A BRAVE Co Down man has taken the plunge and faced his fears of sea swimming to raise over £12,000 for hungry kids. Despite being terrified of open water, dad-of-two Dennis Bree (41), from Helen's Bay, managed to swim a mile in icy sea waters every day for the past month to secure much-needed funds for a local charity that helps families living in food poverty. He took on the challenge after listening to a heartbreaking radio interview with top kids' doc, Dr Julie-Ann Maney, where she talked of starving tots stuffing toast in their nappies. "I was sitting in the car having a coffee when I heard that interview," recalls Dennis. "My family has a small business, a guesthouse on the Ravenhill Road and it's been closed since April. We had to let a staff member go and, like a lot of people in hospitality, I was feeling frustrated about that and wondering how we were going to stay afloat.