When the weather outside is frightful, does a dip in the sea sound delightful?

                                                                                                                       

It has become somewhat of a tradition in our beautiful little seaside town to enjoy a rather refreshing dip in the North Sea on Boxing Day morning. After all, what better way to cure your late festive blues than participating in the fun and friendly charity event in aid of a charity close to your heart and Whitby Lions which support many local community charities and good causes?

This fun and frantic event has now been running over the last 45 years, seeing numbers soar from a handful of brave local citizens to over 150 eager individuals travelling from far and wide, desperate to run into the wintery ice-cold waves of the North Sea. Although as you’d expect, you are more likely to see the big numbers witnessing the excitement from the side-lines.

The intention is of course that the Boxing Day Dippers get sponsored, with 80% of funds raised donated to the charity of their choice and the remaining 20% helping many local charities which are supported by Whitby District Lions each year. It is also a great opportunity to raise money for a special charity close to your heart to say thank you for all their efforts and support during the year. The Boxing Day has become a traditional family friendly event with many families meeting up after Christmas Day to spending a lovely Boxing Day morning together.

2017 saw over nearly £10,000.00 raised, with this year hoping to raise even more funds for local causes. The event kicks off at 10am on Boxing Day morning, with registration and fancy-dress judging taking place at the Bandstand, followed by a casual jog into the sea.

Registration forms available from The Whitby Pet Shop, 15 Station Square, Whitby or please contact Lion Chris or Brian Harrison by email at robertharrison.sons@gmail.com or on 01947 897249 for further details.

Whitby Lions would like to thank the St Johns Ambulance Service and Whitby Diving Club for providing safety and medical cover and also to Esk Valley Coaches.