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Boxing Day Dip
Sunday 26 Dec 10
11am
FREE to spectate, contact 0191 522 5305 to take part.
Seaburn Promenade
Wheelchair Accessible
Sunderland Lions Club 2009Boxing Day Dip
FREE to spectate
Get down to the seafront the day after Christmas for some fresh air and to support this spectacular fancy dress fundraising event is said to be the largest of its kind in Europe. The event keeps growing every year and so does the money raised for charitable organisation; last year 937 dippers braved the icy North Sea and raised 70,356.
Take part if you fancy an invigorating post-Christmas day swim, or dress warmly and cheer the brave dippers on!
To encourage and reward the brave there are many prizes up for grabs. These include best team, best individual, best pub team and best all female/male teams. The trophies are given out at the presentation day in late March when the cheques are donated to the charities and organisations.
The Seaburn Boxing Day dip, organised by the Sunderland Lions Club, started in 1974 with just 40 people braving the waters. It has grown into an annual event and is the biggest in Europe, with up to 1,000 hardy souls jumping into the chilly North Sea and a further 5,000 coming to watch.
At this time of year, sea temperatures around the UK can be as low as 4 C. First-aiders from St John Ambulance (SJA) Northumbria are set to provide participants with foil blankets for warmth and the RNLI, Coastguard, and Police are all on duty to ensure everyone?s safety.
In 2001 the event raised over 35,000 and about 700 dippers took part.
In 2006 the event raised 58,353 with around 861 taking part
In 2007 the event raised 58,710 and well over 1000 people signed up to have a go and 817 made it into the water.
Dippers (over 12 years please) are encouraged to arrive from 9.45am to register their attendance and get changed into their costumes.
Between 10.30am and 11am the fancy dress will be judged by the Mayor and Consort and the president of the Sunderland Lions Club and his partner.
At 11am sharp all the dippers will parade down to the sea to put their money where their mouths are and take the plunge into the North Sea.
The trophies are given out at the presentation day in late March when the cheques are donated to the charities and organisations.
Event information may be subject to change or cancellation, please check before travelling. Sunderland City Council makes every effort to maintain the accuracy of the information on this website but cannot accept responsibility for any error or alteration to details which may occur.
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