We’d love to hear your club’s news. If you’re hosting an event, fundraiser or have just got something exciting you would like to share please let us know and we’ll put it online or in the e-newsletter. Contact us and let us know all about it.
After the success of the previous event… On Sunday 7th February, the club will be holding its second fundraising quiz at the Harbour Lights Fish & Chip restaurant, Falmouth. Find out more here.
WHO WANTS TO BE A FLOODIE? (Also known as Surf Life Saving Devon Flood Resilience Unit or DFRU)
What’s a Floodie? December 2015. Nine of us are qualified now to assist in flood rescues anywhere in the country with about 36 hours’ notice. None of us is quite sure why we have volunteered for all this. We had to attend one day initial training followed by two weekends learning knots, wading and getting washed away in rivers, playing with ropes, pulleys, dry suits and other PPE and not to mention just a little power point with films of scary stuff in North Carolina. Next those already qualified are going to the Cardiff International White Water center……..Read more here.
Last Thursday 8th October, while acting as safety cover in an IRB for BBC shooting a surfing lesson by Andrew Cotton for “Countryfile” Paul Reid and Morgan Howgate of Saunton Sands SLSC were tasked to the rescue of a surf canoeist who was in serious trouble. He had capsised and had been swimming against the current for quite some time but making no progress. The filming stopped as the camera crew thought that people were messing around right in front of them. After the rescue they continued with the filming but had missed the real action. Potentially another life has been saved in the sea at Saunton.
On Sunday 27th September two Saunton Sands Club members, along with Jack, Amy and Cotty, assisted Sarah Whitely’s surf school give some disabled children a “surfing experience”. Saunton Sands Hotel kindly donated hot soup, tea and coffee etc. The participants had a great day. This is likely to become an annual event like “Breaking the Barrier”
The IRB section of Saunton Sands SLSC provided water safety cover at the first Lynmouth triathlon (Tri the Beast) and along with people on rescue boards the Club provided water safety for the Ilfracombe triathlon again. The organisers commented favourably on the professionalism of the Club.
In July eight Saunton Sands members and one Woolacombe Club member achieved DEFRA level 3 awards in flood training and in September / October five of the Saunton Sands members to DEFRA level 5. Surf Life Saving Devon now has a Flood Resilience Unit that once they are fully equipped can be called upon by the Home Office or the Police to be deployed anywhere in Britain or possibly even Europe. Most of the members of the team are Saunton Sands members.
Saunton Sands and Croyde SLSCs have jointly purchase new training manikin and defibrillation equipment. This is the Laerdal Resusci Anne QCPR AED Torso and the Phillips FRx Defibrillation trainer along with a SimPad SkillReporter. They will now be able to train these techniques to a much higher standard and are exploring the possibility of running a “Community First Responder Course” in the new year for club members and the general public.
St Ives Surf Life Saving Club
Marcus Or, a member of St Ives Surf Life Saving Club last week represented Great Britain in the European Surf Life Saving youth Championships in Alicante, Spain. The GB team finished third behind eventual winners Germany and France in a competition hotly contested between sixteen countries. The team of six male & six female athletes from all over the UK competed over five days in pool, sea and beach events; Marcus reached the finals for all individual events and won a team gold medal for the Male Ocean Relay.
“Looking back at the start of the beach season I didn’t feel as if I could achieve anywhere near as much as I have. First, getting in to county level, then into England and then into GB. First of all I would like to say a huge thank you to all my coaches as they have taken time out of their lives to lend a hand. Thanks to the whole of my club for all the support at competitions as it has really driven me to push my limits.”
St Ives Surf Life Saving Club are a friendly club who actively encourage people from all walks of life to “have a go” and get
involved – whether you are 7 years old or 70 years old a warm welcome awaits you!
