London’s first family-friendly aqua obstacle event makes a splash!

Organised by lifesaving charity, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the event saw the park transformed into London’s first family-friendly aqua obstacle course, featuring five zones of water-themed challenges and games over a 2.5km trail – as well as a lively event village.

Families conquered slides, foam, water spouts and more! At Crazy Canyon there was a series of inflatable pools to cross, using a combination of fun floating devices, plus a giant inflatable water slide; at Splash ‘n’ Shoot participants navigated a giant boat before taking aim at floating targets on the lake; in Wild Wild Waters, they dodged geyser-spouting waters; Slip-Slide Stream featured the slipperiest toboggan-style water slides, from fast and foamy to more sedate and slippy, and finally at Bubbly Brook giant bubbles, a maze, music and a bandstand were marooned in a sea of foam.

The event village – the Splash Out Zone – was another highlight, with entertainment, food and drink, and of course a drying-off area, as well as plenty of ways to find out more about the RNLI’s lifesaving work.

Lauren Pincott, from event organisers the RNLI, says:

‘Splash Fest has been a first for London and a first for the RNLI, and we’re so pleased to say it has been a huge success! In just one day, thousands of people have had a great family day out, conquering fantastic, fun, water-based obstacles and then chilling out the event village to dry off, soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy some games and entertainment.

‘We hope everyone who joined us has gone home with some great memories and has also found out a bit more about the lifesaving work of the RNLI and picked up some top tips for staying safe around water this summer.’

In London, the charity provides a search and rescue service to any point within the tidal reaches of the River Thames. There are three London lifeboat stations, namely Tower, Chiswick and Teddington. Most of the RNLI’s lifeboats at its 237 stations around the UK and Ireland are operated by volunteers but, at Tower and Chiswick, full-time lifeboat crews work 12-hour shifts to ensure this on-call commitment on the River Thames in the heart of the capital. They are backed up by many volunteers. There are over 150 dedicated crew members on the Thames, ready to serve London 24 hours a day, every day.

Splash Fest is organised by the RNLI. Any profits will help support the charity’s lifesaving work. Anyone interested in attending Splash Fest 2017 can register their interest at splashfest.co.uk.

NOTES TO EDITORS

·         Photos from the day are attached. Please credit RNLI/Dale Harper. The images can be downloaded from RNLI.org/news.

MEDIA CONTACTS

·         For more information please contact Laura Haslam on [email protected] / 01202 663181 or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 / [email protected]. 

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.