TAKING a festive dip in the sea and helping to raise global awareness are two missions which can be accomplished in minutes this Christmas.

That’s because the legendary Tenby Boxing Day Swim has chosen Climate Change for its fancy dress theme.

Now in its 49th year, the swim, which splashes out from the resort’s North Beach, attracts hundreds of barmy bathers and thousands of spectators.

Fancy dress is a big part of the swim, with a prize-giving parade of crazy costumes ahead of the 11.30am plunge.

Chilly dippers will be able to warm up around Tenby Air Cadets cheery beach bonfire and with hot soup served by Tenby and District Lions.

Every swimmer will be presented with a commemorative medal which this year – for the first time in the swim’s history – are made out of wood instead of plastic or metal.

Said swim chairman Chris Osborne: “Our seaside environment, which we proudly treasure, is under threat so it seems absolutely right that we support efforts to raise awareness of climate change and its impact.

“We hope our swimmers’ imaginative fancy dress will help in this cause.”

Last year’s event proved a record-breaker, with more than 700 swimmers taking part, to the delight of event organisers, the Tenby Sea Swimming Association (TSSA).

Over £8,300 was raised for various charities and good causes.

Swimmers can collect for their own good causes or TSSA charities -which are Prostate Cymru and the Tenby Talking Newspaper - and sponsor forms can be downloaded from tenbyboxingdayswim.co.uk