Coldvember Returns: Galway Students Brave the Atlantic for a Great Cause

Get your dryrobes out and your beanies on! Coldvember 2025 kicks off this Saturday 1 November, with the student-led fundraiser hoping to raise €20,000 for Galway Rape Crisis Centre.

In its seventh year running, Coldvember aims to promote the benefits of cold-water swimming, foster community engagement, and raise money for a great cause. 

Committee member, Donald Thomson, spoke to Galway Pulse about the fundraiser: “We’re back raising money for Galway Rape Crisis Centre this year. 

“The six of us on the committee will go down every day and we’ll have a swim and everyone’s free to come down and join us. It’s completely voluntary, like we want you to all just come and have a good time essentially”.

Led by a committee of six University of Galway students, Coldvember takes place at Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill at 7:30am every weekday, and 9am at the weekends.

This year, the Coldvember committee have chosen the GRRC, a local organistion providing confidential conselling and support for anyone affected by sexual violence, as their charity fundraiser.

“We just think it’s a really great local cause,” Donald explained. “It’s a cause close to a lot of our hearts and they do a lot of good work in the community.

“We can see the work that they’re doing as well, they make it very visible. And especially for people of our age it’s a very prevalent issue.”

“We’ve actually got €500 already,” Donald commented, “so we just need… What, thirty-nine more 500 euros?”

Though the thought of dipping into the icy sea at dawn every morning might sound tough, for the Coldvember crew, it’s the reward for months of behind-the-scenes work.

“Yeah, it’s actually kind of stressful,” Donald laughed. “We have events that we need to plan. So we need to get onto bands, we need to get onto businesses. We literally go into businesses and be like, ‘please, please give us prizes for raffles and quizzes’. 

“But it’s super fun because it’s going to be so worth it come November. So it’s just making the experience as good and fun as possible for everyone.”

Have no fear, the Galway community has rallied around Coldvember this year, with lots of local businesses promising goodies.

“Most businesses are more than happy to contribute,” said Donald. “Like it’s a really nice community in Galway that are happy to donate.”

Giving Galway Pulse an exclusive preview into what can be expected this coming November, Donald said: “Well, hopefully we will have Micil whiskey, so a nice hot whiskey on Monday morning.

“We’ll have vouchers, there’s raffle prizes from Dough Bro’s and Murphy’s Ice Cream. We’ll have Red Bull coming down one day for a diving competition, which will be very fun. All About Kombucha as well. So we have a lot of businesses on board.”

While raising funds for the GRRC is Coldvember’s main goal, as a student-run organisation it also places an emphasis on mental health.

“It’s a nice routine to get into,” Donald explained. “It’s a nice community to be a part of. It’s also fun to challenge yourself to even just get up early. 

“It’s also really nice for the mind – it’s a good mental health reset. It’s just a hard reset, hitting the cold water. It’s really nice.”

For the summer-season sea-swimmer, Coldvember might not seem all that nice. Fortunately, Donald shared some tips for how to bear the cold, and for staying safe in the water.

“Definitely don’t go in the water by yourself,” he said. “Have a buddy or two buddies.

“A hot water bottle is really handy – leave your clothes wrapped around a hot water bottle while you’re in the water.”

“Bring loads of layers,” he continued. “If you think you have more than enough layers, you probably don’t. Definitely don’t. And spare socks as well, because your socks can get wet. Going home in wet socks is the worst ever.”

If the prospect of dipping into the Atlantic Ocean at sunrise still seems too daunting, there are other ways to participate in Coldvember.

“If you’re not a confident swimmer, you don’t have to get in,” Donald explained. “Like you can still contribute in many other ways.”

While donating – or buying one of the super stylish baby-pink beanies – is one of the most beneficial ways to support the Coldvember cause, you can also show your support by turning up for a sunrise Blackrock boogie. 

“We’d encourage even if you can’t swim, just come down for a dance and a tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot whiskey, a kombucha,” Donald said. “We’ll always have music, we’ll have DJs and bands. 

“Just come down! It’s a fun community vibe, a place to make new friends and have a good time, even if you’re not swimming.”

To donate to the GRRC, follow this link: Support Coldvember 2025 in aid of Galway Rap on iDonate.ie

For more information, follow Coldvember on instagram @coldvember