

A Cold Challenge

The year has started on a cold note here at Life Matters. I decided to take on a personal challenge and Brave the Waves in the sea EVERY DAY in January, to raise money for a brilliant local charity. No wetsuits allowed.
Getting in the sea through the winter is always a challenge, but the weather we’ve had through this month has made it even more so. I’ve been in the sea several times this month during gale force winds, as well as when it’s been snowing, raining (no surprise there) and we’ve had the occasional glorious sunrise.
The sea temperature is sitting at around 7 degrees, so we stay in for around 7 minutes. But it’s often the freezing air temperature, or cold winds, that make it so challenging.
The charity I’m fundraising for is MyTime Young Carers, a local Dorset based charity with a national presence. Their mission is to level the playfield for children that give up much of their childhood to care for loved ones. On average they spend 50 hours a week undertaking household and caring duties. This can be from an incredibly young age and of course, impacts their ability to attend and participate at school. This means they can end up at a serious disadvantage for the rest of their lives.
MyTime have massively raised the profile of this issue in schools, in Government and are also helping children to get some of their childhoods back.
A big thank you to those of you that have donated already. I would love to give the total I’ve raised a good boost before the end of the month, so would appreciate any donation you’re able to make. It’ll also encourage me to the ‘finish line’ for my last couple of swims. You can find the link to my JustGiving page here.
Team News

In other news, I’m delighted to share a team update with you. After two very successful years at Life Matters, Lucy has been promoted to Senior Financial Planning Administrator. Lucy’s openness to our culture of seeking to do things better tomorrow than we did yesterday, is such a great asset to our team.
As Lucy is taking on more responsibility, I’m excited to see the impact she can have by challenging the status quo and driving improvement in the business. Watch this space 😊.
Some Personal News
Unfortunately, 2024 brought some very difficult and sad news for my family in relation to my Dad. He’s now in a nursing home receiving end of life care, so our priority is making the most of the precious time we have left with him. It serves as an important reminder that life is not a rehearsal.
Now we’re towards the end of January, I can reflect and realise how important having something positive and within my control to focus on, has been, in the form of my daily sea swim whatever the weather.