Aldeburgh to Orford

Fundraising Flotilla 2024

Sunday 28th July

8am arrival for an 8.30am start

Swim, paddle board, row, kayak or canoe… what will you do?

Join us for the famous Aldeburgh to Orford flotilla. A 5 mile swim or paddle through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It’s a challenge, but all for a fantastic cause.

We, The Alde & Ore Estuary Trust (AOET), aim to provide, preserve, maintain and improve river defences and flood protection, always taking into account the conservation and protection of the natural environment, features of historic interest and the landscape and beauty of the Alde and Ore.

The Alde and Ore estuary is a unique environment. The 44km of river walls provide a crucial defence against flooding, protecting local communities, homes and businesses. They also provide and protect a rich, natural and diverse habitat for an immense variety of flora and fauna.

In January 2023, the Environment Agency (EA) and the Regional Flood & Coastal Committee (RFCC) approved funding for the Upper Estuary and work has begun to raise, widen and strengthen the river walls. Once upgraded, these resilient river defences will be able to withstand a 1 in 75 year flood event (1.33% chance), even when overtopped. The EA will provide a grant for the Lower Estuary, but we need funds to bridge the gap between what the EA will give, and how much the Lower Estuary will cost.

Our flotilla will be match-funded, so your fundraising is important to help us to reach our target and to make this flotilla a resounding success. By entering our flotilla you can help to make a difference to preserve, improve and protect our estuary. Are you up for the challenge?

The Details

Start: Aldeburgh Yacht Club

Finish: Orford Sailing Club

A distance of just under 5 miles, assisted by the outgoing tide.

Entrants should arrive by 8am for a mandatory briefing at 8:15am. Paddlers will set off at 8:30am, followed closely by elite swimmers, and then recreational swimmers.

Time Estimates

Good swimmers: 1.5 hours
Recreational swimmers: 2 hours +
Paddlers: 1 hour +

Entry Fees

£50 per recreational or elite swimmer (16 years +, maximum 100 swimmers across both classes)

£40 per paddler (12 years +, maximum 50)

Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible participating adult throughout the flotilla.

We encourage all participants to seek sponsorship, with an individual target of £250, or why not make it a group or family fundraiser. Your efforts will contribute to our fundraising goal. We are delighted to have at least £20,000 in match-funding, so for this, we need your help. Your sponsorship and donations could be doubled. Click here to create your own Just Giving page through our flotilla 2024 campaign.

Walking to Orford

If you would like to walk to Orford alongside the flotilla, we will have two river crossings from Aldeburgh Yacht Club (AYC) to a temporary landing craft directly opposite AYC. The first river crossing will be at 8.15am, the second at 8.45am.

The walk is just under 5 miles (8 kilometres) along the river walls and will take between 1.5 to 2.5 hours to complete.