Cold water challenge proves popular for multiple charities
Howard Lake | 23 July 2014 | News
As most of Britain is basking in the glorious sunshine and heat, a new social media craze is sweeping the nation to help cool us down… the cold water challenge! This trend, often videoed, is of people drenching themselves or others in icy cold water or jumping into the sea, all in aid to raise money for charity.
Through tagging each other on Facebook, it has now become the new fun and creative fundraising event.
In New Zealand cancer charities have received almost $400,000 in donations through cold water challenges, and in the US participants usually pay $10 towards their chosen charity but if they forfeit their challenge they have to donate $100.
In the UK, it has recently been adopted by a close network of deaf people who have raised money for a number of charities including WaterAid. SignSong performer Jayne Fletcher, from Wolverhampton, took the refreshing challenge:
She said:
“I had seen the Water Challenge all over Facebook and a few fans of mine had nominated me, so I did it to support the deaf community and to help WaterAid. It was fun and so refreshing!”
Marcus Missen and Hannah Wilkinson of WaterAid take the cold water drench
As a way of saying thank you to all who have taken part, two WaterAid members of staff have joined in. Communications and Fundraising Director, Marcus Missen and Media Officer Hannah Wilkinson volunteered to get soaked on the banks of the Thames:
The Masons of Scotland have also taken part in the challenge and have raised over £2,500 for nearly 35 charities.
Main image: cold water drench by Benoit Daoust on Shutterstock.com
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.