RLSS UK Lifesavers Magazine - December 2022

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Welcome back to LIFESAVERS DEBORAH HUNT

OFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE OF THE ROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY UK ISSUE 117 | WINTER 2022

RLSS UK’s NEW PRESIDENT

Welcome fellow Lifesavers, I am delighted to be writing my first piece for the Lifesavers magazine as your new President.

We have recently held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Honours ceremony and I wanted to reiterate a huge congratulations to everyone who received an award and especially to our two new honorary Vice Presidents; Mark Smith and Stephanie Andrews for their years of voluntary service to the Society. Thanks must also go to Jenna Bennett, Steph Clarke and all members of staff for making the day such a success.

The last two years have been difficult for us all, given Covid and more recently the sad loss of Her Majesty The Queen who was Patron of The Royal Life Saving Society. But under the calm leadership of our last President - Mark Smith - RLSS UK is in a good place. We should be under no illusions though that the current war and cost of living and energy crisis is affecting us all. The new Board of Trustees, the CEO and every member of staff will do everything we can to help you, our members, the leisure industry and our staff to come out of this stronger. So what can YOU, our members, expect of me?

I am passionate about equality, diversity and inclusivity so as the first female President I’m excited to see RLSS UK start to reflect the volunteers and communities which we support. However, we are on a journey and we must always continue to challenge and drive for improved representation and inclusion. What we do now and in the future impacts not only ourselves, but the success of others and RLSS UK.

Having been a volunteer for 50 years, ensuring we support our volunteer members who give so much of their time for free is key for our strategy to be successful.

I will ensure our professional members have the right support and awards to be effective and successful, especially during these difficult times.

The Board under my leadership will be open, efficient and forward thinking. As a member-led organisation, we will actively listen and I welcome the challenging conversations that lay ahead.

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday and for those celebrating, a Merry Christmas.

Deborah Hunt Your President

56. Commonwealth Games Volunteers

A number of our members had a summer to remember in Birmingham 58. RLSS Commonwealth Update 59. Whistle, Whistle, Whistle, Lifeguard going in!

An update from newly qualified Lifeguard, Felicity Cornelius-Mercer 60. Rookie Lifeguard to hopeful Lifeguard

Conor tells us about his journey starting as a Rookie Lifeguard 61.

Honorary Member Stories

We spoke with a number of our Honorary members to hear their stories from over the years 62. Izzy Serventi celebrates again

We caught up with young lifesaver Izzy on her recent success 63. Looking ahead to 2023 Dates for your diary to help you get ahead for 2023

ROBERT GOFTON

RLSS UK CEO

As we head into the dark months of winter I wanted to reflect on the last few months of summer and early autumn as they were ones of significant change for the Society.

Nardia Oldroyd took over from James Cossons as the Chair of the Youth Leadership Team and Debbie Hunt was appointed as President. These are significant milestones for the Society with Nardia becoming the first female advisor to lead on engagement with young people and Debbie as the first female President since we were formed in 1891. All of this (and much more) demonstrates our commitment to widening participation at every level. In 2020 when we launched our new strategy one of our key drivers was that “We shall ensure that, irrespective of background, disability, faith, gender, race and sexual orientation, everyone has access to equal opportunities to thrive and progress with RLSS UK and in Ireland”. It is wonderful when words on a paper become reality. With their appointments came the AGM and elections period which you can read more about in this magazine. Suffice to say congratulations to all the candidates for putting themselves in the spotlight and for the good of the Society. Thank you to everyone who voted –as a membership organisation who you vote for can and does make a real difference to your membership. It is vital that you continue to use your voice in this way.

It is also with great sadness that since our last magazine we also lost Her Majesty The Queen, the RLSS Commonwealth Patron and a great supporter of lifesaving. The Platinum Jubilee Medallion was in recognition of her service, dedication to office and a reflection of her earlier years on involvement with RLSS when she undertook the Junior Lifesaving Award at 15. It has been wonderful to see children taking their first steps in water safety and then being presented with the Jubilee Medallion as a reward for these achievements. I was fortunate enough to visit a few clubs to help hand out awards and my own club, in Moretonhampstead, had 14 children pass the award and all of them were new to lifesaving. Finally, this is my last official opportunity to thank Mark Smith for his term of office. Becoming President just prior to a global pandemic is enough to test the resolve of most but part way through his term Mark also took on the role of Chair. He has undertaken both tasks admirably and, despite the situation, has resided over one of the most financially successful periods in our more recent history. Having to Chair monthly and sometimes weekly meetings and cajoling Trustees to make bold and brave decisions in an unprecedented way was never going to be easy. Mark’s approach was professional, inclusive and (sometimes) with a laugh and a smile ensured the Society got most things right. I also know he takes great pride in the launch of the National Lifesaving Academy (NLA) and its pathway in delivering awards across pool, beach and open water and how the award contributes to training lifesavers and lifeguards of the future.

We now have a strong platform for Debbie to take us forward. Exciting times are ahead.

I hope you all have a very happy and safe Christmas and look forward to welcoming you back in 2023. Robert

RLSS UK NEWS IN BRIEF

PROUD TO SUPPORT AID SHIPMENT TO UKRAINE

In response to the crisis in Ukraine and to show our support for the people of Ukraine, in March we donated over 1,400 items of personal protective equipment and first aid equipment. This included Nitrile gloves, surgical face masks, and antibacterial wipes to Sir Thomas Rich’s School for an organised aid shipment to Ukraine by the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd, Gloucester.

FROM DOWN UNDER TO THE UK –

LIFEGUARD MAXI SPREADS WATER SAFETY MESSAGES

WITH RLSS UK

In April, TV star Trent Maxwell, commonly known as ‘Lifeguard Maxi’, swapped Australia’s world-famous Bondi Beach for the waters of the UK and Ireland on a tour to spread the message about water safety.

To kickstart the tour, Maxi joined former Olympian, Sports Scientist, Physical Activity Expert and trainer to the stars, Professor Greg Whyte OBE for an open water sunrise swim at Caversham Lakes, Reading.

For the rest of his trip Maxi worked with RLSS UK to volunteer his time to deliver the important water safety messages to children across the UK and Ireland.

Maxi said: “I loved meeting with children across the UK to spread the word about water safety. Delivering these key messages might mean that lives can be saved.

IN LOVING MEMORY

West Wales Branch is mourning the loss of one of its long serving members following the passing of committee member Pauline James on Sunday 17 July 2022.

Pauline had been an active member of the committee for many years and had been involved in both regional and national initiatives during that time. She was known by many within the RLSS UK family.

Pauline was a former Branch Secretary and member of the Branch Honours Committee.

Branch Chair, Stuart Yeandle said: “Pauline’s passing is a sad loss for the West Wales Branch, her family and friends. She was an invaluable member of our committee and will be sorely missed.”

“

Lifesaving clubs are at the heart of a community, they support young people and their families, so we all enjoy water safely, and return home at the end of day. They have been hit hard in the pandemic so we wanted to deliver some smiles, fun and most importantly valuable water safety lessons around the UK and Ireland.”

Maxi visited numerous clubs throughout the UK and Ireland as he travelled from Cornwall to Devon to South Wales to Nottingham. He then travelled across the water to Ireland before returning to visit Scotland and the North East before he flew home to Sydney.

Maxi and RLSS UK invited children from all communities to attend an event near them to learn more about water safety and discover a RLSS UK Lifesaving Club in their area.

To help deliver the message, Maxi and RLSS UK called for donations to help fund the not-for-profit tour to deliver the message to as many children in the UK and Ireland as possible. We would like to thank everyone who donated to the tour.

RLSS UK MEMBER COMPLETES PHD SCHOLARSHIP IN LIFESAVING

Hannah Calverley, RLSS UK member and lifeguard, has been involved in lifesaving since she was 11-years old from competing in lifesaving sport, being a volunteer, to being a drowning prevention advocate.

Assisted by RLSS UK Trustee Pete Moyes, during her university years Hannah undertook some research for her first degree which focused on lifeguard anxiety and emotion regulation, before moving on to complete her Masters degree and research project which extended this theme. This experience sparked her interest in research.

Hannah explained: “My involvement in lifesaving was always a hobby but it contributed to my decision to study Sport and Psychology at university when I left school. The research projects which were part of these degrees were always dreaded by the students, however under some great guidance, I undertook research focusing on different aspects of lifesaving and because it was my interest, I really enjoyed the process”

Pete is a huge advocate for getting young people involved in the opportunities presented by the lifesaving community and supported Hannah in being a part of everything available. Through these opportunities, Hannah was able to make worldwide connections and it was these connections who informed her about a PhD scholarship opportunity in Australia.

Hannah said: “After university I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but as my involvement in lifesaving had enabled me to make worldwide contacts, I was informed by a drowning researcher of a PhD Scholarship being offered for a student to research a drowning prevention/water safety topic in Australia. Without thinking too much into the logistics, I applied. The next three and a half years saw me move to Australia by myself and set up a new life down under while studying a topic of huge interest to me.”

After completing her PhD, Hannah started a job at Life Saving Victoria as the Manager for Research and Evaluation, saying she felt the job description was written just for her.

Hannah continued: “The lifesaving community is global and tight knit and there are so many incredible opportunities available which capture not only the sport context, but also drowning prevention and water safety advocacy. If you’d like a challenge, to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and to pursue your interest in lifesaving I’d really encourage you to apply for this PhD.”

Pete concluded: “Hannah is an excellent role model and demonstrates that in lifesaving clubs across the UK and Ireland we have deep rich vein of talent and it is incumbent upon us all to look for the talent and nurture wherever we can our future leaders.”

Are you interested? The same PhD as Hannah completed can be undertaken at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia and applications for the scholarship are now open. It is a fantastic opportunity for those interested in lifesaving and applications can be made via the Deakin University website.

To find out more and apply to Deakin University go to www.deakin.edu.au/study/fees-and-scholarships/ scholarships/find-a-scholarship/hdr-scholarshipreducing-drowning

On Saturday 15 October 2022 we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) prior to the Honours Ceremony at Coombe Abbey. Members were able to attend in person but also join virtually. 2022 was the final year for President, Mark Smith to Chair the AGM and he offered his congratulations to the newly re-elected Trustee James Cossons, Pe ter Moyes, and new Deputy President, Andrea Mackown.

