Congratulations to Vivien Scott, who has raised over £1,700 for Horatio’s Garden with her recent New Year’s Day swim in the River Tay!

To give a donation to Vivien’s JustGiving page, please click here 

Known in Dundee to be a powerhouse and a prodigious fundraiser for many causes, we were absolutely thrilled to hear that Vivien wished to do something to raise both awareness of and vital funds for the charity throughout her local area. 

She decided to take on the challenge incredibly kindly as a result of being unable to hold her Fabulous Summer Tea Party last summer.

Whilst this may have been her first year of using the swim as an opportunity to give back to Horatio’s Garden, she has in fact been braving the water on every New Year’s Day for the past 15 years. In that time, she’s shown herself to be a master of the fancy dress competition, rightly winning a prize every year!

Vivien Scott in Costume Vivien Scott in Jellyfish Costume Vivien Scott in Costume

Whilst Vivien set her fundraising target to £1,000, she was very much hoping to surpass it and is enormously thankful to everyone who helped to make her (very!) fresh start to 2021 worthwhile. 

As such, she has written a ‘thank you’ poem, in addition to the one explaining her challenge below, in order to express her appreciation:

1st January 2021 – on this glorious day,
I swam across the bay in the silvery Tay,
A big thank you for sponsoring me,
£1,738.50 raised – a handsome donation,
To YOU I give a standing ovation.
 

To give a donation to Vivien’s JustGiving page, please click here 

We’re enormously grateful to Viven for her incredible fundraising venture and to everyone who has kindly donated.

We hope Viven has spent every minute since her swim staying warm and cosy!

Viven’s New Year’s Day Dook Poem

Our annual New Year’s Day Dook, 
Coz of Covid-19, we’ve had to cancel, 
But as a loyal member of YEAABA (Ye Amphibious Ancients Bathing Association), 
There’s a charity which I hope to hansel.

I’ve been swimming every day since 1st of May, 
Up ‘til 1st October down at Broughty Castle in the River Tay,
Whatever the weather in the mornings at seven, 
Nothing like it, me alone, it simply was heaven. 

 Just a swimsuit and a cap to stop my head getting cold, 
Braving the water temperature – good for holding back dementia, so I’ve been told!

It made me happy, eases aches and pains, 
The seas to myself, no swimming pool lanes. 

So may I ask if in your purse or pocket you look, 
And find a few pound coins to sponsor my Dook. 

As on 1st January 2021, with my YEAABA friends, 
We will mirror the tradition of 135 New Year’s Day trends, 
Across the bay at Beach Crescent I will swim, 
At 2:30pm with the tide coming in. 

The money I raise to a very worthy charity it will go, 
Please read about Horatio’s Garden here below.
 

Viven originally printed the poem on an insert for her Christmas cards, hence the reference to ‘below’where she thoughtfully included more information about the charity to help spread the word.