A HEAD teacher has braved the icy waters of a charity challenge.

Bedford High School’s head Helen Phillips was nominated for the ice bucket challenge by her personal assistant Claire Taylor and accepted in the name of a very worthy cause.

Students and staff members gathered outside the entrance to Bedford’s upper school to see Helen take one for the team.

Before her challenge Helen is said to have joked that she had contemplated taking Barack Obama’s stance and declining due to her position, only for it to be pointed out that she wasn’t yet the leader of the free world.

She said: “That has to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

“It was so cold, it really did take your breath away. But it is for a very worthy cause so I was happy to give it a try.

“The real beauty of the challenge is I get to pick who takes it next, so I can't wait for our head boy and girl and our Senior Leadership Team to get the ice bucket treatment. If I can do it, then so can they.”

The phenomenon was started to raise money for American medical charity the ALS Association and awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - known as Motor Neurone Disease in the UK.

Famous faces who have accepted the challenge include everyone from Lady Ga Ga to Homer Simpson.

School business manager Daniel Meekin, who administered the dousing said: “I put plenty of ice in to two buckets and made sure most of it had just melted before the challenge began.

“I tested it beforehand and it was really, really cold. It was a brave thing for Helen to do.”

Mrs Phillips thanked her PA Claire and nominated the school’s head boy and girl and the entire Senior Leadership Team to take the challenge after her.

Watch a film of the challenge made by the student from Bedford High’s Enterprising Media Team: