens and Pirates, all vying for the "Best Dressed" title along with the fastest time.

Both events are free for spectators to attend along the canal towpath. However, sponsoring ducks and dragon boat teams raises vital funds for Cosmic's efforts to support critically ill children and their families, as well as providing equipment and resources for hospital staff.

Susannah Forland, Chief Executive at Cosmic, said: "We are thrilled to see these fantastic events return for another year. Every £3 from a sponsored duck makes a real difference to the families we support during incredibly challenging times. The funds raised help us provide essential services like on-site family accommodation, counselling support, specialist equipment for our intensive care units, and vital research into life-threatening childhood diseases. We are enormously grateful to Merchant Square, our sponsors, and everyone who gets involved - whether by sponsoring a duck, cheering from the sidelines, or simply making a donation to Cosmic."

The Rubber Duck Race runs from 12 - 2pm, while the Dragon Boat Regatta is 5 - 9pm on July 31st at Merchant Square at Paddington Basin. In addition to the races, there will be live music, outdoor bars, street food and more festivities.

To sponsor a duck, make a donation, or learn more about the COSMIC charity, visit cosmiccharity.org.uk.

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For more information, please contact Victoria Dove at victoria@dovepr.com or 07980 615 563

NOTES TO EDITOR

• To sponsor a Rubber Duck for £3 or make a donation, please visit cosmiccharity.org.uk

• Dragon Boat team enquiries: events@merchantsquare.co.uk

• For images, please click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QPJny5lvVwMWuUe8BFUaIOqJYrtmWjbj?usp=sharing 

• For video, please click here: https://youtu.be/NjVIpWa15qM?feature=shared 

About Cosmic https://cosmiccharity.org.uk/ 

Cosmic is the charity dedicated to supporting children and babies at the intensive care units in St Mary's Hospital in Paddington and Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in Hammersmith. 

Thanks to its incredible supporters, the charity has been able to invest in vital equipment for the units, fund additional incubators for the neonatal wards, support groundbreaking research into devastating diseases, and provide specialist training for staff.

With the help of donors, fundraisers, and sponsors Cosmic has been able to provide hundreds of hours of counselling and support services for families and frontline staff, as well as raising £1.5 million to create Cosmic House, which provides onsite accommodation for parents to be able to stay close to their seriously ill child.

With your support, Cosmic can continue to help critically ill children and their families through the darkest days of their lives.

About Merchant Square http://merchantsquare.co.uk 

Merchant Square is an 11-acre, fully managed mixed-use Estate in London's West End that nearly 10,000 workers and residents currently occupy.

The dedicated on-site Merchant Square team oversees an annual events programme, featuring summer events during lunchtimes and after work, charity events, food markets, and much more.