MONMOUTH RAFT RACE: Gwent-based Tiny Rebel, a family business based in Newport, has been named a sponsor for this year’s River Wye race.

Not only that the award winning brewer, winner of the International Beer Challenge’s UK Brewery of the year 2016, is planning to compete in the event with a Tiny Rebel raft.

The rapidly expanding brewing business has just located to a 1.5 acre site in Rogerstone, complete with brewery tours, a new bar and event space. Tiny Rebel is the only Welsh brewery to have claimed the Champion Beer of Britain prize, which it won in 2015 for Cwtch.

Bradley Cummings, of Tiny Rebel said: “We’ve teamed up to support St David’s Hospice Care frequently over the years. We are very pleased to have now become involved as sponsors for the Monmouth Raft Race.”

Organisers, Monmouth Rotary Club who have staged the annual River Wye Raft race for the past 15 years will once more raise funds for St David’s Hospice Care through its staging of the 52nd Monmouth Raft Race. Monmouth Raft Race will be staged on Sunday, September 3.

Organisers are now looking to sign up more sponsors. The existing sponsors are: Mandarin Stone, DHL and David Wilson Homes. Siltbuster are sponsoring an award.

The 2017 Monmouth Raft Race, organised by Monmouth Rotary Club, will take place on Sunday, September 3, starting from Monmouth Rowing Club and ending at Tump Farm, Whitebrook.

The annual event sees teams of four or more build rafts and then paddle them 6.5 miles down the River Wye from the rowing club steps at Monmouth to Whitebrook.

Entry costs £75 per raft including a commitment to raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship. Early bird entrants, who sign up before June 1, pay just £50.

For full details about the 2017 Monmouth Raft Race, including online or postal entries, visit monmouthraftrace.com or call Monmouth Raft Race secretary, Rotarian David Forbes on 01600 712665 or Kris Broome at St David’s Hospice Care on 01633 851051.