50th anniversary Tenby Boxing Day swim will go ahead say organisers

Organisers have confirmed that the Tenby Boxing Day Swim will still be taking the plunge this year to celebrate its 50th anniversary

The event has been subject to careful planning over recent weeks, responding to the Covid pandemic by scaling down the normal event, after the event’s half-century celebrations in 2020 had to be called off.

In a bid to minimise contact, organisers say the intrepid bathers will be spaced out across the beach before taking the plunge and there will be no medal presentation, hot soup, beach bonfire or bucket collection.

Swim chairman Chris Osborne said: “After Welsh Government’s announcements over the last 24 hours, we consider it is still appropriate to proceed with this year’s, simplified, Tenby Boxing Day Swim.

“We have a Covid risk assessment, providing a framework to help us run the event safely and, of course, if people are unhappy with either entering the swim or spectating, then they will not be participating.

“To those that will be, see you on the North Beach or overlooking it from the many gardens, terraces and clifftops that make up its spectacular amphitheatre.”

Fancy dress welcome

Without bucket collectors, the organisers have come up with alternative ways of raising money for this year’s local beneficiaries, The Dai Rees Foundation, Tenby Memory Cafe & Tenby RNLI.

This year swimmers are being asked to pay an entry donation of £10 or more which will  entitle them to a commemorative certificate delivered in the new year. The donation link is open until December 31.

Swimmers are welcome to don fancy dress on a Golden theme and will enter the sea at 11:30am. There will be music on the beach from 10:30am courtesy of DJ Steve Briers.

The event is being sponsored by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Outer Reef, Harbour Wealth Management, Princes Gate Spring Water and N.D. Toy & Partners.

See www.TenbyBoxingDaySwim.co.uk and Tenby Boxing Day Swim on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.