Once again, Folkestone Rescue provided safety for this year’s boxing day dip on Sunny Sands Beach on Saturday 26th December.
For one hour, every year on Boxing Day, hundreds of normally sensible members of the community go totally insane and run into the sea, regardless of how cold it is, and some of them even dress up for the occasion.
The method behind their madness, though, is the raising of thousands of pounds for local or national charities. The “dippers” get people to sponsor their lemming-like dash into the sea and the Folkestone Lions pass the monies raised onto the charities nominated by the dippers themselves and other local worthy causes. Each of the dippers gets a “hot toddy” and a commemorative medal to remind them of the occasion – as if the frost-bite and hypothermia weren’t enough already…
The “nominated charity” could be their own club, school or community group so this is a great way for local organisations to raise their own funds without having to stage an event themselves.
Those that want to can dress up and enter the fancy dress competition that takes place for individual dippers, or those taking part as a group. A range of other prizes is awarded as well, especially for the dipper raising the most money!
For everyone else, it is a great way to recover from the Christmas excesses with a gentle stroll down to the Sunny Sands beach, where they can watch the free spectacle of others getting a soaking in the name of their good causes. Mind you, it’s a great laugh for all concerned, as well as the spectators.
Photos from this year’s event can be viewed below, courtesy of local photographer Freddie Lee Thompson:
Photography by Freddie Lee Thompson Photography.
