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Thrills and chills at the most successful Christmas Day Dip ever

24 December 2012

This year, St Elizabeth Hospice held their most successful Christmas Day Dip ever, with a record number of participants raising over £40,000

Over 500 plucky Hospice supporters, many in fancy dress, charged into the chilly North Sea at 10am, getting their Christmas Day off to an exhilarating start.  

Many of those taking part did so in memory of a loved-one, or to give something back to the Hospice where a friend or a relative was cared for.

This year’s event was the ninth Christmas Day Dip organised to raise money for the Hospice. The event started in 2003, when Hospice supporter Peter Burt, who is taking part again this year, had a sponsored swim in the pool in his back garden.

The event was made all the more special this year by a surprise proposal. Brave dipper Alexander Cable got down on one knee in front of the entire crowd to propose to Sadie Wooltorton. The happy couple then marked their engagement by joining hundreds of other Hospice supporters and charging into the sea.

Event organiser Emily Sullivan said “We are hugely thankful to everybody who took part today and helped make this year’s Christmas Day Dip the most successful ever. There’s been a fantastic atmosphere all morning, with everybody really getting into the spirit of the event and enjoying themselves. To have added another 150 participants is amazing, and really demonstrates both the ever-growing popularity of the event and the importance people attach to the Hospice”

“Raising over £40,000 will be a huge help in allowing us to continue growing local Hospice care, and we’d like to thank everybody who has sponsored our brave dippers for their generous support.” 

Emily also thanked the local coastguard for overseeing the event, Mayor of Felixstowe Mike Deacon for attending, and all the volunteers who gave up their time on Christmas Day.

St Elizabeth Hospice is an independent charity which needs £8.7 million a year to provide local services to local people free of charge, with around three quarters of that figure coming from the local community.