Five elves braved sub-zero temperatures and freezing cold water at Frensham Great Pond to lead dozens of swimmers in a moving tribute to Charlie Cosser, who tragically lost his life to knife crime.

The cold water swim, part of a “Twelve Days of Christmas” challenge, aimed to raise both funds and awareness for Charlie’s Promise, the charity launched in his memory.

The elves – Sue Wilson, Heather Jarman, Pippa Cornell, Sophie Sherman, and Nat Donohue – have long been cold water swimming enthusiasts. But this year, they took on the icy challenge in honour of Charlie, who was fatally stabbed at a party in July 2023.

Sue Wilson, a close family friend, led the charge. “This was our way to come together and ground ourselves,” she said. “It’s all about raising awareness for Charlie’s Promise, but most importantly, it is about remembering Charlie’s name.

“What happened to Charlie was shocking. His funeral was packed, which was such a testament to him and his family. This swim is for Charlie, and we’ll never stop remembering him.”

Charlie’s father, Martin Cosser, launched Charlie’s Promise after vowing on Charlie’s deathbed that people would never forget what happened to him.

Martin said: “It was important that we all came together today, and my God, did we all come together. We had massive support from the community, and many of Charlie’s friends braved the water, all for Charlie.

“When I promised Charlie 17 months ago, before we switched off his life support machine, that I would spend my life educating young people—which I am already doing—part of that promise was that nobody would forget him. And that will never, ever happen. We will never allow him to be forgotten.

“These occasions are hard for our family. Although it’s lovely to have the support, we really wish we weren’t here. And it just highlights how deeply Charlie is missed.”

Nat Donohue, another of the elves, added: “We wanted to channel positive energy to support the Cosser family. Sometimes it’s hard to face the day, but with friends and determination, you can do it.”

Charlie’s Promise was established to honour Charlie’s memory and tackle the knife crime epidemic. Charlie, just 17, was stabbed at a party in West Sussex in July 2023. His killer, Yura Varybrus, was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2024.

“Charlie’s Promise keeps him alive,” Martin said. “If we can save even one life, that’s Charlie’s legacy.”

For more on Charlie’s Promise, visit: www.charliespromise.org