January Daily Dip
NEWS

Diving into 2025 with a dip a day for the homeless

A group of fundraisers in the north of England are having a dip a day throughout January to help tackle homelessness in the UK – please donate what you can!

A team of swimmers and dippers based in North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and the Lake District are having a daily dip in January to raise money for the homeless charity Crisis.

The fundraising group, which formed 7 years ago with two members, has grown to 20 swimmers, all having a daily dip throughout January to help tackle homelessness in the UK. Since forming, the group has raised over £157,000 for Crisis.

Louise Studd, from West Yorkshire, joined the fundraising group in 2022. We caught up her about how the challenge is going this year.

“This year has been really challenging as getting out and meeting up to dip has been made difficult with the weather. Those dipping on their own have had it really tough. It’s a great group with lots of support and we’re all really lucky to have each other, even at a distance,” Louise told us.

“Not having a permanent safe home in this weather is potentially deadly, and the isolation of being homeless is something I’ve been thinking about more too.”

Cold water swimmer Gilly McArthur has taken part in the JDD in previous years.

“Cold water is even more centred now in our worlds as a space for finding wellness and calm,” she said. “It’s a great privilege to be able to do this when so many are struggling in this UK housing crisis. Raising funds and awareness for Crisis is more important now than ever before.”

The group’s fundraising page is open for donations. If you’d like to take part in a swim challenge for Crisis, the charity is hosting a range of Icebreaker events across the UK. You can even create your own Icebreaker challenge at home.

Read our safety guidance on cold-water swimming.

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Abi writes swimming news stories and features for the Outdoor Swimmer website and manages the social media channels. She loves to swim, run, hike and SUP close to her home in Herefordshire. While she’s a keen wild swimmer, Abi is new to the world of open water events and recently completed her first open water mile. She has previously written for The Guardian, BBC Countryfile Magazine, BBC History Magazine and Ernest Journal.