Resolution results

ROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY UK’S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

A fond farewell was expressed to Trustee, Cavell Burchell as he stood down at the end of his term. A big thank you to Cavell Burchell and Bryan Finlay who stood for Deputy President and Helen Straw standing for Trustee election but unfortunately were unsuccessful in their campaigns. Thanks also to those who attended the event and the 489 members that took the opportunity to have their say and vote in the elections. Full results of the elections and to watch the virtual meeting visit our website: www.rlss.org.uk/elections-2022

Congratulations and welcome to our new President Deborah Hunt who officially became President, taking over from Mark Smith.

1 To approve the minutes of the last 309 1 107 72 Annual General Meeting 2 To receive and consider the Trustee 309 3 110 67 Board’s Report and Accounts for the period 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021. 3 To appoint RSM UK Audit LLP as the 320 3 112 54 auditors for RLSS UK for 2022. 4 To authorise the Trustees to set the 327 8 103 51 level of the auditor’s fees for 2022. Any questions relating to the AGM or voting should be directed to elections@rlss.org.uk

Getting to know your Trustees

Deborah Hunt is the first female president of the RLSS UK and will hold the post for three years.

Deborah has extensive knowledge of RLSS UK, having been a volunteer member for over 50 years and a trustee for eight. She has been involved in every aspect of the Society’s work and is passionate about lifesaving sport. Being a technical official for lifesaving sport, Deborah has officiated at five World Lifesaving Championships and intends to continue volunteering as an official during her presidency.

Deborah enjoyed a successful career in the police force and has subsequently used her skill set to develop our safeguarding policies.

She is a keen open water swimmer, having successfully completed a cross-channel relay with six other female past Presidents of the RLSS UK Kent Branch to raise funds for the Society’s outreach programmes.

Deborah said: “I am passionate about equality, diversity and inclusivity, so as the first female President I’m excited to see RLSS UK start to reflect the volunteers and communities which we support. However, we are on a journey and we must always continue to challenge and drive for improved representation and inclusion. What we do now and in the future impacts not only ourselves, but the success of others and RLSS UK.

NEW PRESIDENT DEBORAH HUNT

“

Having been a volunteer for 50 years, ensuring we support our volunteer members who give so much of their time for free is key for our strategy to be successful. I will ensure our professional members have the right support and awards to be

effective and successful, especially during these difficult times.”

Deborah pledges that, under her leadership, the Board will be open, efficient and forward thinking who will actively listen and welcome challenging conversations.

Andrea will support the President and was voted by members after weeks of campaigning.

Andrea worked for RLSS UK for seven years, experiencing all aspects of the charity‘s work, and on becoming Deputy President Andrea hopes to focus on re-engaging with members. Andrea says: “I feel well placed to support the organisation at Board level; influencing its future direction and strategy. I’ve met every category of member, celebrated your successes, shared solutions

New Trustees (two elected)

to local challenges and listened to your frustrations. I’ve worked with clubs at grassroots level, building skills and confidence. I’ve attended countless branch meetings the breadth of UK and Ireland.

“As your Deputy President I will re-engage with members via this key trustee position, enabling you to know your voice is being heard at the highest level. I promise to serve you with integrity as your Deputy President and then President and will delight in representing you throughout my term.”

For the 2022 elections, there were also two Trustee positions available, and a number of candidates put themselves forward for the roles. After lots of fantastic campaigning from the candidates, the members of RLSS UK cast their votes and chose James Cossons and Peter Moyes to join the Board of Trustees.

During his term as Trustee, James plans to continue to represent young people at the highest level whilst growing membership by engaging with the next generation of members.

He said: “Our organisation has given me so much since starting at a local club at the age of 14 and through being Youth Advisor to the Board over the past four years.

“The Youth Advisor role has taught me a lot and has been an enormous honour. I want to prove that no role within our society is out of reach for young people and be proof that as a Society, we are actively encouraging and investing in our future volunteers.”

NEW TRUSTEE JAMES COSSONS

“

Peter has experience as a leader in the police, local authority and as a CEO of an education charity and during his term as Trustee he wants to focus on the impact of RLSS UK.

Peter says: “The scale of our impact on drowning is proportionate to our investment in our people who drive changes in behaviour around water. Our impact on the pool environment is significant. Having the same impact on open water, rivers and beaches has eluded us so far, this is our collective challenge.

I read members’ comments on social media and listen to you at events. This is how you shape what I do on your behalf and my commitment to members.”

NEW DEPUTY PRESIDENT ANDREA MACKOWN

RE-ELECTED TRUSTEE PETER MOYES

Our mission is to be the leader in lifesaving and lifeguarding in the UK and Ireland; sharing our experience and knowledge with as many people as possible, giving everyone the potential to save lives and enjoy water safely. We remain focused on the present and future; continually evolving our lifesaving training and techniques, drawing on the latest technological innovations to remain experts in what we do.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

We delivered 46,000+ best in-class national pool lifeguard qualifications, expanding our offer to keep ahead of industry trends.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is the leading provider of training in lifesaving and lifeguarding in the UK and Ireland, delivering 150,000+ awards & qualifications in 2021. We work with a panel of the most senior and highly regarded advisors and medical experts, whose expertise and knowledge expand across all relevant subjects and water safety environments, to deliver industry-leading qualifications and awards.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK is the leading provider of training in lifesaving and lifeguarding in the UK and Ireland, delivering 150,000+ awards & qualifications in 2021.

CONSULTANCY, EXPERTISE AND PARTNERSHIP

We have utilised our consultancy expertise to share knowledge and deliver expert safety guidance across multiple industry touchpoints.

RLSS UK has provided water safety advice for over 130 years. This extensive experience underpins our position as water safety experts in the UK and Ireland.

In 2021, more than 46,000 people gained one of our National Pool Lifeguard Qualifications (NPLQ), whilst almost 26,750 completed our Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Programme.

In total we had 100 qualifications and courses available, with more than 6,700 people taking part in at least one of our 35 online e-learning programmes, amounting to 71,817 sessions.

In 2021, we expanded further the footprint of our site visits, accreditation and consultancy projects, helping to increase the number of people who can enjoy water safely across a range of water experiences.

We have partnered with other experts to deliver water safety advice across a mix of educational and other settings.

Our communications activity has helped to further expand the reach of our water safety messaging.

During the year, we grew the number of people following our work on social media by 13% on average, offering an opportunity to connect more widely in our community and expand the reach of our water safety messages.

BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY

With packages that continually add-value across all our member groups, we were excited to grow our membership by more than 18% during 2021.

It is our ambition to provide a lifelong connection with water safety, and our different membership packages allow people of all ages and swimming abilities to enjoy membership benefits relevant to them.

In 2021 we launched our new Lifesaving Academy Membership for babies and toddlers aged 0-4 years old.

Our engaging multi-media Drowning Prevention Week campaign worked especially hard to promote our water safety messaging to new audiences, with mainstream TV and press coverage, 19 national radio interviews, coupled with a strong social media campaign.

In December, the Don’t Drink and Drown campaign reminded people to think about the decisions they make after consuming alcohol.

We continued to celebrate RLSS UK’s #EverydayHeroes who used their knowledge and skills to save lives.

Thank you to everyone who used their lifesaving skills to help others during the year.

To see #everydayheroes stories or to report a rescue, visit: www.rlss.org.uk/Pages/ Category/everydayheroes

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) funding initiatives have enabled clubs to revive their activity in the aftermath of Covid-19. We have a robust network of 47 branches and over 250 Lifesaving clubs that continued their fantastic work during 2021, supporting our shared mission of using our expertise and knowledge, to give everyone the potential to save lives and enjoy water safely.

The impact of Covid-19 has created some significant challenges for RLSS UK Lifesaving clubs, many of which needed support with re-opening after a significant period without income.

In response to the challenges faced by clubs, RLSS UK launched two initiatives to provide financial support in the short-term: A hardship grant for up to £300 per club to help boost funds and a £100 voucher that could be used to purchase items from the RLSS UK shop. One club, who benefited from the £300 grant told us:

Financially, the grant gave the club breathing space to reset after lockdown.

TRIBUTE TO QUEEN ELIZABETH II FROM RLSS

Patron of the Royal Life Saving Society

21 April 1926 - 8 September 2022

All Members of the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) wish to express deepest sympathy on the passing of our Patron, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Her Majesty assumed the role of RLSS Patron on 3 June 1952 following the death of her father, King George VI.

Her Majesty’s formal involvement with the Society actually pre-dates to 1944 when she consented to be RLSS Vice Patron.

The origins of the Royal Family’s connection to the RLSS can be traced to the founding of the Society in 1891 with King Edward VII, King George V and King George VI having accepted the role of Patron.

Her Majesty held several Society awards including the Elementary and Intermediate Certificates, and was the first

young person in the Commonwealth to achieve the Society’s Junior Respiration Award.

The Society is grateful to Her Majesty for her unwavering support to the RLSS and the cause of drowning prevention for over 70 years.

The Royal Life Saving Society and its members across the Commonwealth are united in offering deepest sympathy to members of the Royal Family.

Deputy Commonwealth President of the Royal Life Saving Society, Clive Holland represented the Society at the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September 2022. Reflecting on the occasion, Clive said “it was a moving and uplifting celebration of the life of Her Majesty the Queen and I was honoured to represent the Royal Life Saving Society.”

Image courtesy of Buckingham Palace

Her Majesty’s involvement with The Royal Life Saving Society

1960 - In 1960, upon the recommendation of Lord Mountbatten Her Majesty granted the Supplemental Royal Charter. The Charter brought into effect a new Commonwealth organisation of the Society with five self-governing National Branches: United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa which would operate under a Commonwealth Council in London. This new arrangement was met with praise from the National Branches and has been proven to be a more effective means of governance since it was implemented over a half a century ago.

1964 - In 1964, Her Majesty conferred a most distinguished honour upon the RLSS, when, on the recommendation of Lord Mountbatten, she granted the use of the St Edward’s crown on the Society’s badge.

Receptions at

Buckingham PalaceAs Patron, her support for the Society and its work extends to recognising the volunteers who give countless hours of service in the cause of drowning prevention. Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh have given receptions at Buckingham Palace as part of the Commonwealth Quinquennial Conference in the years 1961, 1966, 1971, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001. Other members of the Royal Family attended as did High Commissioners from Commonwealth nations. As part of these receptions, Her Majesty has graciously presented the Society’s highest honour for service, the King Edward VII Cup, as well as RLSS medals for valour in lifesaving.

2016 - On 22 November 2016, Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh gave a reception marking the 125th anniversary of the Society’s founding in 1891. Present were RLSS Common wealth President HRH Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Michael, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Her Majesty presented the King Edward VII Cup to Professor John Pearn (Australia), the Mountbatten Medal to Zac Dominique (St. Lucia) and the Russell Medal to Tyler Bailer (Canada).

