By Julie Morgan

Published at 11:03, Thursday, 13 December 2012

YOU think it’s freezing now .....spare a thought for the hardy souls heading into the sea this New Year’s Eve.

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The Golden Sands Polar Bear Club annual dip takes place in the freezing waters off Whitehaven from 10am.

Around 100 people will be braving the waters to raise cash for a wide variety of charities. Over the years, between £15,000 and £20,000 has been raised for chosen good causes.

Gary McKeating, one of the dippers, said: “This year the Whitehaven Town Band will provide music for the march to the sands from the bandstand and Moky Fit have agreed to do us some warm up exercises.

“As usual there will be a prize for the best fancy dress. Whitehaven RLFC players will be swimming with us and the new coach Dave Woods has said he will do the dip in Australia where it might be a little bit warmer.’’

Polar Bear president John O’Brien, who started the dip with colleague Jake Mattinson in the early 1990s, said: “All participants will need to sign a waiver form, from 9am in The Beacon, before they are allowed to go in the water and there will be safety marshals, the coastguard and RNLI on standby.’’

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk