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12 Dips of Christmas Challenge

Complete 12 cold-water dips to raise money to help fund life-saving cancer research.

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The challenge

Complete 12 cold-water dips.

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Date

Throughout the month of December.

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Location

Choose a location that works for you, whether that's the sea, a lido or even a bath.

Sign up to the challenge

Brave the cold, feel proud, and raise money to help fund life-saving cancer research

This is your challenge. Whatever your ability, do it your way.

Whether you're new to cold-water dipping or a seasoned dipper, make every plunge count this December. Take part in a way that suits you and help us power progress.

How to take part

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Step: 1

Sign up for free - no entry fee

Complete our 2 minute form and get your free Cancer Research UK santa hat and online Giving Page.

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Step: 2

Join the community

If you'd like to, you can join the challenge Facebook group. Meet fellow dippers, ask questions, and keep your motivation high.

Join the 12 Dips of Christmas Challenge Facebook group

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Step: 3

Take on 12 cold-water dips and start fundraising today

Complete the challenge your way, solo or as a group. Start fundraising with your free fundraising pack and raise £200 to earn a medal.

Get our fundraising pack(PDF)

Sign up to the challenge

Completing the challenge

Get challenge support

Access your challenge tips(PDF, 200 KB)

We recommend December, but you can start and finish at any time.

You can continue to collect donations on your online Giving Page after the month ends.

Whether you finish the challenge or not, the money that you raise will allow us to continue to fund research into 200 types of cancer research.

Raise £200 and get a medal.

Raise £200 or more through your online Giving Page and you'll also receive a Cancer Research UK branded medal.

Cold water health and safety tips

Important health and safety tips for dipping indoors or in open water so you can understand how to stay safe while fundraising for Cancer Research UK.

How to fundraise

When you sign up, we'll create your online Giving Page.

Share it with friends, family and colleagues and start getting sponsorship for your challenge.

There's no set fundraising target.

You set your own goals. But we do recommend you set yourself a target of £150. Fundraisers who do set a target raise significantly more.

Visit our fundraising hub

Everything you need to hit your goals, including a fundraising pack, challenge calendar and shareable social badges.

What your fundraising can do

Whether you surpass your goals or don't quite reach them, the money you raise will help people affected by cancer.

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£70

£70 could fund a clinical research grant for one day, funding doctors and nurses to find new ways to beat cancer.

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£130

£130 could fund a cancer nurse for one day, giving people confidential cancer support and guidance.

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£170

£170 could fund a trial for one day to test new radiotherapy techniques for treating bile duct cancer.

Get answers to all your questions

Visit our FAQs page

Get answers to your most common questions.

Sign up to the 12 Dips of Christmas Challenge

Sign up to the challenge