Dip in the nip and help treat cancer

The fourth North East 'Dip in the Nip' takes place at dawn on Sunday 6th September at a secret location only dippers and volunteers are allowed attend. This dip is a women-only event, mainly because the men of the north east have proved to be shockingly shy!

NECRET – the NorthEast Cancer Research & EducationTrust, benefits the entire north east of the country, and this year, the money raised by the Dip in the Nip will go towards the purchase of a lifesaving gene sequencing machine. The cost of this is approximately €160,000, of which NECRET has already raised €40,000. The Dip in the Nip event will hopefully be able to contribute a significant amount to the fund, so they’re looking for a lot of dippers, and even more importantly, a lot of people to sponsor them!

What is a gene sequencing machine used for? The transformation of a normal cell to a cancerous cell involves a series of complete changes, that can be identified through genome sequencing. This allows clinicians and oncologists to identify the specific – and unique – changes a patient has undergone to develop their cancer. Based on these changes, a personalised therapeutic strategy can be undertaken.

For a lot of people the Dip in the Nip is more than just a fundraiser, for those who take part, the Dip gives them is so much more than an altruistic sense of helping in the fight against cancer: it gives them something deeply personal and long lasting.

One 'dipper' spoke of how being naked in the sea healed her acrimonious relationship with her deceased, alcoholic father, and allowed her to say goodbye to him, something she had been unable to do previously. Another Dipper, who had had a double mastectomy, echoed the sentiments of many when she said, that after her first Dip, running naked into the sea had given her back her body, her self-confidence and her sexuality. Running naked into the sea seems to re-connect people with their bodies. It’s as though they fall in love with them, and re-discover just how beautiful those bodies are, regardless of size, shape or lumpy bits! It is such a simple act, that of immersing oneself in the waves, and yet it has powerful consequences for those who do it.

Full information on the Dip in the Nip, and how to register can be had at www.dipinthenip.eu. The

Dip can also be found at www.facebook.com/dipinthenip.