THE popular Southend raft race is being resurrected and brought back to help raise vital funds for charity.

The race, which used to be one of the highlights of the year, ended in 1991 after many successful years, but the Thorpe Bay Rotary Club have decided to bring it back.

Loretta Andrews, from the Thorpe Bay Rotary Club, said: “We are very excited to be bringing the raft race back to Southend. It used to always be a highlight for the town and everyone had a great time watching the rafts and enjoying the day.

“We are hoping to do the same thing and will have refreshments and entertainment, and Radio Essex will be broadcasting from there.”

This year’s race will see up to 50 rafts race at Thorpe Bay with friends, family and visitors cheering them on from the sidelines.

Rafts can be as big as contestants want, as long as they are able to carry them and recommended material for them to be built from include barrels, drums, containers, tyre inner tubes, large pipes, planks, insulation board and polystyrene.

Entry is now open and one of the first groups to enter was Southend Hospital who gratefully received an anonymous donation that means they have entered a team for the race – with Tropicana Nights taking on the challenge of building and racing the raft.

A spokesman from Southend Hospital said: “Southend Hospital Charity is delighted to have an entry in this year’s top comeback event.

“We are really grateful for the anonymous donation that has allowed us to be involved and really thankful to Graham Moorcroft from Tropicana Nights and his team that are going to be creating and sailing our raft.

“It should be a fantastic day, we will be cheering them on all the way!”

The raft race used to be organised and run by crews from the RNLI and while the organisers have changed, the cause hasn’t.

Entrants can pick any charity they want for their money to be donated to, but the default charity will still be the RNLI.

In its heyday, there were up to 80 rafts that used to take to the water, with some big names entering, including Marks and Spencer and even HM Prison Service.

The last one was held in 1991.

The crews can be up to eight people, all of whom need to be able to swim, wear life jackets or buoyancy aids and be at least 18 years of age.

Taking place on June 25, entry is £200 per team.

For more information and to register, visit thorpebayrotaryevents.co.uk