Around 30 hardy souls collectively took a deep breath – and then ‘took the plunge’ – at Mahon Pool, Maroubra, on Saturday 25 July, as House of Sadaqa held its 3rd Annual Charity Winter Plunge.

The mid-winter conditions were unforgiving, but that was rather the point.

With the mercury sitting stubbornly low and the ocean pool living up to every expectation, participants from the Sydney Muslim community stripped back their hesitation and launched themselves into the icy water – all in the name of raising funds for local families doing it tough.

What began as a bold experiment in 2024 has found its footing as one of the community’s most unique annual fundraising occasions.

Ready to take the plunge!

The format is simple but effective: get sponsored, show up and dive in for charity.

Founder Rob Bilal Laidlaw (on the left in feature image), who built House of Sadaqa from his Castle Hill garage in 2010 into one of Sydney’s most respected Muslim charities, was ecstatic.

“This is what community looks like,” he told AMUST.

“Nobody had to be here – they chose to be here, in the middle of winter, doing something uncomfortable to assist those less fortunate.”

“That speaks volumes about the character of this community.”

A special acknowledgement to the event’s generous sponsors, Suttons Motors and Goodwill Connect, whose support helped make the event possible.

‘In the swim’!

“We couldn’t do any of this without people who put their hand up and back us,” Laidlaw said.

“Suttons and Goodwill Connect believed in what we’re doing, and that means a great deal to all of us at House of Sadaqa.”

These days based out of a warehouse in Revesby, House of Sadaqa has spent 16 years humbly doing the hard work of supporting the vulnerable both locally and overseas.

Events like the Winter Plunge are a reminder that this charity’s strength lies not just in its founder’s vision, but in a community willing to get cold for a good cause.

City of Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek (right) is a tremondous supporter of charity initiatives, including the Winter Plunge. (Photos courtesy of House of Sadaqa and Hajj Bachir Zreika.)