Commonwealth countries - The Society is also privileged to receive the support of Her Majesty’s representatives in Commonwealth countries where special receptions are regularly held at which RLSS Honour Awards are presented to deserving volunteers.

When travelling abroad Her Majesty has made time to visit Society events. In 1954 while in Australia, she received the Federal Council President. In 1963 while on a visit to New Zealand she viewed the Royal Surf Carnival. In 1970 she hosted a small dinner party on board the Britannia in Christchurch, New Zealand and invited members of RLSS NZ. And in 1975 while in Hong Kong she attended a lifesaving demonstration.

Presentations

- In the years since the founding of the Mountbatten Medal (1951) and the Russell Medal (2000), presentations have been made by members of the Royal Family including HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, HRH Prince Charles, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, HRH Princess Alexandra and Lord Mountbatten himself.

Bryan Finlay, RLSS UK Trustee

“

I have had the privilege and honour to have met Queen Elizabeth II on a few occasions, each one was a unique and an amazing moment.

She was a remarkable lady with a smile which would light up any room, she had a humour that was sharp and maybe a little cheeky.

She asked about what I had done and her knowledge was on point. For a lady who had met so many people, she made your moment special and although a very short time, it was very memorable.

The first time I was introduced to the Queen, we were given a small brief on how to address her.

I had new shoes on that day and they were very slippy. Just before I was introduced to her, I practiced in my head ‘Good Evening Ma’am’ over and over. Well, I kind of slipped a little without falling and it threw me and all I heard was your Majesty, Mr Bryan Finlay,” and I lifted my head. She had her hand out to give my hand a shake and I said ‘hiya’ … at that moment I went red and could not believe what I said. She held my hand and her and Prince Philip laughed and said ‘Well, that would have been fun if you fell over.’

She was amazing and later when she came round to have more of an informal chat, she said quietly are you ok now with a small grin on her face. A moment I will never forget.

I offer my deepest condolences to our new King and his family. She was a lady of great knowledge and we will never have a Queen like her.”

PLATINUM JUBILEE MEDALLION

To mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, we launched the Platinum Jubilee Medallion in celebration of the Queen’s historic reign.

To mark the 70 years of service, the unique award, based on a modern take of the award Queen Elizabeth II completed in 1941, was made available with only 1,891 medallions on offer.

We have loved hearing the fantastic stories of those who have secured their medallion, here are just a few, lots more can be seen on our social media channels!

Bedford School

Eighteen students and six members of staff from Bedford School completed the award in June, working through the importance of land-based rescues using the emergency action model.

Chris Howes, Pool Caretaker and staff trainer at Bedford School, along with Graham Thorsby, Lifesaving Trainer, delivered the award which comprised of practical skills including resuscitation and water rescue skills as well as testing the knowledge of the participants through an assessment on the day.

All 24 participants taking part in the award successfully passed and were awarded their Platinum Jubilee Medallion. They all thoroughly enjoyed the award with comments such as:

“Learning was made fun.”

“Enjoyed rescuing the manikin from the bottom of the pool.”

“I learnt that the rescuer must always stay safe when performing a rescue.”

Chris Howes said: “There will only be 1,891 of these medallions awarded in the UK, so to have 24 from the Bedford School community passing on the launch date is a real testimony to the school.”

Aqua Stars Life Saving Club

Members of Aqua Stars Life Saving Club were presented with their Platinum Jubilee medallions by RLSS UK’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Gofton, at an awards evening held at Ruby Oak Park, North Devon.

“

It was a real pleasure to be invited to present the medallions and to see one of the RLSS UK’s newer clubs thriving on the back of the Covid restrictions,” said Robert.

“We are so proud of our clubs and all they do to teach lifesaving skills and help to ensure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy water safely,” he added.

Aqua Stars Life Saving Club also worked with the adult lessons group at Ruby Oak Park to help them work through the award and assessment, showing a diverse set of ages that can work within the RLSS UK structure.

Andy Squirrell, coach at Aqua Stars said: “Having the CEO of our Governing Body to be in a position to come and visit was absolutely superb! Each of the award winners and their parents really enjoyed talking to Robert during the sausage and chips buffet which followed the presentation!”

Cardiff Life Saving Club

Cardiff Life Saving Club ran a very successful Jubilee course where every member of the club achieved this special award. The club contains a mixture of experience and it was nice that everyone could take something from it - be it a new skill or even a bit of ‘retro’ lifesaving.

When presented with the award everyone was really pleased with the presentation case and medallion they received. The club said the course proved to be a great success and everyone is now re-energised following the long lay-off due to Covid restrictions.

Lord Storey visits the Life Saving Club at the Meadows Leisure Centre

Lord Storey, Patron of the RLSS UK, visited a lifesaving club at the Meadows Leisure Centre in Maghull, Liverpool in the Liverpool and District Branch area. Lord Storey presented to 20 members, aged 12 and over, their Platinum Jubilee Medallions. The oldest recipient was 70 and for the Rookie Lifeguards, aged eight to 12, the club awarded 12 of its own Platinum Jubilee Rookie Lifeguard medals to those who had successfully demonstrated how to be safe around water and how to rescue themselves and others.

On the pool side, Lord Storey saw a number of demonstrations of water-based lifesaving skills from Rookie Lifeguards and Survive & Save members and he talked with many members and instructors. Everyone enjoyed the visit and members and their parents thanked Lord Storey for the time he gave for the visit and for presenting the awards.

West Wales Branch Chairman

At the recent Wales Regional NLSC qualifier West Wales Branch Chairman, Stuart Yeandle, was presented with his Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medallion, 55 years after completing his first Bronze Medallion.

Stuart was presented with his medallion by RLSS UK Trustee, Alan Sutherland, and Regional heat organiser Aled Bowen.

Warwick Life Saving Club

Twenty-one club members from Warwick Life Saving Club completed their Platinum Jubilee Medallions and were proud recipients of their unique medallion. The members ranged in age from 11 to 51-years-old, with one member completing her award with her teenage son. Everyone enjoyed taking the award as it was something different!

Retford and District Lifesaving Club

Pete Moyes, Club Chair and Coach, closely follows the history of the Society, and was aware that the Queen had taken an award in 1941. He researched the contents of the award using a 1937 Handbook and from that he pulled out the skills which were tested, and matched those to content of Survive and Save and Life Support. Pete then wrote a brief outline of an award which he had intended to run as a special commemorative club award with their own medal. The club commissioned one of the Queens appointed medal makers to craft a special medal.

Club members are very proud of the link to the national award and worked for four weeks to achieve the standards and on 4 June everyone in the club (30) took the assessment and passed the club award and the Jubilee medallion. Since that date four more club members have passed the Jubilee Medallion taking the total to 34 so far.

RLSS UK WHY

I VOLUNTEER

FELIX NG

Lifesaving Instructor at Burton Lifesaving Club International Lifesaving Official Member of Colwick Park Lifeguards

I was introduced into the lifesaving world through the competitive sport route when I joined the Loughborough Students Lifesaving Club at Loughborough University in 2006. After a couple of years competing in British Universities Life Saving Clubs’ Association (BULSCA), I decided to take the official course at BULSCA to equip myself to assist in the running and organising aspects of competitive lifesaving.

I was also occasionally involved in assisting the Loughborough Students Lifesaving Club coaches to derive specific training programs for the members. I became a Survive & Save instructor in 2013 at Burton Lifesaving Club and Robin Hood Lifesavers. I had a desire towards gaining more lifesaving knowledge, so that I could help and teach people to protect and save lives. I was very fortunate to be mentored by some of the most experienced and knowledgeable mentors that the lifesaving world can offer, subsequently I become a better volunteer under their mentorships.

As an instructor, I cannot begin to express how much I have enjoyed the instructing journeys with the most cheerful candidates throughout the years and I am very proud of them and what they have become and achieved later in their lives.

I am also involved in volunteering as a lifeguard for Colwick Park Lifeguards at major sporting and festival events during the summer seasons, such as the Henley Royal Regatta and Secret Garden Party. We are equipped with power boats and surfboards to satisfy the requirements of various lifeguarding challenges and needs. Such experience strengthens my understanding and application of National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) and Open Water Lifeguard (OWL), which I pass onto my students to increase their readiness to face any real-world scenario.

In my lifesaving officiating capacity, I became a member of BULSCA judge panel gaining the responsibilities to review and sign off all Simulated Emergency Response Competitions (SERCs) throughout the BUSLCA competition calendar year. It was a great privilege to see competitors being challenged and developed throughout the years, becoming experts in dealing and controlling situations in SERCs. I achieved my national and international level official status in 2016 and 2018 respectively, which gave me more opportunity to meet and work with different people of various backgrounds, of which I often repay them back by finding proper Chinese restaurants after competitions!

I have also been an active volunteer not only within lifesaving but with other organisations such as Swim England, Scouts, and as a school governor. Through volunteering I met new people, have a different attitudes towards life and towards achieving what is important. Furthermore, being a volunteer at an event means that event can take place for the benefit for the event participants, whether if it is just for fun or a world record to be made. I believe that all of us would have benefited either directly or indirectly from volunteers at some point in our lives, and their sacrifices have played a part of what we are now. Hence, we should carry out this tradition to contribute in the making of a better society, a better world for us and the next generation to live in. Volunteering for RLSS UK provides others with the knowledge and empathy for the wellbeing of others. Whether a lifesaver is associated in the field of life-support/first aid knowledge or as a competitive sport, the lifesaving community shares the same caring attitude towards each other, and this is why I am very proud and will continue as an RLSS UK volunteer.

Volunteering for RLSS UK provides others with the knowledge and empathy for the wellbeing of others.

backgrounds and abilities.

In May 2022, we conducted a Cultural Audit with The National Centre for Diversity (NCFD) to help identify what we currently do well, and where we could do better.

Would you like to help create our first LGBTQ+ member network?

We’re seeking members from the LGBTQ+ community to be part of a working group to help create our first LGBTQ+ member network.

Why an LGBTQ+ member network?

We believe that an LGBTQ+ member network offers the opportunity to ensure that we can remove barriers that prevent or discourage the inclusion of our LGBTQ+ members.

What is the purpose of the LGBTQ+ member network?

We saw that we need to be clearer around our commitments to inclusivity and diversity and that there also needs to be a heightened focus on working to remove barriers that prevent or discourage the inclusion of those with disabilites and LGBTQ+ members.

Based on the findings from the audit, we’re developing a detailed intial, 12 month action plan to help make our society fairer and more inclusive for all our members.