For more details visit http://www.stivesslsc.com
Gylly surf lifesavers shine on a European Stage
Gyllyngvase Surf Life Saving Club youth members, Izzy Berks and Nick Laws, were selected to compete for Great Britain at last week’s European Surf Life Saving Championships in Alicante, Spain.
They both proved their selection was no mistake, bringing home a number of medals; racing against some of the best youth athletes on the World’s stage. It is the first Surf Life Saving GBR call up for a Gyllyngvase club member.
Izzy picked up European silver in the beach sprints, and European bronze in beach flags, sprint relay and ocean relay.
Nick secured European gold in board rescue and ocean relay. As well as 4th in tube rescue, 8th in Surf race and 6th in sprint relay. In the pool, he placed 5th in both the obstacle and medley relay, 4th in line throw, 13th in 200m obstacle and 23rd in 100m manikin carry with fins.
Team GB finished an incredible 3rd overall.
Gyllyngvase youth coach, Matthew Trebilcock, says ‘It’s an amazing achievement to be selected to compete for Great Britain, but to come back with so may medals is something the whole of Cornwall should be proud of.’Gyllyngvase chairman, Matthew Stone, added ‘Both Izzy and Nick have been dedicated surf lifesavers for many years, and they will become exceptional beach lifeguards in the future. What a fantastic result for the two Falmouth teenagers and team GB’.
They were competing alongside a number of youth surf lifesavers from across the country, including athletes from fellow Cornwall clubs Newquay and Portreath.
Nick, Izzy and all of the other Gylly youth members are now focusing their attention to pool training over the winter. Their eyes are set on next year’s national, European and World Championships.
If you would like more information about Gylly SLSC, please visit gyllysurf.org.uk
Exmouth Beach Rescue Club Voluntary lifeguards clock up over 1,200 hours this summer
The summer is officially over for the voluntary lifeguards at Exmouth Beach Rescue Club, who managed to clock up an impressive number of voluntary hours keeping beach users safe this summer.
In all, 29 members gave up 1,237 hours of their own time, unpaid, to provide the lifeguard patrols on the 18 Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays throughout the summer season.
Over the summer, the club’s voluntary lifeguards performed eight rescues, dealt with 16 first aid incidents and provided advice and guidance to 137 beach users.
In addition to patrols, members continued a fitness and lifeguard skills training programme throughout the summer, with new members being supported and encouraged into the water overseen by experienced coaches.
The club also hosted the Surf Life Saving Great Britain National Championships for the second year running, with members embracing the opportunity to compete on their local beach and to help with the smooth running of a national sporting event.
But that wasn’t all! The club also sent water safety cover to some large national, and smaller local, sporting events. Lifeguards and boat crews from the club provided safety cover for events including the London, Blenheim, Hyde Park, Dawlish and South Hams triathlons, as well as long distance swimming events including the Exe and Starcross swims, organised by the Exmouth Swimming and Life Saving Society.
Club spokesperson, Dan Thorogood, looked back at the achievements of this season and said:
“It truly has been a magnificent year for the club. We have seen our membership grow and our club build on everyone’s strengths. We have very successfully hosted the nationals for the second year running, which benefited not only the club and the seafront, but also businesses in and out of the town. Our members have once again shown they are truly dedicated to voluntary service for their local community, and the season’s figures speak for themselves in what we have achieved. On behalf of the committee, I would like to thank all the members, helpers and parents who have kept the club on its feet this year, as well as all those who have supported the club through sponsorship, donations, labour and in any other way. We are a small charity and without such support we would not be able to achieve what we do. Thank you. “
Now the summer is over the club is looking at its winter training programme, which will build on the fitness and life guarding skills training that has been ongoing throughout the summer. Fitness and theory training continues on Tuesday evenings, and Sunday mornings will soon see swim training return along with practical life saving skills in the sea.
For anyone interested in what Exmouth Beach Rescue Club is up to, or if you are interested in joining, take a look at their website www.exmouthbeachrescueclub.org, or find them on Facebook and Twitter.