A local man has braved icy waters in Bradley Stoke to give back to St Peter’s Hospice, following the care his family received during an incredibly difficult time.
John took part in St Peter’s Hospice’s Cold Water Dip, a fundraising challenge that invites supporters to embrace cold water swimming while raising funds for hospice care.
This year was the biggest and coldest Cold Water Dip ever, with 150 dippers taking part and raising more than £24,000 together.
In 2024, John’s mum Ivy was diagnosed with heart failure and her health declined rapidly. Wanting to remain at home rather than go into hospital, Ivy was supported by the St Peter’s Hospice at Home team during the final months of her life.
John said: “I moved in with my mum for the last two months of her life. The Hospice at Home team gave me respite whenever I needed it. They were amazing and I genuinely don’t know how I would have coped without them. They would sit with mum, talking to her when she was awake, and they were there to support me too.”
During this period, John found comfort in cold water swimming at a lake near Bradley Stoke.
“It was my way of dealing with the stress of everything,” he explained. “It was such a difficult time, but getting into the water helped me cope.”
John has continued cold water swimming ever since, now swimming up to four times a week. Alongside three friends, he has taken on an additional personal challenge: completing 75 cold water swims between November and March without wetsuits.
Cold water swimming, along with time spent at The Wave in Bradley Stoke, has played an important role in John’s wellbeing and his family’s grieving process.
“My family and I used to go to The Wave a lot,” John said. “They often talk about how ‘blue spaces’ help our wellbeing, and it really did for us. During the summer, we’d sit and listen to the waves – it was a lovely place to go while grieving.”
Taking part in the Cold Water Dip feels like a natural way for John to combine something that has helped him personally with giving back to the charity that supported his family.
“The Cold Water Dip has come at the perfect time,” he said. “It’s a really nice opportunity to give back to St Peter’s Hospice. It’s the least we can do.”