Keep an eye out for updates on social media and in future copies of Lifesavers Magazine.

The purpose of the network will be to guide RLSS UK on ensuring our LGBTQ+ members feel welcomed and respected through effective representation in the society.

How many people will be in the initial working group?

We’d like to have representatives from across the LGBTQ+ community, whilst overall make-up of the group will be determined by the number of applicants that would like to be involved.

How do I register my interest in joining the initial working group?

At this stage, we’re asking members who are interested to complete a webform to let us know why they’d like to be involved.

How do I apply?

Visit www.rlss.org.uk/forms/lgbtq-membernetwork. Applications to be received by 31 December 2022.

We’ll be in touch in early 2023 with more details on next steps.

Royal Life Saving Society UK

(RLSS

UK) is committed to maintaining and developing an environment that is welcoming to people from all

Results showed that RLSS UK is considered welcoming, fair and inclusive for most.

Working towards an inclusive society where everyone feels valued and respected

RLSS UK DEVELOPS PARTNERSHIP WITH B.O.S.S

“It is scary how many people are affected by drowning in the black community, and it is my mission to make my community water safe.”

Annalize Butler is the owner and founder of B.O.S.S and has been teaching swimming for 15 years, featuring in BBC documentaries about her work. B.O.S.S is a charitable organisation which aims to work to prevent drowning in the most vulnerable, at risk communities in aquatics.

Annalize joined RLSS UK at Westminster in June for Drowning Prevention Week, to speak with MPs to ensure they understood the importance of water safety education for all.

During the summer months, young people from Birmingham and London were able to head to their local pools to take part in swimming and lifesaving sessions to give them the skills needed to enjoy water safely.

To mark the end of the lifesaving summer, B.O.S.S held two events to give young people the chance to experience swimming in open water.

The events were held at lakes in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and Stoke Newington, London and RLSS UK was proud to help support by offering open water coaching and safety tips ahead of their 50m open water swim challenge.

Annalize said: “I work in an environment where I might be the only black person on the poolside within the whole city. Sources show that in England only two per cent of regular swimmers are from the black community.

“By working with organisations such as RLSS UK, we can actively change the way people think about swimming. B.O.S.S is about reconnecting people with the water in an effortless and exciting way, bringing new opportunities to engage an underrepresented audience and level up in the aquatics industry.

The lifesaving summer events were a great success, involving many young people and equipping them with skills and knowledge around the water.

Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK, said: “Providing young people with the opportunity to get into a swimming pool and not only to learn to swim but to learn vital lifesaving skills is something that should be available to all children.

“We work with organisations such as B.O.S.S to reach and build communities from under-represented groups with limited access and opportunities in swimming. Events like lifesaving summer are a fantastic way to get young people involved with swimming and lifesaving and change attitudes to water to ensure they can safely enjoy a lifetime of fun in the water.

“The long-term goal is to light the pathway for young people to represent their communities through the aquatics workforce. We want more young people from ethnically diverse communities taking up the personal opportunity to lifeguard our water, creating spaces where our diverse communities feel they can be safe and welcomed.”

Both events were enjoyed by all involved with young children, teenagers and adults taking part who now have the skills and knowledge to stay safe in, on and around water.

Black Owned Swim School (B.O.S.S) has been working closely with RLSS UK during 2022, to help reach underrepresented audiences.

After a full review of our RLSS UK branded uniform and clothing range, the arrival of our new, much-anticipated collection is here!

NEW CLOTHING & UNIFORM RANGE A GREAT FIT FOR ALL NEW

& EXISTING CUSTOMERS!

With over 20 new or improved clothing and professional uniform lines, the new range boasts 100% cotton and technical fabric options, premium finish and tailoring, exclusive garments even a limited edition RLSS UK Oodie!

Whether you’re a Lifeguard or Trainer/ Instructor wanting comfortable uniform pieces, a Rookie Lifeguard looking for a super-soft hoodie with a hidden phone pocket and an earphone feed, or a Charity supporter proudly choosing a branded zip-up navy hoodie – there’s something for everyone!

Getting the new RLSS UK branded collection to our online store – RLSS UK Shop - hasn’t been without its hiccups, and we would like to thank our customers for their patience, loyalty, and contribution during the lengthy process. Making sure we had the new range spot-on for all our customers was a priority and reaching out for customer input and sourcing the right solutions for every environment has taken time.

We have also faced many production, manufacturing, and logistical challenges that have been out of our control, brought about by crises happening around the world, including factory closures, COVID-19-related illnesses, and freight forwarding.

The customer feedback we received has been instrumental in our decision-making, not only in terms of styles, colourways, personalisation, fabric, and cost but also in prioritising which features, and benefits matter most to you our customers.

As well as offering our sought-after uniform staples, based on feedback, we have introduced new lines, including a microfleece-lined gilet with a water repellent, windproof and breathable triple outer layer – and a unisex, premium navy-blue zip-up hoodie with a handy front pouch pocket.

We have also upgraded and improved several lines. These include our fleeces, now made from a more advanced, higher quality, lightweight, micro-fibre fleece, shorts that are now more comfortable than ever with lining,

an elasticated drawstring waist and three zipped pockets and available in a much-requested navy blue, as well as the traditional professional red.

Sustainability is important to us, and we are proud that our lifeguard technical T-shirt is now made from recycled CONTROL-DRY polyester - a specialist textured polyester knit that is incredibly comfortable and breathable, and fast-drying.

All garments have the RLSS UK Crest logo on the chest and many have the Enjoy Water Safely strapline on the arm. We have used a combination of embroidery and heat-printed lettering, a high-quality finish that is hard-wearing and prevents cracking. You’ll be delighted to hear that our well-loved and trusted smart Polo

Shirts are now available too! Like the rest of our range, they have been carefully considered, with the new Technical Polo, for example, designed and manufactured specifically for RLSS UK and made from Neoteric® - a specialist textured polyester knit that is incredibly comfortable, breathable, and fast-drying.

The new uniform and clothing range is all available from the RLSS UK Shop, with any profits distributed to our registered charity (1046060/SC037912).

This revenue enables us to continue our charitable work and make an impact in UK and Irish communities so everyone can enjoy being in, on or near water safely – because every life is worth saving.

RLSS UK BRANDED OODIE!

Perfect for keeping you warm after a swim or for wrapping up in and keeping you cosy on a cold winter’s night is the RLSS UK Branded Oodie. This oversized blanket hoodie is available now from the RLSS UK shop and makes a great Christmas gift idea.

We have a limited number, don’t miss out - order today!

LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY

CREATING NEW OPEN WATER RESCUE EQUIPMENT!

RLSS UK has recently partnered with Leeds Beckett University on a project assigned to second-year students studying BA Product Design, led by Senior Lecturer Robin Brinkworth. The project brief is to design new water rescue equipment for use on the waterways of Leeds.

Students can choose to design either personal or public access equipment using research to inform the development of design proposals.

So far, the students have performed observations and mapping around the waterways of Leeds and undertaken pool rescue training to test and evaluate existing rescue equipment.

Product design student - Zein Harfouch said: “Working alongside RLSS UK is providing us with valuable insight into real-world issues concerning water safety in Leeds. It’s an exciting project to be part of, with lots of engaging research and design ideation opportunities.”

Aaron Dhanda, Head of Retail Procurement & Logistics, RLSS UK, attended the project launch to present to the students and is looking forward to seeing how the student design ideas develop.

*Although our uniform and clothing range is appropriate for water and training environments and projects professionalism, there is no obligation to wear RLSS UK branded uniform or clothing. Uniform choices are at the individual or employer’s discretion.

visit: https://shop.rlss.org.uk

It is great to be back out and about at industry exhibitions, conferences, and eventsmeeting people and talking to them about what is happening at their venues, in their careers or new products or services they are developing or have launched recently, as well as telling them about everything that is happening at RLSS UK. Here is a little review of a few we attended in 2022.

ELEVATE

In June, Nick Grazier, Aaron Dhanda and Jo Talbot attended the UK’s leading trade show for the physical activity and fitness industry – Elevate. They had a very busy couple of days, speaking to Trainer Assessors and leisure professionals; catching up on news, sharing ideas and letting people know the latest developments at RLSS UK.

Photo above: Nick Grazier and Aaron Dhanda at Elevate. Below: Jo Talbot as part of the panel discussion – The future of lifeguarding and technology.

EMERGENCY SERVICES SHOW

Robert Gofton, RLSS UK’s CEO and Ryan Trumpeter, Head of Qualifications Development, attended The Emergency Services Show at the NEC, Birmingham on Wednesday 21, and Thursday 22 September. It is the UK’s leading event dedicated to transforming the emergency services industry and featured over 450+ exhibitors, thousands of interesting products and solutions and live demonstrations. They showcased some of our newest rescue awards including the Emergency Response Drone Pilot Award and had some interesting conversations – we hope to talk more about those soon!

SWIM ENGLAND CONFERENCE

The Swim England Teaching and Education Conference 2022 took place on Thursday 29 September in Solihull. Debbie Weston and Reggie Robinson were on the RLSS UK stand and spent the day talking to visitors and fellow exhibitors about key topics relating to swimming and how our qualifications and awards can support venues that have swimming-related activities.

Jo joined a panel discussion which can be watched on YouTube - Elevate 2022 - Debating the Future of Lifeguards & Technology.

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=esCHGPO4-NE

Thank you to all those that came up and spoke to them, they had a great time and brought lots of new ideas and stories back to the office.

WATER SAFETY PARTNERSHIPS:

A RLSS UK Water Safety Partnership is a commercial, mutually beneficial agreement for trusted brands synonymous with high standards of products and services, industry innovation and an ongoing dedication to raising awareness, educating people about water safety, and promoting safe water-based activities.

All RLSS UK Water Safety Partners benefit from a bespoke package of safety guidance and support, plus exclusive use of the official Water Safety Partner of RLSS UK logo.

To find out more about our Water Safety Partners visit www.rlss.org.uk/water-safety-partners

The Play Inspection Company is a UK leader in the field of playground inspections, playground inspection software and related services, and is managed by playground industry specialist Jon Dalton.

They have a team of 18 RPII Registered Annual Playground Inspectors throughout the UK and offer a wide range of services to help ensure that owners/ operators of play and recreational facilities can mitigate the potential risks associated with children’s play areas and recreational equipment.

For more information about The Play Inspection Company go to: www.playinspections.co.uk

Samurai Active Entertainment Products are the leading supplier of grip socks and branded products to the active entertainment industry. With businesses in the UK, Netherlands, and the US, they design, manufacture, and deliver a custom-branded product service to hundreds of venues globally.

Packed with a range of performance features, specially designed for the water leisure industry, Samurai Aqua Park Socks help reduce customer health and safety risks, improve user experience, protect equipment from shoes, and offer an important marketing tool to boost revenue. Aqua and water park venues across the globe are already experiencing the vast benefits of their custom aqua socks, supplied exclusively by Samurai.

For more information about Samurai go to: www.aquaparksocks.com

We’re proud of our respected and expanding group of RLSS UK Water Safety Partners:

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Surfing England is the recognised National Governing Body for the Sport of Surfing in England.

It is a not-for-profit membership organisation run by surfers to support and develop Surfing in England and proudly serves the sport and membership of surfers, surf coaches, surf clubs and surf schools. Recognised by Sport England, the International Surfing Association & the European Surfing Federation.

For more information visit www.surfingengland.org

Surf Life Saving Association Wales (SLSA Wales) is the largest volunteer organisation for ocean safety and rescue work in Wales.

Their primary aims and objectives are to save lives, and to develop and improve national and international standards of lifesaving whilst cooperating with all organisations with similar ambitions. They aim to provide facilities for young people to participate in organised lifesaving.

For more information visit www.slsawales.org.uk

To see who else we work with visit: www.rlss.org.uk/commercial-partners

A shared passionTo help improve water safety, so everyone can enjoy being in, on, or near water safely.

COMPLIANCE

Common Issues Explained

External Quality Assurance Audits

When submitting documents for a deskbased audit request, please double-check they are correct; it is the Approved Training Centre (ATC) Coordinator’s responsibility to check documents are scanned (in their entirety) and clearly titled as required.

What is Standardisation?

Standardisation is the process of creating, issuing, and implementing standards. To meet this requirement within your External Quality Assurance (EQA), all ATC Coordinators must provide evidence of the following if they have more than one Trainer Assessor (TA) on site:

• How they communicate with TAs within their organisation about changes RLSS UK Qualifications have recently made to Guidance and Syllabus.

• Qualification updates available for CPD completion.

• Their process for checking that all TAs within their organisation are all delivering courses and ongoing training sessions to the same standard.

Agenda to consider during the standardisation meetings:

• How regularly are these planned in

° Minimum of one per calendar year

• Record of attendance and agenda

° Subject headings (examples)

Risk rating TAs

Any feedback from External Quality Assurance (EQA) audits and Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) is fed back

Feedback on any relevant updates or changes

Good and bad practices within physical training and assessing of skills

Meeting minutes and/or recording if this has taken place via a meeting software such as MS Teams or Zoom

Reasonable Adjustments

As an ATC/P Coordinator and/or Trainer Assessor

Number of Candidates presented by a Probationary Trainer Assessor (PTA)

When a PTA delivers their first course, they must have a minimum of four candidates enrolled on their course for assessment.

Where fewer than four candidates are being presented for assessment, the PTA or Mentor will need to apply for special considerations. You may be requested to provide evidence that all effort has been made to meet the minimum requirement. Please contact compliance@rlss.org.uk for special considerations.

In all situations, you will need to fill in a Reasonable Adjustment application form and retain this with the course and assessment paperwork. If you are unsure, please contact compliance@rlss.org.uk for further support.

Please refer to the Reasonable Adjustment and Special Consideration policy for more information. This can be found at: www.rlss.org.uk/special-consideration

ATC Change of Details

Where there are changes in ATC/P Coordinator roles, the RLSS UK Compliance team must be notified who the new point of contact is. It is a requirement to keep us up to date with any changes. Your ATC/P may have their activity temporarily suspended where records are not up to date. Also, for adding/removing, child, ATCs within your organisation, the RLSS UK Compliance team must be notified. In all instances, please complete the ‘ATC/P Change of Details’ form.

The ‘ATC/P Change of Details’ form can be found by the ATC Coordinator in the ATC/P Administration folder within the ‘Resources and Documents’ tab of their RLSS UK account, and then returned to compliance@rlss.org.uk

Meet the Team

In this edition, we are introducing Donna Hill - our Compliance Manager. Many of you may have been in touch with Donna through email or phone.

Donna has worked in the RLSS UK Compliance department for several years. Her primary responsibilities are overseeing the day-to-day running of the department and reviewing the

Continued Professional Development (CPD)

A reminder that it is the candidate’s responsibility to keep a record of their CPD hours for presentation at assessment. In many cases, employers keep track of records too, and it is advisable, prior to leaving employment, that a candidate obtains copies of their signed register or individual training record. Alternatively, if a candidate infrequently trains with different ATC/Ps, the candidate should obtain a copy of the CPD training record (at the time) and keep the record of CPD safe.

Candidates are required to complete 20 hours of CPD within the last two years from the date of the previous assessment covering content from the NPLQ syllabus:

• In-water swimming pool rescue skills (at least four hrs)

• CPR (at least four hrs)

• First Aid (at least four hrs)

• Lifeguard Theory (at least four hours)

CPD can be achieved by:

• Attendance at ongoing lifeguard training and competency assessment (strongly recommended)

• Attendance at alternative training, faceto-face or online, relating to in-water swimming pool rescue skills, CPR, First Aid and lifeguard theory, or the downloaded certificate from the online CPD modules.

Candidates renewing their qualification must provide accurate records (paper or elec tronic) of CPD to the Trainer at assessment; all CPD records must contain:

• The CPD method

• An outline of the topics covered

• The dates when CPD took place

• The time period of the CPD

• The number of hours

• Evidence that you undertook the CPD activity (e.g., a signature from the Trainer of the CPD, certificate)

To help support NPLQ candidates in having their own record of CPD they are complet ing we have created a free resource located in the candidates RLSS UK Account. When logged into your RLSS UK Account click on the ‘Resource and Documents’ tab followed by the ‘Lifeguard Training Logs’ folder.

RLSS UK Shop Customer Services team – Have in-depth knowledge of the products available at RLSS UK shop online and can help with questions about products, shop deliveries, availability dates and all purchase enquiries.

Technical Support – Generally technical questions are passed to the Qualification and Awards Development team, who assists with all technical questions about the running of specific qualifications and awards.

Finance Team – help with any enquiries about payments or purchase orders.

Compliance – ensure that everybody is adhering to correct procedures at that all candidates are treated fairly.

Account Management – regularly interacts with ATCs to ensure that they have no issues and require further support.

Course Management/tahdah interaction – a team that helps with all your enquiries, concerns or support you need when using your RLSS UK Account (powered by tahdah).

?My NPLQ certificate shows a depth of 1.8m. Is this the maximum depth in which I can work?

We only allow the assessed depth on the certificates to demonstrate the depth achieved during the assessment; this ensures that an employer knows the maximum depth a lifeguard has had training for and the extra depth test requirements.

?Can a Trainer Assessor (TA) self-present for an NPLQ?

Only if they have delivered a complete course in the last two years and can evidence it to the Assessor.

TECHNICAL: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Are you a pool operator, manager or owner? We want to hear from you!

Water Babies are the world’s largest baby swimming company, teaching more than 53,000 babies and toddlers to swim every week, operating in five countries on three continents. And we’re always on the lookout for new venues to swim in.

We passionately believe that all children should learn to swim as early as possible so they can have fun, bond with their parents and, should they ever fall in water, have the best possible chance of surviving.

• We will work collaboratively to create a pathway into your existing Learn to Swim program: Water Babies will work with your Swim Manager to ensure that there is a clear progression and transition path into your swim program.

• Additional revenue from a reliable partner: As well as being reliable and prompt payers, we guarantee that you will receive a flat rate for the pool time that we hire from our established network of franchisees.

• We work around your schedules: Water Babies classes are often during off peak times, these being the periods in the day which wouldn’t usually generate income for pool operators.

To talk to us more about the opportunities Water Babies can bring to your venue visit: https://waterbabies.co.uk/water-babies-pools .

?If one person in an organisation (e.g. a school) is qualified as a Water Smart Award Instructor, can they share their resources with other Teachers so that others can deliver the programme without being qualified to teach the Award?

No, sharing resources and teaching our awards while not qualified is not something we allow.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING DROWNING PREVENTION WEEK 2022

The Royal Life Saving Society UK’s (RLSS UK) 2022 Drowning Prevention Week was a huge success thanks to all of our supporters and members. The aim of Drowning Prevention Week is simple: to educate as many people as possible about water safety to prevent future drownings. The week is one of the largest summer water safety campaigns across the UK and Ireland and for 2022 the campaign reached even more people than in previous years.

As you will see from the graphic, the 2022 campaign reached new audiences and built on the success of previous years.

Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK said:

“

It is fantastic to see these headline results and how our annual campaign continues to make a difference across the UK and Ireland.

“

The importance of the campaign was shown in July as we saw a devastating month with many lives lost to drowning. Looking ahead, we would like to ask all of our members and supporters to keep spreading the vital water safety messages and take opportunities to educate and reflect on what more we can do. Without Drowning Prevention Week it is simply unimaginable to think what the devastation might have been if you had not joined us in the incredible effort to educate people around water safety.

“

It is important that Drowning Prevention Week is not the start or the end of the efforts to enhance young people’s knowledge, help increase their skills and abilities to be safe around water but also give them the confidence to enjoy water. It is a year round effort and one that must be further embedded and we are looking forward to sharing soon our efforts to enhance curriculum water safety, something which will need everyone’s support to make sustainable change.”

Your membership helps us support communities with our essential work and in turn, saves lives.

“

It was a fantastic day, well done to all involved. In particular we were really impressed with the goody bag we got with the Rookie Splash.”

“ There is a lovely friendly atmosphere, the venue is great, as well.”

“ I had a lot of fun at this local event.”

Successful Open Water Festival at Lenches Lake, Evesham

Keen open water swimmers made a splash at the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s Open Water Festival with over 70 swimmers taking part.

Lots of families participated in the open water swim, an activity which is ever growing in popularity and we hope to give people the opportunity to enjoy.

Hosted at The Lenches Lake, Worcestershire, on Sunday 26 June, the festival included swim events to suit everyone, from children under 10-years-old making a splash, beginners taking the plunge in their first open water swim, or seasoned swimmers adding to their tally of swims.

Cath Pendleton, fondly known as the Merthyr Mermaid, attended the event and spoke with swimmers and presented winners with their prizes. Cath, who achieved a Guinness World Record as the first female to swim a mile inside the Antarctic Polar Circle, also took part in the festival herself, and took to social media to say how great the day was.

The event was a perfect time to give open water swimming a try: with idyllic surroundings, professional advice on hand, attractions between the swim events, and hot food and drinks available. Many families began their open water adventure and vouched it would not be the last time.

Dryrobe©, developers of the world’s first outdoor change robes, were the headline sponsor of the festival, with additional sponsor support received from Swim Secure, Beyond Swim, and David Lloyd. The day consisted of the competitive and non-competitive swim events which were suitable for a variety of ages and abilities including swims of 1600m, 800m, 400m, 200m and a Rookie Splash.

All participants received a swim hat, medal, goody bag and the chance to win great prizes. PLUS, the day raised and over £2,000, which will be used to educate future generations on how to enjoy water safely.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at The Lenches Lake in June and congratulations to all our swimmers who took part.

We are excited to be holding another event on Sunday 4 June next year at Manvers Lake, South Yorkshire – be sure to save the date!

Don’t Drink and Drown is our national campaign that encourages smart decision making whilst being drunk around water. It particularly targets individuals to be responsible for their friends if they have had too much to drink; helping them to return home safely and ‘be a mate’

Already this year we have ran a successful Fresher’s week campaign, with universities around the country engaging with the week-long campaign as new students joined them and others returned for another year.

Looking at our research we found that in a sample of UK accidental drowning cases analysed in detail by RLSS UK, at least half of those aged 16-25 who lost their lives were students. As well as this, three in four of these accidental drowning victims were alone. Our messaging to students was clear: stay together, #BeAMate, and don’t walk home alone.

We usually run the second part of our campaign for a week in December, however, this year is slightly different and Don’t Drink and Drown has already been underway for a few weeks.

With this year’s FIFA World Cup taking place during our winter, we have expanded the duration of the campaign to target not only those who will be heading on festive nights out in December, but also the football fans who will be heading to pubs and bars to enjoy the tournament.

We have already seen a fantastic response to the campaign with our messages being shared far and wide across social media. If you haven’t already, please be sure to take a look and share our messages with your own friends and family so we can ensure everyone stays safe during the winter months.

Across the country, our partners and staff from bars and pubs have been getting involved with Water Rescue Equipment Training (WRET) so they have the skills and knowledge to ensure their customers and the local community stay safe around the water.

If you are running any events for Don’t Drink and Drown this year, please tag @RLSSUK in any social media posts, we would love to see how you are supporting the campaign. Thank you as always for your dedicated support, with your help we will ensure people have the right knowledge to enjoy their nights out with friends and family, stay away from the water on their routes home, and have a great Christmas and New Year.

WORLD LIFESAVING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2022

The World Lifesaving Championships are organised by International Life Saving (ILS)and take place in a different location around the world every two years. The two-week-long event showcases excellence in lifesaving sports and rescue; attracting the most talented and skilled lifesaving athletes to compete for the title of World’s best.

The 2022 World Lifesaving Championships took place in Riccione in Italy between 18 September and 3 October and we were proud to see so many fantastic RLSS UK members competing for team GBR. We would like to thank dryrobe® for sponsoring the GB team.

RLSS UK Competitors:

Youth Boys

Thomas Leggett (Crawley Town)

Jack Sadberry – Vice Captain (Crawley Town)

Luke Waterfall (Ripley Rascals)

Youth Girls

Heather Watson (Ripley Rascals)

Amaia Lopez (Crawley Town)

Meadh Rodgers (Crawley Town)

Open Men

Sam Lawman - Captain (Crawley Town)

Open Female

Emily Robson (Loughborough Students)

Team GBR (Opens):

1st place in Final A of the Men’s 4X50 obstacle relay (world champs!)

Sam Lawman 2nd place in Final B of the Men’s 100m Rescue Medley

Sam Lawman 3rd place in Men’s 100m manikin carry with fins

3rd place for Team GBR in Men’s Rescue Tube Rescue Final

4th place for Team GBR in Mixed Ocean Lifesaver Final

The Open team achieved 9th in the pool, 5th on the beach giving them an 8th place overall.

Club Masters highlights: Beacon Lifesaving Club:

Ladies 4 x 25m manikin relay team came away with a 1 second PB and 6th in the world. Di Christmas set a new UK record in her individual 100m obstacles, just missing the podium in 4th place

St. John Berchman’s Swimming, Lifesaving & Lifeguard Club

Gold medal for the men’s 12.5 metre Rope Throw.

Heanor Swimming and Lifesaving Club

Kenley Massey (youth competitor) achieved PB times.

Team GBR (Youth):

Team GBR 3rd place in Final B of Youth Girls Rescue Tube Rescue final

Team GBR 3rd place in Final A of Youth Boys Rescue Tube Rescue final

Thomas Leggett 3rd place in Final A of Youth Boys 200m obstacle swim

Team GBR 3rd place in Final B of Youth Boys 4x50 obstacle relay

Jack Sadberry 2nd place in Final B of Youth Boys 100m manikin tow with fins

Team GBR 2nd place in Final B of Youth Girls 4x25 manikin relay

Team GBR 1st place in Final B of Youth Boys 4x50 medley relay (World champs!)

The Youth team achieved 5th in the beach, 7th in the pool totalling an 8th place overall.

Crawley Town Life Saving Club:

Gold and world record in 75+ age group for Janet Dell in 50m manikin carry. Janet also got silver in 100m obstacles.

Mother and daughter Maureen Fakley (75+) and Donna Wickens (55-59) won bronze medals in 100m manikin tow and 50m manikin carry respectively, despite Maureen (85) being 10 years over the age group minimum age of 75!

Janet Maureen Donna and Jennie Amos secured bronze medals in the 4x25m manikin carry relay.

Martin Schofield (youth competitor) achieved PB times.

Life support initiatives

Competitors are faced with an unknown situation in which they have 90 seconds to deal with. This simulated accident focuses on their life support and first aid skills under the watchful scrutiny of the Officials.

Aquatic initiatives

Competitors have 90 seconds to deal with a previously unknown emergency situation. They have to assess the situation, prioritise and rescue the casualties; making the best possible use of any available aids and bystanders. This is designed to test these skills under real pressure.

Line throw

Competitors are tasked to coil & throw a rope and pull in a casualty as quickly as possible.

Swim and tow

The RLSS UK National Lifesaving Championships took place on Saturday 5 November 2022 in Leeds with 200 competitors taking part. After a three-year hiatus (due to the Coronavirus pandemic)

witness some of the best lifesaving skills from across

HONOURS 2022

We celebrated the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s Honours ceremony on Saturday 15 October and it was great to see so many of our members, volunteers and lifesaving community together to celebrate the fantastic efforts of our award winners.

The event was held at the beautiful Coombe Abbey in Coventry and we would like to congratulate, once again, all of our volunteers and members who received an award; without you we would not be able to continue with our efforts on educating and training the UK and Irish public to enjoy water safely. We would also like to thank our Patron, Lord Storey, for his attendance and meeting with our fantastic volunteers and members.

The RLSS UK National Events Team - National *collected on behalf of all volunteers

The Stuart Bailey Award

The volunteers of the RLSS UK Event Team are from a diverse mix of clubs and branches across the country. They pulled together to support the event industry in reopening for the national good, to get people back into society and raise national morale. They managed to provide all cover at the events required despite having to deal with team members having to isolate on the day of travel to the event in considerable numbers, and even people testing positive while at the events and having to go home - stretching the requirements of the rest of the team. This isn’t for one individual in the team, it’s for everyone that gave up a few hours, a few days, or more as a volunteer to support these events through the day and night in what was an exceptionally difficult year (even more than normal!)

I hope recognition will help the team to continue to grow with more volunteers able to get involved regardless of their background or where in the country they are based.

Alan Hale - Wessex

Alan has tirelessly travelled the county of Dorset delivering our community awards to organisations that have needed it the most. These include numerous community Save an Adult and AED courses in Weymouth and travelling to other towns to deliver Community Save A Baby’s Life courses. Alan has trained hundreds of individuals and continues to fly the flag for RLSS UK as well as raising significant funds as a volunteer. I feel it would be wonderful to recognise his passion in spreading the word of the Society, he is a true inspiration.

Cup

Adrian McDowell - Staffordshire

Adrian has been the driving force behind the creation and development of a new lifesaving club in a deprived area of Wolverhampton during the Covid pandemicWulfruna Lifesavers. Working cooperatively with other organisations like Wolverhampton MBC, WV Active, Flood Responder organisations, Community First Responder Groups & RLSSUK TAs and NTAs, he and Wulfuna Lifsavers have created strands that the club and its members now cross-pollinate in the aim to secure a future for lifesaving in the borough and the surrounding areas.

This foresight has already seen a healthy development especially at grass roots level lifesaving to get young people involved and off the streets. The club now also has many of its members as active Community First Responders as well as trained Search and Recovery personnel. Wulfruna Lifesavers and its people have exceeded other clubs I have had the honour to be involved in. The club actively lobbies politically for support across its strands to remain relevant to its existing users and well as potential new clients. It may be a new club but its purpose is to enhance communities, so everyone can enjoy being in, on and around water, safely because every life is worth saving. This can’t be more true for this club.

The Brian Morrissey

Clive Holland Trophy

Ken White Trophy

Bethan Laker

Bethan works within the swimming industry and over the years has successfully developed a career she is clearly passionate about. Bethan is especially passionate about children learning to swim and ensuring families understand the dangers in and around water.

Those who know Bethan will know she is always looking for her next adventure, her next adrenaline fix! With lockdown leaving her tied to her desk for seven months, she figured it was time to change the fact that she hadn’t done anything too exciting for far too long!

When Bethan saw the Royal Lifesaving Society UK looking for people to take part in a charity event she wanted to get involved straight away. A skydive was a challenge right up her street involving adventure and adrenaline whilst raising awareness and money for the charity’s mission to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy water safely – something she feels strongly about.

Bethan had an original target of £500 and then after reaching that, raised the target to £1,000 for her charity skydive. Bethan is a huge supporter of RLSS UK and is passionate about raising awareness and funds for the charity. Bethan has also supplied the charity with a blog, videos and images to use in the design of a fundraising booklet and to further promote RLSS UK adrenaline challenges!

Sheena Harper - SE Peck Area Organiser of the Year

Sheena works hard to meet society objectives within the local area. She is the chairperson for a local club which she took over to ensure the club remained running after Covid restrictions. She has worked hard to ensure there are volunteers in the club and to recruit new members along with Covid compliance in the club. Sheena has also taken on the Covid officer role with regular attendance at the club.

As a regional Ambassador Sheena has supported branch members by helping members with contacting HQ and helping get answers to questions branch members have, as well as helping to advocate on branch members behalf with any problems they have faced finding information and support.

