Anna and supporters at the Lido

AS January temperatures dropped and frost-kissed mornings greeted early risers, a food bank manager was enjoying an icy wake-up call.

Anna Kusner, who also works as a steward at the Hampstead Heath swimming pond, set herself the challenge of a month of daily dawn dips to raise funds for the food hub at Castlehaven Community Centre in Camden Town.

Over the past four weeks, Ms Kusner has swum in the Heath ponds, the Serpentine and the Royal Docks, and on Sunday she was joined by Lido swimmers to celebrate 30 consecutive ice-cold swims.

She said: “It’s been hard at times, but a great experience, and I’ve had wonderful support.”

Anna Kusner

Ms Kusner hopes to hit a £3,000 target to help families and vulnerable people at the food bank in Hawley Road, which with the New Journal’s Food Aid Van project she helped found during the first wave of the pandemic two years ago.

To donate: search “Castlehaven Food Bank” at www.justgiving.com