Tonight marked the start of the next phase of Swim Through Darkness . From here, the swims move to a weekly format, with the campaign continuing throughout the year. I entered the water just after sundown. The conditions were cold and unsettled, but appropriate for my half mile swim objective. This shift isn’t about easing the work. It’s about making the campaign sustainable. Over the past month, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to give both the swimming and the wider cam

This years campaign ran from December 1st-31st 2025. There has been a different approach of emphasising help  rather than the nightly swim challenge. This involved a much more cut down, streamlined and consistent social presence and a slightly shorter swim distance of 0.5miles swam per night. No donations were asked for but donations have come in for the charity Aware NI. Next The figures around mental health struggle in NI have continued to rise. I have found it difficult to

On one of the swims last week, I noticed a figure on the beach. They didn’t approach, just watched. I assumed they were curious and left it at that. The next night, after leaving the water, I saw a lone shape on the sand about 200 metres away. At first, it blended into the darkness. As I walked, the moonlight caught it, turning the outline sharp against the wet beach. Whoever it was seemed to be carrying something across their back and walking directly toward me. I wondered i

WEEK ONE Tonight is swim number seven of this year’s Swim Through Darkness campaign. I’ll be in the water every night this December. In the week leading up to the first swim, new figures were released about the state of mental health here. They weren’t good. The numbers keep climbing. It’s hard to hear, and harder still to know what to do about it. Sometimes I question whether swimming back and forth along cold beaches at night makes any difference at all. But it’s what I kno