Sheena advocated for and helped to co-ordinate events and courses returning such as the locally run beach lifeguard course. She has long been passionate about lifesaving and supporting the aims of the Society and the above illustrates her recent support for lifesaving aims in the local community.

Previous involvement has included running a wide range of RLSS UK courses to up skill volunteers, teaching children, educating the wider community, supporting fundraising involvement in branch and regional committees, and engaging others to volunteer.

Evie Godwin - Devon

In February 2021 Evie took and passed her NPLQ. Evie then spent the summer of 2021 taking her Rookie Instructor award and then teaching the rookies at Bovey Tracey swimming pool. Her knowledge of lifesaving and first aid is outstanding for such a young person.

During lockdown both of Evie’s parents had to take extra care; her mum is in remission from breast cancer and her dad has a serious lung condition. Her dad Mark was diagnosed with Covid and fell seriously ill but Evie had the presence of mind to monitor his breathing, check his pulse and oxygen levels and ultimately call 999 for an ambulance.

Mark spent a number of days in intensive care before recovering but thanks Evie for her swift action. Despite this, Evie remains positive and cheerful and is a great role model to the young children she teaches. I highly recommend her for this honour.

Stanley Peck

RLSS UK Merit Honour

Young Leader

HONOURS AWARDS

On the next few pages, we’re delighted to be able to celebrate all our Honours recipients for this year. Congratulations to everyone and a huge thank you to all the people who worked so hard behind the scenes, to bring this year’s Honours ceremony to life!

Missed it? You can watch it again at: www.rlss.org.uk/honours

RLSS

UK Long Service Medal

Branch

Carl Davids Bradford & Airedale

Roger Allison Hull & East Yorkshire

Brian Wiltshaw Liverpool & District

Shirley Wiltshaw Liverpool & District

Michael Wardle Manchester & District

Roger Clarke Northhamptonshire

RLSS UK Recognition of Service

Christine Haworth Cumbria

Ann Luckett Derbyshire

Raymond Rackham Hull & East Yorkshire

William Mincke Hull & East Yorkshire

Frank Kay Lancashire

Christopher McGarry Liverpool & District

Declan Harte Republic of Ireland

Muirti O Cearnaigh Republic of Ireland

Terrance Cloud Suffolk

Janet Hewitt Wessex

Trevor Linkins Wessex

RLSS UK Honorary Life Member

Simon Hughes East Wales

Joan Foreman Hertfordshire

Andrew Thomson Kent

Peter Burgoyne Kent

Barbara Kay Lancashire

Peter Moyes Lancashire

Andy Wright Leicestershire & Rutland

Kay Colliver Leicestershire & Rutland

Melvyn Fulcher Lincolnshire

Kevin Daley Mid Yorkshire

Carol Henry Northamptonshire

Michael Line Northamptonshire

Susan Weigleb Northamptonshire

Terry Draycott Nottinghamshire

David Cherrington Staffordshire

Alison Angolini Surrey

Alan Willetts Warwickshire

RLSS UK Young Lifesaver

Brandon Wadkin Bradford & Airedale

Luke Waterfall Derbyshire

Evie Godwin Devon

Benjamin Mills East Wales

Harrison Doyle Essex

RLSS UK Young Lifesaver (cont) Branch

Brooklyn Scandole Hull & East Yorks

Cameron Mundy Kent

Thomas Carter Mid Yorkshire

Rafik Aljabbar Northamptonshire

Elliot Rogers Northumberland & Durham

Benjamin Tomlinson Nottinghamshire

Ines Ross Scottish Eastern

Katie Stewart Scottish Northern

Luca DeGregorio Somerset

Katie Parry Staffordshire

Sam Clark Sussex

Ariane Edges Wessex

RLSS UK Medal of Honour

Lynn Billingham Liverpool & District

Daniel Wood Manchester & District

Sheena Harper Scottish Eastern Helen Clark Scottish Northern

RLSS UK Medal of Distinction

Meg Brunskill Avon & North Wiltshire

Daniel Woodthorpe Derbyshire

Nigel Bulley Devon

Neil Morgan Kent

Margaret Riding Liverpool & District

Michael Line Northamptonshire

Donna Robson Northumberland & Durham

Sam Boot Nottinghamshire

Alan Willetts Warwickshire

RLSS UK Bar to Medal of Distinction

Nina Winrow Derbyshire

Carl Morton East Wales

Sheila Mott East Wales

Tim Kretschmer East Wales

Beryl Lyon Liverpool & District

Charles Lyon Liverpool & District

Julie Pearson Liverpool & District Douglas Thomas West Wales

RLSS UK Certificate of Recognition

Jackie Ainsworth Avon & N Wilts

Trevor Cruse Avon & N Wilts

Jack Wilson Cumbria

Chris Screeton Derbyshire

Christine Dening Derbyshire

James Robinson Derbyshire

Joseph Galiszewski Derbyshire

Mike Waterfall Derbyshire

Rebecca Emerton Derbyshire

Tim Dening Derbyshire

Nigel Bulley Devon

Russell Pankhurst Devon

Benjamin Mills East Wales

Nick Bracchi East Wales

Garry Watts East Wales

Alan Humphrey East Wales

Richard Huntley East Wales

Sam Adams East Wales

Andrew Parker Hull & East Yorks

RLSS UK Certificate of Recognition (cont)

Branch

Kevin Dudding Hull & East Yorks

Malcolm Bell Hull & East Yorks

Raymond Rackham Hull & East Yorks

Stuart Armstrong Hull & East Yorks

William Mincke Hull & East Yorks

Cameron Mundy Kent

Donna Thomas Kent

Faye Burnap Kent

Joanne Willson Kent

Martin Fossey Kent

Stephen Goldsmith Kent

Carl Simeson Mid Yorkshire

Neal Campbell Northamptonshire

Oliver Coleman Northamptonshire

Julie Rogers Northumberland & Durham

Paula Dickenson Northumberland & Durham

Barbara Etches Nottinghamshire

Katie Gange Nottinghamshire

Theresa Tomlinson Nottinghamshire

Alan Whyte Scottish Eastern

Robin Akers Sussex

Laura Sammon Thames Valley

Hannah Wiggins-Bettles Wessex

John Wiggins-Bettles Wessex

Lara Moore Wessex

Samantha Lindsay Worcestershire & Herefordshire

RLSS UK Certificate of Merit

Tracey Earlstone Cumbria

Luke Waterfall Derbyshire

Benjamin Holmes Derbyshire

Rachel Healey Derbyshire

Scarlett Swift Derbyshire

Claire Wilson Devon

Evie Godwin Devon

James Johnson Devon

Jennifer Freeborn Devon

Mark Evans Devon

Rachel Twose Devon

Reuben Crosby Devon

Robert Colliety Devon

Sally Kingdon Devon

Shirley Stapleton Devon

Tom Stoppard Devon

Rebecca Clarke East Wales

Callum Wyatt Essex

Jenny Burton Essex

Mark McNicoll-Norbury Hertfordshire

Julie Hedges Hull & East Yorks

Angela Katz Isle of Man

Carolyn Brown Isle of Man

Tony Corlett Isle of Man

Scott Gardner Isle of Wight

Leslie Jewitt-Ward Jersey

Nicola Holgate-Smith Jersey

Caroline Leggatt Kent

Stuart Cattell Kent

James Madeley Leicestershire & Rutland

Danielle Carney Liverpool & District

Derek Croucher Liverpool & District

EVENTS

RLSS UK Certificate of Merit (cont)

Branch

Josh Reddington Liverpool & District

Peter Munro Liverpool & District

Oliver Coleman Northamptonshire

Rafik Aljabbar Northamptonshire

Stella Monk Northamptonshire

Chloe Rogers Northumberland & Durham

Dave Graham Northumberland & Durham

David Bell Northumberland & Durham

Elliot Rogers Northumberland & Durham

Victoria Farrer Northumberland & Durham

George Wilson Nottinghamshire

Gideon Tarry Nottinghamshire

Harley Glover-Newson Nottinghamshire

Ian Osbourne Nottinghamshire

Katie Clarke Nottinghamshire

Matthew Tompkins Nottinghamshire

Roy Tivey Nottinghamshire

Sophie Rennie Scottish Eastern

Lynn Lawrence Scottish Midlands

Catriona Matheson Scottish Northern

Katie Stewart Scottish Northern

Aaron Carter Shropshire

Alex Ecclestone Shropshire

Alex Phillips Shropshire

Erica Downes Shropshire

Jamie Gauld Shropshire

Sergej Cibulskis Surrey

Paul Heskett Sussex

Abigail Alvis Wessex

Charlotte Harris Wessex

Charlotte Ailes-Barfield Wessex

Chloe Burden Wessex

Chloe Graham Wessex

Dylan Antunovic-Fry Wessex

George Coles Wessex

Jack Fletcher Wessex

Jasmine Antunovic-Fry Wessex

Julie Collins Wessex

Nathan Mansbridge Wessex

Steven Chizlett Wessex

Cheryl Livings Worcestershire & Herefordshire

Emma Lees Worcestershire & Herefordshire

Ignotas Salna Worcestershire & Herefordshire

Kerry Tattersall Worcestershire & Herefordshire

Leah McNaughton Worcestershire & Herefordshire

Luke Johnson Worcestershire & Herefordshire

RLSS UK 2nd Bar to Service Cross

Adam Stout Hertfordshire

Darren Foreman Hertfordshire

Stuart Foreman Hertfordshire

Andrew Fooks Kent

Jennifer Carter Mid Yorkshire

Neal Campbell Northamptonshire

David Browne Republic of Ireland

RLSS

(cont)

