A charity swim run by Macmillan Caring Locally to raise funds for specialist palliative care, held annually on Christmas morning at Boscombe Pier.
The Macmillan White Christmas Dip returns to Boscombe Beach on Christmas morning, 25 December, with the dip itself starting at 10.30 am. It's a charity swim run by Macmillan as part of its Caring Locally initiative, and everything raised goes towards specialist palliative care for patients with advanced, progressive or incurable illnesses.
The whole thing started on Christmas morning in 2008, when John White, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and his family decided to join the Bournemouth Spartans in their annual fancy-dress swim at Boscombe Pier. They were joined only by a passing cyclist, Andy Corbett, and the dip has since become the family's way of seeing each other on Christmas Day. From those few people, it's grown into the Bournemouth community's biggest annual fundraiser for Macmillan Caring Locally, regularly drawing more than 1,000 dippers. Dippy the seal is the event's mascot, and he's usually front and centre.
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On the day, Southbourne Surf Lifesaving Club provides safety cover, and partners like Rossi International serve hot drinks and food on the beach, which is a welcome sight when you've just come out of the water. Registration opens on 6 November, so you'll want to get your name down well before the day. The dip takes place at Boscombe Pier, Boscombe, Bournemouth, on Christmas morning at 10.30 am.
