Hi all,

On the morning of Sunday 15th December I am taking part in the 'RNLI Shoreham December Dip'. Given that I prefer warm climates to cold ones, evenings to mornings and flying as opposed to sailing, this is an odd decision and I would be really grateful for your sponsorship.

The main reason I'm doing it is because of the extraordinary work that RNLI volunteers do every year in increasingly challenging conditions. You know, the kind that make a short, supervised swim in cold water look like a walk in the park on a sunny day.

Some facts:

- Since its formation in 1824 (yes, it's the 200th anniversary), the RNLI has saved over 146,000 lives (i.e. approx. 2 lives saved every day)

- 97% of RNLI crew are volunteers

- The cheapest open water lifeboat stations cost at least £215,000/year to run

As a charity separate from the coastguard and independent from government, the RNLI is reliant on voluntary donations to power its lifesaving work. My Nana was a keen supporter and several of the Shoreham volunteers have been and are friends of my family.

Thank you for any support you can offer!

Anto

P.s. To my wife, Elke; yes I am a dip.