Thousands raised for Eastbourne charity by local resident sitting in cold water tub every day in January

Hayley Miller-Cook will be taking the plunge into a cold water tub every day in January to help raise money for the hospice.

She has also started a Justgiving page which so far has raised over £2,500.

Hayley’s friend, Bev Attridge, was cared for by St Wilfrid’s before Christmas. Hayley’s original target was £200 but she’d beaten that in no time and had raised nearly £2,000 in the first week. Her wife Sarah films the daily dips and uploads them to Facebook so others can watch.

Hayley said: “I only decided to do this on 1st January. Sarah has a cold water tub, but I’d never been in it as I hate the cold. It was only when a friend who’d just bought one was saying how awful it was that I had the idea of getting in for five minutes every day of January to raise money in memory of my brilliant friend, Bev.

“I have regretted every dip since the first one! It is as awful as it looks. But if it wasn’t so bad, I don’t think I’d have raised as much money as I have. It really helps me get into the tub every day if I know people are watching and donating. I didn’t expect it to go so well, but I’m so pleased it has.

“People have been donating from around the world and I think it’s because they know how important hospices are. It’s a cause close to their hearts because everyone knows someone who has been involved in hospices in some way.’

St Wilfrid’s Hospice Fundraising Assistant, Megan Upton, said: ‘We can’t thank Hayley enough for undertaking this incredible challenge and have nothing but admiration that she’s chosen one of the coldest months of the year to do it. We look forward to following her dips for the rest of the month and congratulate her on the amount of money she’s already raised as every penny helps us to provide care at the hospice and out in the community.’