Dip for a Difference

Turn Your Winter Swims Into Life-Changing Impact

Join the Level Water Sub10 Club This Winter!

Immerse yourself in cold water while helping children with disabilities learn to swim.

Every time you swim in water under 10°C between 1 November 2025 and 31 March 2026, you're changing lives.

Register now

WHAT'S THE SUB10 CLUB?

Sub10 means swimming when water drops below 10°C. The Sub10 Club is NOWCA's winter swimming initiative that celebrates every cold water swim you complete.

What makes it special:

  • No distance targets or time limits - every dip counts, from 5 seconds to 15 minutes

  • Earn exclusive badges at 10, 25, and 50 swims

  • Track your progress on monthly leaderboards

  • Join a supportive community of cold water swimmers

  • All abilities welcome

The Sub10 Club runs 1 November to 31 March and welcomes all swim abilities and experience.

DIP FOR A DIFFERENCE: FUNDRAISE & WIN PRIZES

Make your swims count double by fundraising for Level Water. Every pound you raise funds swimming lessons for children with disabilities.

Your Milestones:

Sign Up - Welcome pack with pink swim hat and postcard, plus access to your swimmer hub

£15 - Funded your first lesson! Enter NOWCA prize draw (t-shirt, tow float, swim hat). Winners drawn 1 April 2026

£100 - Level Water beanie

£200 - 10L Red Equipment dry bag

£300 - 20 lessons funded! Personal handwritten postcard from Ian, our CEO and Founder

Badges You'll Earn:

  • Physical embroidered badges at 10, 25, 50 swims (venue swims)

  • Virtual digital badges for wild swims

  • Centurion badges at 100, 200, 300 lifetime swims

Register now

TWO WAYS TO JOIN & HOW TO GET STARTED

Option 1: Swim at NOWCA Sub10 Venues

Book sessions via NOWCA’s booking system at participating venues. When water hits 10°C or below, your swim automatically counts. Your first sub-10°C swim enrolls you in the Sub10 Club. Watch yourself appear on the official monthly scoreboard

Option 2: Swim Anywhere with NOWCA Wild

Download the free NOWCA Wild app, join the Level Water community group, and log swims from any location - lakes, rivers, the sea. Perfect for wild swimmers who want complete freedom.

Getting Started:

  1. Register for Dip for a Difference - Receive welcome pack and JustGiving setup instructions

  2. Choose your path - Participating Sub10 venues or NOWCA Wild app (anywhere)

  3. Start swimming - Save swims below 10°C on NOWCA Wild, your venue swims will be logged automatically

  4. Share your page - Fundraise and watch your impact grow

  5. Earn your rewards - Collect badges and prizes as you go

Register now

Safety First: Preparing for Cold Water Swimming

Cold water swimming is incredible, but it comes with risks that are important to understand. Water under 10°C affects your body very differently than summer swimming.

Before you start, we strongly recommend:

  1. Read the Cold Water Safety Guide

  2. Consider Taking the Cold Water Induction Course

    • Sign up with Level Water and access the course for free!

  3. Key Safety Rules

    • Never swim alone – always let someone know where you are

    • Listen to your body – if something feels wrong, get out

    • Start gradually – don't push beyond your limits

    • Warm up properly after swimming

    • If swimming at wild locations, assess conditions carefully

Some NOWCA venues require a Cold Water Induction before swimming in winter. Check with your local venue about their specific requirements.

WHO WE ARE & WHY IT MATTERS

Level Water is a charity giving children with disabilities the opportunity to learn to swim. Swimming builds physical development, social skills, and emotional confidence. We unite teachers, families, pools, and the swimming community to ensure all children can experience the transformative power of water.

Every £15 you raise funds one specialist swimming lesson.

What parents tell us:

“My daughter, Isie, has been having lessons for some time now and has made progress beyond all our hopes and dreams! When she started lessons she was too nervous to let the water go above her knee! Now she can swim a length on her back and jumps in the deep end - doing it in a way that suits her abilities.”

“Freddie managed his 25 meter front crawl and already managed 25 on his back this last Saturday and while that is a fantastic achievement for him, what is equally important to me is the rise in his confidence and wellbeing in general.  Freddie has been at time painfully shy and both Gwen and Ellie have been just fantastic. I am struggling to find the words for how much we appreciate you everything that you have done for Freddie and our family.”

“Have to say the swim teacher Clark has got at K2, Kelsey, is absolutely amazing. She's not only a great swim teacher (obvs!) but she's a natural born therapist. She really does get the best out of him - I've only seen Clark respond to one other therapist like this and that was in America! So impressed with her - she's capable of big things.”

Fundraising Prize Draw Key Info

  • We are offering all swimmers who raise money for Level Water the chance to win some amazing prizes.

    Simply reach £15 to be entered into the NOWCA prize draw and £75 (before 31 December 2026) to be entered into the Red Equipment prize draw.

  • How to Enter:

    • Simply register for Dip for a Difference and start fundraising

    • Reach £15 = Automatic entry into NOWCA Prize Draw

    • Reach £75 before 31 December 2025 = Automatic entry into Red Equipment Prize Draw

  • This is for all swimmers registered to ‘Dip for a Difference’ with NOWCA’s Sub-10 or Wild Sub-10 Club.

    Register here to get involved and you’ll receive information on how to set up your JustGiving page.

  • The £75 draw will be pulled after 31 December 2025. This is so the winners can get the best use out of their cosy changing robes.

    The £15 draw will be pulled after 1 April 2026 so everyone who has dipped for a difference has a chance to win the NOWCA goodies.

  • All of the prizes have been kindly donated by our amazing supporters:

    What Can You Win?

    Red Equipment Draw:

    • Fabulous changing robes worth £160 each

    NOWCA Draw (5 winners):

    • T-shirt

    • Tow float

    • Swim hat

    • Additional NOWCA goodies

    All prizes have been kindly donated by our amazing supporters and cannot be exchanged.

    NOWCA

    Red Equipment

  • No. The Sub10 Club welcomes all abilities. However, we strongly recommend reading the Cold Water Safety Guide and considering the Cold Water Induction course before starting, especially if you're new to winter swimming.

  • Absolutely! Many swimmers do both. Your venue swims count on the Sub10 Club scoreboard, and your wild swims count on the Wild Sub10 Club scoreboard. All your swims support your fundraising for Level Water.

  • Every penny counts! Even if you raise £15, you've funded a swimming lesson for a child with a disability AND you're entered into the NOWCA prize draw. Any amount makes a real difference.

    • For venue swims via ACTiO: Yes, you need a current NOWCA membership. Please register with your NOWCA email for Dip for Difference

    • For wild swims via NOWCA Wild: No membership required

    • If you are not a member, NOWCA will send you details on how to join once you sign up with Level Water

  • Yes! Your NOWCA membership gives you access to all 40+ participating venues across the UK. Check the NOWCA website to find venues near you and Sub10 participating venues.

    https://nowca.org/winter-swimming/

  • Any swim in water below 10°C counts, regardless of duration or distance. A quick dip and a long swim both count as one swim. It's about showing up and embracing the cold, not about pushing limits.

  • Physical prizes (beanie, dry bag, postcards) are sent shortly after you reach each milestone. Prize draw winners are notified after the draw dates.

  • There are two types of badges you can earn:

    Physical Embroidered Badges (NOWCA Sub10 Club – Venue Swims)

    • Awarded for swims completed at participating NOWCA venues (booked via ACTiO app)

    • These are actual fabric badges that NOWCA mails to you

    • Earned at 10, 25, and 50 swims (seasonal) and 100, 200, 300 swims (cumulative lifetime total)

    • You can sew them onto hoodies, bags, or display them however you like!

    Virtual Digital Badges (Wild Sub10 Club – Wild Swims)

    • Awarded for swims logged anywhere via the NOWCA Wild app

    • These are beautiful digital badges you unlock in the app

    • Perfect for sharing on social media to celebrate your achievements

    • Tracked on the Wild Sub10 scoreboard

    Can I earn both types? Yes! If you swim at venues AND in the wild, you'll earn both physical badges (for venue swims) and virtual badges (for wild swims). Many swimmers proudly collect both.

  • The Sub10 season ends, but your impact continues! The funds you've raised will provide swimming lessons throughout 2026 and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

This winter, your cold water dips change lives. You'll earn badges, win prizes, climb leaderboards, and push your boundaries. But most importantly, you'll give children with disabilities the chance to experience the joy, confidence, and freedom of swimming.

How cold will you go? How many lives will you change?

Register now

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