Fusion launch National Lifesaving Academy!

Hannah Wiggins-Bettles, Regional Swim School Manager tells us how Fusion Lifestyle has embraced the National Lifesaving Academy (NLA)

It’s been a busy few months at Fusion Lifestyle, a registered charity, who operate 40 indoor pools and six lidos across England. In February 2023, Fusion successfully piloted the National Lifesaving Academy Instructor course for RLSS UK qualifying 11 Lifesaving Academy Instructors through the first pilot in the UK.

Fusion launched the NLA at two of its centres in March 2023, with Whitstable Swimming Pool in Kent and Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre in Essex successfully piloting the scheme, with plans to expand further across 2023.

The local managers involved in the pilot and subsequent launches are starting to see the benefits of the programme and the potential for this to support future recruitment efforts. Matthew Saunders, General Manager at Southend Leisure Centre said “The national shortage of lifeguards is well known, and the NLA is a perfect way for us to train and retain our young people so that they become lifeguards of the future. The fact that the training can count towards the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and eventually lead to RPL on the NPLQ has allowed us to extend our programme to 12-16 year olds”.

Dale Bicker, Swimming Coordinator at Herons Leisure Centre and Whitstable Pools, has also been involved in launching academy sessions. “We have always been huge advocates of home growing lifeguards, and the NLA just gives us the perfect tool to do this! By giving them steady points of recognition, we ensure they stay engaged, and continue to be our lifeguards and swim teachers of the future! Our lifesavers continue with us into employment - it’s just so important to give them the right start in life and it’s something we’re so proud of here.”

Hannah said “Here at Fusion, we’ve always been a huge advocate of the Rookie Lifeguard programme, and we continue to expand this offering throughout our Swim Schools. Including the NLA was just the next step in the journey, with the NLA programme being expanded to Braintree Swim and Fitness Centre and Witham Leisure Centre, both in Essex. Our instructors have fully embraced this new ethos of utilising rescue skills and CPR alongside the (very important) social aspect for our lifesavers – there is already talk of in-house lifesaving competitions! We’re excited what the next few months and years hold for our lifesaving programme here at Fusion.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the National Lifesaving Academy visit: www.rlss.org.uk/NLA