STROUD raft race has raised thousands of pounds for charity.

The 2017 raft race, which took place on Sunday, October 1, has now raised £3,330 for The Door Youth Project and for the Cotswold Canals Trust.

Organised by Luciano and Sarah Magalotti, who brought the event back last year, the raft race saw groups from businesses in and around Stroud taking part in a display of great ingenuity and enthusiasm with each team designing and building their own rafts.

Teams from Space Centre Storage & Northsound Engineering, Access Bike, The Clothiers Arms and Taylor Made were among the competitors, and all entrants this year were raising money for the Canals Trust and The Door.

Luciano said: “It’s been very successful and we had a really good race with ten rafts in all.

“It was good fun and the weather wasn’t bad.

“We are so pleased to have raised this money.”

The raft race was resurrected in 2016 following nearly a 20-year gap, and was made possible following much hard restoration work by the Cotswold Canal Trust to open the canal from Wallbridge to Bowbridge.

Luciano confirmed that the raft race will continue, with the 2018 raft race to be held on the first Sunday of October.

See race pictures at stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk