Happy New Year!

Wendy at the East Neuk Dook

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a lovely festive period and a great New Year!

I ended 2024 with a cold jump in the sea on Hogmanay as I took part in the East Neuk Dook. The event was fantastic with people from across the community gathering in Anstruther to take part and also support loved ones. Over thirty of us jumped off the pier to raise money for charity and many others took on the icy water in a cold dip up to shoulder height from the beach, which was a new addition this year.

Similar events took place across North East Fife including in Leven, and elsewhere in Limekilns, Kinghorn and Kirkcaldy.

The East Neuk Dook has been running since 2001 and has been organised through by Fiona Corps, also a Liberal Democrat Councillor. It was first inspired by a similar event in Burghead in Moray. Starting with just 15 participants, and supported by then Anstruther RNLI coxswain John Murray, the event since then has aimed to raise vital funds for various local and national important causes. This year, the charities were Blood Cancer UK, Young Lives v Cancer and Fisher House UK. These charities were chosen following the diagnosis with acute promyelocytic leukaemia, a rare blood cancer, of Fiona’s daughter Jessica last year at the age of just 19.

Jessica is an absolute inspiration and following life-saving treatment in Birmingham, she is now in remission and is back at work as a medic in the RAF. Inspired by the care and support she received; she has also taken on her own fundraising challenges for Blood Cancer UK.

I’m grateful to the Anstruther RNLI and East Neuk First Responders who provided safety support at the event. Both do absolutely incredible work all year round. I was also very pleased to see Gillian Duncan, who founded the East Neuk First Responders, be honoured with an MBE this year. In addition, local sponsorship from the Bank in Anstruther and Peter Murray Funeral Services helped the event with a splash.

I’m not sure if this will become an annual event for me, but very glad to take part this year.