HUNDREDS of brave swimmers started 2023 with a refreshing dip in the Clevedon Marine Lake.

The annual New Year’s Day dip event is a popular one with locals and once again it proved to be the place to be on January 1.

Spectators and family watched on as swimmers took the cold plunge in to the Marine Lake as funds were raised for charity.

The bucket collection was for Marlens, the charity behind the management and further development of Clevedon Marine Lake.

A spokesperson from Clevedon Marine Lake said: "Here's a huge, heartfelt thanks to every single one of you who's donated, become a friend of the Lake, joined the lottery, supported our fundraising events, paid for coaching or club sessions, bought a bobble hat, litter picked and volunteered.

"We're a charity, and without you, our lake wouldn't be clean and well-maintained and we wouldn't be able to make improvements. Big love to you all and here's to a happy, healthy 2023."

It's been another bumper year with more visitors than ever and more improvements to the lake itself since its renovation in 2015.

Currently, North Somerset Council owns the lake, but it is leased by a charity called Marlens that keeps it in tip-top condition.

In March and October of 2022, the lake was drained for a litter-pick and treasure hunt of the lake bed, and removed silt and mud.

The charity fixed broken railings, installed non-slip step covers on the slippery steps and fixed a leaking penstock.

New signage was installed as well as a digital lake thermometer, and broken doors on the lock-up were replaced.

Clevedon Marine Lake said: "Our biggest project of all was building the Hive, a hub for our volunteers and also an accessible changing room, which people will be able to use next summer. We also have a new hoist to help people with disabilities access the water.

"It's been an amazing year. The lake has a vibrant, thriving community that's just continued to grow," said Rowan Clarke, who has just retired as Chair of Trustees for Marlens, the charity that runs the lake.

"My personal highlights were the 24-hour relay which raised amazing funds for a charity that provides swimming lessons for children with disabilities called Level Water, and Lake Day, which brought together our wonderful community on, in and around the water."

"I'm also really excited to see the Hive being used by our wonderful volunteers, and can't wait to see it being used by people with disabilities in 2023," she said.