Managing partner and Chartered Fellow for Wealth Management company Holland Hahn & Wills traded in the calculator for some oars in Kingston's Dragon Boat Race Challenge.

Chris Hirsch of Holland Hahn & Wills and his wife Nicky joined one of two teams from the Kingston Charitable Foundation (KCF) in the exciting boat race. 

On 16 July, Canbury Gardens came to life with 53 teams and 32 Foundation fundraisers for the Kingston Rotary Club's Dragon Boat Race. Spanning a 250m course on the River Thames, the race was no small stint.  

KCF took two teams, one of in the mixed class and one in the open class, to battle 53 other teams to the other side of the course. 

The Foundation supports local people in the borough through the Kingston Charitable Foundation program. KCF's mission is to identify where the social need exists, fund local support groups, inspire local donors and build sustainable funds. 

KCF have awarded 47 grants over the last year which have directly benefitted over 24,9000 people. 

Leading the charge, was Julie Leach from Kingston Chamber of Commerce. As drummer for the boat Leach relayed commands to support the team. 

Despite not coming first, Hirsch's best qualifying round on the day was a stunning 53 seconds- trimming off a whole nine seconds from last year. 

A patron of the KCF, Hirsch has supported the Foundation before its launch in January 2021. 

If you have not had chance to donate yet, there's still time to support Hirsch and the team through the fundraising page: Dragon Boat Race 2023 | Localgiving.

In every every £1 donated, 90p will support people in need, here in Kingston. 

Last year our grants helped almost 25,000 people in all sorts of different ways thanks to the generous support of our local community.

Holland Hahn & Wills is a sponsor of Kingston Nub News.

Their community-minded sponsorship means we can publish our local, high-quality journalism without intrusive adverts or clickbait, thank you.