Swimmers don festive outfits for Boxing Day dips for good causes

Swimmers have donned festive costumes as they braved the cold to take on Boxing Day dips for good causes.

Across the country – from Folkestone to Hartlepool – people have put on everything from leggings to Santa hats to raise money for charity.

Tom Poole (far right) said he is going to do the swim again next year (Tom Poole/PA)

Tom Poole was part of a group of 30 who took a dip in Redcar, where he lives, to raise funds for suicide prevention charity Andy’s Man Club.

“Me and my friends have lost quite a few people through mental health,” the 31-year-old who works in insurance told the PA news agency.

Mr Poole (right) took part in a Boxing Day dip in Redcar (Tom Poole/PA)

“I’ve lost my sister, which played a part in why I wanted to do the swim today.

“Andy’s Man Club help everyone and I wanted to give a bit back to them and they’ve offered me help before, so it was a worthwhile cause I wanted to help.”

People brave the water in Redcar (Tom Poole/PA)

He said the swim was “warmer than expected” and he did not escape wearing something festive.

“I wore leggings and a reindeer hat with a bell on it because I can’t swim and my mum wanted to make sure I did not get lost,” he added.

“It was brilliant and a lot of fun – will 100% do it again next year.”

(from left to right) Henry and George braved a Boxing Day swim (Gary Riches/PA)

Eleven-year-old twins Henry and George Riches spent their Boxing Day taking part in a local dip in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool.

The pair – who celebrated their birthday on Christmas Day – said the swim was “absolutely freezing”.

Their father Gary Riches, 40, vice principal at Hartlepool College of Further Education, told PA they aimed to raise money to repair the vandalised training nets at their cricket club in Seaton Carew.

The twins took part in the Boxing Day dip to raise money for cricket nets (Gary Riches/PA)

The boys wore their “cricket whites” and a Santa hat for the swim, which they did alongside their teammates and coach.

Elsewhere, at the Folkestone Lions’ Boxing Day Dip at Sunny Sands Beach in Folkestone, Kent, everywhere you looked Santa or his elves were seemingly present.

Swimmers take part in the Folkestone Lions’ Boxing Day Dip at Sunny Sands Beach in Folkestone, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Gareth Fuller

The Ayrshire Cancer Support Boxing Day Dip at Ayr Beach saw people turn into characters including Santa and Homer Simpson as they made a beeline for the water.

Swimmers dressed up for the Ayrshire Cancer Support Boxing Day Dip at Ayr Beach (Andrew Milligan/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Milligan

The link for the cricket team fundraiser can be accessed here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/seatoncarewcricketclub?

The link to Mr Poole’s fundraiser can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/twdw84-we-lose-too-many-men-to-mental-health?