HUNDREDS BRAVE CHILL FOR CHRISTMAS DIP
THOUSANDS of people turned out in Porthcawl for the traditional Christmas Day swim yesterday.
In total, around 1,300 people braved the waves with about 4,000 spectators people watching and cheering them on.
The theme this year was superheroes, and a lot of people got into the spirit in the 8.8C water with beachside temperatures dwindling below 10C.
Lucy Jones is one of the organisers. She said: “We had more than 1,000 register with at least another 100 turning up on the day.
“It is definitely the biggest one we have had.
“It was a brilliant day and we had about 4,000 spectators!
“The weather was great without much breeze.
“The theme was superheroes and a lot of people followed it. There was a Captain America, Batman and even a Superman in a thong. There was a whole range of costumes.
“Hopefully it will raise even more money than last year, when it raised £11,000.”
Chairman Dave King said: “This year the committee have chosen our headline charity as Prostate Cymru.
“As in previous years, we will also support other local organisations. A total of £11,000 was donated after the swim last year, so with your help maybe we can exceed this amount.
“Our promise is to give every penny that is collected on Christmas morning via the bucket collection and through swimmers’ sponsorship to our chosen beneficiaries.”