back once again for a festival of culture

by Jon Massey

We’re excited about the return of Festival14 – ve days of mostly free activities and entertainment – that’s set to sweep across the Canary Wharf estate from July 26-30.

While the full line-up is still being nalised, acts including Soul II Soul, Craig Charles, Norman Jay, Ronnie Scotts Jazz Orchestra, Wayne Snow and Nubiyan Twist are all set to appear in headline slots on the main stage.

There will also be outdoor theatre at Westferry Circus, performances curated by The Space arts centre at Crossrail Roof Garden and live music from buskers in Jubilee Park.

A Line Art will be running workshops for kids, there will be a Family Rave to look forward to and The Fandangoe Kid is also back this year with a new project dubbed The Fandangoe Mini Disco – a dance pod hosting a series of talks and workshops curated by The Loss Project.

Building on the sell-out success of last year’s comedy gigs, Montgomery Square is set to host a dedicated tent of mirth that is set to host a line up of big name stand-ups from the world of TV alongside some up and coming comedians.

Topping it all o will be a collection of pop-up street food traders to keep the crowds fed and watered alongside the estate’s formidable collection of hospitality venues. Go to canary wharf.com

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by Jon Massey

With so much water in this part of London, its easy to imagine it as a universally available resource. Canary Wharf and the Isle Of Dogs are embraced by the lazy meander of the Thames.

Then there are the vast pools of the docks themselves and canals that connect them, which carve up the landscape.

The stuff is everywhere and – as evidenced by Love Open Water’s project in Middle Dock last year – easily clean enough to swim in, even if glugging down huge quantities is probably unwise.

Everywhere there are shiny new apartments with rainfall showers, designer toilets and taps pumping the stuff up 50 floors so we can live in towers. It’s literally available on tap.

So it’s easy to forget that about one in 10 people globally live without access to clean water close to their homes.

This basic human right is unavailable to some 771million people globally, with the battle simply to slake their thirst and stay alive a terrible brake on almost all aspects of their existence, be it education, work, health – the list is endless.

The mission of WaterAid is simple. Within a generation, the charity is working tirelessly to make sure everyone in the world has sustainable access to both clean water and decent toilets – the integrity of the former, dependent on the latter.

Founded in 1981, it has helped more than 28million people get clean water and 29million people get decent toilets, helping lower the percentage of those without access from one in eight, to one in 10.

“I got involved with the charity because my family is from Bangladesh and I’ve seen firsthand what a lack of hygiene and clean water can do,” said Aminur Rahman, supporter care advisor at WaterAid.

“In Bangladesh it’s very common for under fives to die from lack of clean water.

“Children tend to go to local ponds with dirty water to drink. I’ve had personal experience of that with a relative.

“I’ve been to Bangladesh a few times, so for me this cause is

Boat Race

something personal that’s close to my heart.”

“You can’t really argue with what we’re trying to do,” added Fiona Lavery, the charity’s change and employee experience director.

“We work in 27 different countries around the world, predominantly in Africa and south-east Asia, including Mali, Bangladesh, Madagascar and Colombia.

“Each one is different, which makes the challenge a complex one. It can be about a lack of infrastructure in rural or urban areas – or it might be that there are marginalised people who can’t get at it because of the situation they’re living in.

“It can be about taps and toilets, but water is also a political issue and a cultural one. As an organisation, we only employ local people to deliver our projects and that’s the right approach because it is community led.

“We empower people to have access to solutions, rather than flying in, giving them something and then going away again. That would not be sustainable.”

In order to do this work, WaterAid needs a constant flow of funds and recently announced the return of its Canary Wharf Dragon Boat Race. Teams of between 11 and 17 will do battle on the waters of West India South Dock on July 6 from 11.30am to 6.30pm.

In addition to an entry fee of £350, teams are set a fundraising target of £1,500 and challenged to exceed it.

On the day, each team will race at least three times in a series of heats, with the fastest three teams taking part in a grand final.

Prizes will be handed out for the three fastest boats, bestdressed team and, of course, most successful fundraisers.

The event also includes lunch and a post-race reception with a welcome drink.

“The events fundraising team at WaterAid wanted to create a water-themed event in Canary Wharf since we moved to the area in 2020,” said Corinne Stone, the charity’s senior community and events officer who is organising the race.

“As dragon boat racing is becoming one of the most popular corporate sports in the UK today, we thought it would be a brilliant opportunity to use the water on the docks and engage with our corporate neighbours in Canary

Teams will take part in at least three heats with a grand final for the fastest three teams