Ramsey’s New Year Chilly Dip, organised by Ramsey RNLI raised a total of ?727.50 for the RNLI and also the Northern Spirit Baton Twirlers.

Some of the Twirlers were at Ramsey Lifeboat Station on Thursday evening, 2nd April, to receive their cheque for ?363.50. The cold and windy start to 2015 saw around 45 audacious souls brave the elements to take the plunge from the lifeboat slip into an exceedingly cool and choppy Ramsey Bay.

Ali Clague, the Station’s mechanic and co-ordinator of the event, said: “We wish to say a huge thank you to all who make the event a success, the generous sponsors, our crew volunteers who give their time to act as marshals and lifeguards, Ramsey Town Commissioners and last but not least, the dippers themselves, especially Neil Vondy and Peter Whiteway who both raised impressive sums in sponsorship this year.

“This dip has become a real community event for Ramsey. We took over running it when the previous organisers were unable to continue and we like to continue raising money not only for the RNLI but also for some of the local youngsters. This year we decided to support the Northern Spirit Baton Twirlers. They are are a small but very enthusiastic local group who not only train very hard to compete in competitions but also frequently come along to help out and entertain at our Lifeboat Days. They will be able to make good use of their share of the money by replacing some of their equipment. The rest, of course, goes to the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea.

“We are already making plans for the Ramsey New Year Chilly Dip 2016. So please put the date in your diaries and maybe even encourage your friends to take the plunge. We look forward to seeing you. Once again, thank you to everyone for their generosity.”

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