UK 2nd Bar to Service Cross

Branch

Martin McCarrick Republic of Ireland

Marion Brown Suffolk

Heather Scott Sussex

Nigel Divers Sussex

Sarah Page Warwickshire

Vivien Reeves Warwickshire

Brian Pemberton Wessex

RLSS UK 1st Bar to Service Cross

Meg Brunskill Avon & North Wiltshire

David Trimble Bradford & Airedale

Catherine Evans East Wales

Lyn Dallimore Hertfordshire

Mark McNicoll-Norbury Hertfordshire

Martin Carter Hertfordshire

Shirley Goldsmith Hertfordshire

Helen Fooks Kent

Sydney Holt Lancashire

Terry Rogers Lancashire

Jacqueline Fulcher Lincolnshire

Stephen Winter Lincolnshire

Neal Campbell Northamptonshire

Elizabeth Humphries Northamptonshire

David Bullen Northumberland & Durham

Peter Scarborough Republic of Ireland

Sean Connor Republic of Ireland

Vincent Smith Republic of Ireland

Hannah Lietzau Staffordshire

Scott Millard Staffordshire

Lucy Haines Surrey

Cheryl Payne Surrey Philip Payne Surrey

Romaine Webb Worcestershire & Herefordshire

RLSS UK Service Cross

Coby Kemp Hull & East Yorks

Leanne Ayre Hull & East Yorks

Keith Franklin Kent Lesley Smith Kent

John Kirkham Lancashire

Rachel Clamp Leicestershire & Rutland

Jacqueline Fulcher Lincolnshire

Stephen Winter Lincolnshire

Joseph Spencer Liverpool & District

Michael Line Northamptonshire

Sally Hewitt Northamptonshire

Susan Weigleb Northamptonshire

Amelia Reilly Republic of Ireland

Noel Mulhair Republic of Ireland

James Irvine Wessex

John Wheeler Wessex

Stephen Ray Wessex

RLSS UK Bar to Service Medal

Dawn Lockwood Derbyshire

Richard Clarke East Wales

Thomas Ross Hertfordshire

Mark Vanyan Isle of Man

Pauline Glennon Isle of Man

Steven Jackson Northamptonshire

Sally Hewitt Northamptonshire

RLSS UK Bar to Service Medal (cont) Branch

Christopher Wade Northumberland & Durham

Donna Robson Northumberland & Durham

Antony Coia Scotland West

Ruth Kettleborough Somerset

Thomas Kettleborough Somerset

Julian Loader Suffolk

Kate Bramwell Suffolk

David Ayres Wessex

James Marsh Wessex

John Humphreys Wessex

Aled Bowen West Wales

RLSS UK Service Medal

Joshua Hale Avon & North Wiltshire

Khadka Thapa BFPO

Prakash Gurung BFPO

Zoe Stevens Cornwall

Joseph Galiszewski Derbyshire

Russell Pankhurst Devon

Susan Hutchings Devon

Sam Adams East Wales

Catherine Baldwin Hertfordshire

Nicola Ealey Hertfordshire

Dawn Marshall Isle of Man

Roberta Cain Isle of Man

Paula Dickenson Northumberland & Durham

Adam Smith Nottinghamshire

Andrew Knights Nottinghamshire

Aisling Ní Fhaoláin Republic of Ireland

Jessica Davies Republic of Ireland

John Doyle Republic of Ireland

Murray Robb Scottish Northern

Stephanie McGrath Shropshire

Jacqueline MacDonald Somerset

Alice Doorbar Staffordshire

Scott Evans Staffordshire

Jennifer Devine Surrey

Luke Peel Sussex

Christopher Gilbert Wessex

David Perch Wessex

Dorothy Fox Wessex

Mike Darkin Wessex

Deborah Weston Worcestershire & Herefordshire

Janet Bigg Worcestershire & Herefordshire

RLSS UK Certificate of Thanks

Trevor Mackown Cornwall

Jennie Lockwood Derbyshire

Terry Fox Derbyshire

Thea Bednall Derbyshire

Nicola Townsend Devon

Richard Warnes Devon

Adrian Williams East Wales

Alan Hancock East Wales

Daniel Alker East Wales

Dominic Griggs East Wales

James Auty East Wales

Lloyd Thomas East Wales

Megan Edmunds East Wales

Nicholas Bray East Wales

RLSS UK Certificate of Thanks (cont)

Nick Bracchi

Branch

East Wales

Peter Roberts East Wales

Rebecca Clarke East Wales

Richard Clarke East Wales

Richard Cooper East Wales

Serena Wood East Wales

Samuel Doyle Essex

Victoria Hewitt Hertfordshire

Angela Katz Isle of Man

Carolyn Brown Isle of Man

Tony Corlett Isle of Man

Andy Dyer Isle of Wight

Kai Hall Isle of Wight

Martin Cohen Isle of Wight

Ronan McCann Isle of Wight

Stuart Bratton Isle of Wight

Tom Stafford Isle of Wight

Deborah Kasper Kent

Frances Payne Kent

George Payne Kent

Joanne Willson Kent

Sally Robinson Kent

Stephen Goldsmith Kent

Melissa Ginley Lancashire

Charlotte Garratt Leicestershire & Rutland

Lianne Jansen Leicestershire & Rutland

Anna Ellis Lincolnshire

Ian Fulcher Lincolnshire

Joseph Ablewhite Lincolnshire

Joshua Papathansi Lincolnshire

Sally-Ann Trevor Lincolnshire

Olivia Walker Manchester & District

Carl Simeson Mid Yorkshire

Branch

Noah Hollowell Northamptonshire

Stella Monk Northamptonshire

Chloe Rogers Northumberland & Durham

Craig Morgan Northumberland & Durham

Elliot Rogers Northumberland & Durham

Izzy Mahoney Northumberland & Durham

Julia Rogers Northumberland & Durham

Rachel Mahoney Northumberland & Durham

Victoria Farrer Northumberland & Durham

Ben Parker

Nottinghamshire

Benjamin Lang Nottinghamshire

Gary Bull Nottinghamshire

Georgina Tomlinson Nottinghamshire

Jessica Newton Nottinghamshire

Karen Moore Nottinghamshire

Laura Briggs Nottinghamshire

Sharon Cummins Republic of Ireland

Christopher Lawson Scottish Eastern

Rebecca Stewart Scottish Eastern

Lynn Lawrence Scottish Midlands

Catriona Matheson Scottish Northern Katie Stewart Scottish Northern

Emma Page Somerset

Glynn Kettleborough Somerset

Hermione Cosser Somerset

Alisha Patel Staffordshire

Charlotte Rogers Staffordshire

Elizabeth Whitehouse Staffordshire Harriet Bradbury Staffordshire

Branch

Kieran Riley Staffordshire

Mitchell Davis Staffordshire

Philip Roberts Staffordshire

Sophie Weston Staffordshire

Caroline Rust Suffolk

Elaine Hammond Suffolk

Jodie Mouncer Suffolk

Jonathan Sharp Suffolk

Rhys Palombo Suffolk

Sam Truman Suffolk

Eleanor Prail Surrey

Jacqueline Arnold Surrey

Jonathan Naish Surrey

Chris Butler Sussex

Edward Baker Sussex

Hannah Baker Sussex

Joe Slaughter Sussex

Allan Heazelton Wessex

Andy Murphy Wessex

Ariane Edges Wessex

Calum Anderton Wessex

David Riley Wessex

Elain Watkins Wessex

Jack Allman Wessex

Joshua Port Wessex

Matt Croft Wessex

Sarah Kelly Wessex

Shannon Gale Wessex

Steven Chizlett Wessex

Victoria Walton Wessex

Baden Forson Worcestershire & Herefordshire

Niamh Lloyd Worcestershire & Herefordshire

Sam James Worcestershire & Herefordshire

Vanessa Eagland Worcestershire & Herefordshire

LIFEGUARD RECRUITMENT TIPS

Lifeguard recruitment is particularly challenging at this time, so to try and help, we have created some tips and ideas for recruiting for roles that you have available.

Free Marketing Resources to Promote Your Courses

To support you with marketing your NPLQ courses for potential lifeguard recruitment - there are FREE #BeALifesaver marketing resources available in your RLSS UK Account. These include digital marketing assets, leaflets, posters, and even a suggested step-by-step marketing plan. It is important to remember to promote the benefits of the role in all your advertising.

Promote Roles on Social Media

Promoting roles on social media can often be dismissed as considered expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. An operator’s or swimming pool’s social media is likely to have its most supportive clients or advocates as followers. These people are most likely to share these opportunities with their followers or tag people they think might be interested.

It is also worth investigating free advertising opportunities on social media - LinkedIn allows you to advertise one role for free, and Facebook often has local ‘jobs wanted/available’ pages that are free to post roles on. There can be a lot of people within these groups looking for opportunities.

If you do decide that advertising on social media is the best course of action to find new talent, then when you set up your campaign you can select the location, daily budget, and interests - targeting who sees the adverts and set how much you are willing to spend. You could test the market with a small budget and increase it if it proves successful.

Use Your Venue

Leisure centres, gyms, and swimming pools tend to have high footfall every week, and the flexibility of lifeguarding as a career means that you might find your next lifeguard from anybody over 16-years-of-age that enters your building. Display posters on communal noticeboards, entrance doors, changing room doors, and staff break-out areas - as they might have friends looking for a similar job to themselves.

Contact Local Educational Establishments

Contact local universities to see if they can advertise the opportunity to students starting their studies. You can also reach out to local sixth forms or colleges, so their students can earn some income alongside their studies. Attending career days or outreach opportunities with educational establishments could also help to ensure that your venues are at the forefront of teachers’ minds, who could then suggest the opportunity to any of their students that show an interest.

Contact Your Local Job Centre

Your local Job Centre is looking for opportunities for people who are presently unemployed and may also have funding available for those out of work to complete the NPLQ.

RLSS UK Job Finder

All RLSS UK Approved Training Centres (ATCs) and Approved Training Providers (ATPs) have free access to add roles to the RLSS UK Job Finder. You can find more information and guidance on using this tool by by visiting www.rlss.org.uk/rlss-uk-job-finder

Inspire People to Want to Become a Lifeguard

You may have followers whose ultimate career dream is working in the emergency services or medicine. They could also want to be a Lawyer, Social Media Content Creator, MP, Actor or Television Presenter, Prison Officer or even a Director of RLSS UK! But they don’t see how starting their career as a lifeguard can help them with that. Our #IStartedAsALifeguard webpage is full of inspirational stories (about people who started their careers as a lifeguard) that you can share on your social media channels.

Agencies

Recruitment agencies can help, especially if you require lifeguards urgently or on a temporary basis. We work with one of the biggest specialist recruitment agencies for the leisure industry - 4LeisureRecruitment, which has a network of fully qualified lifeguards on its books. LoanALifeguard is another great organisation that can help to provide lifeguards short-term.

Share course testimonials

“

Great course and qualification to have, would definitely recommend to others.” “

Amazing course that teaches essential skills.” “ Great course, amazing opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills which will help me improve and further myself in the world of work.”

EVERYDAY HER ES: Rescue round-up

It takes a special person to see someone, sometimes a complete stranger, in need of help and to step in and make a valuable difference to that person’s life. Hearing about our everyday heroes is something that can never fail to make you feel proud of those associated with RLSS UK and the heroic lengths they will go to when assisting someone in trouble.

Strode Pool, Somerset - March 2022

Gabriel Lawless

Lifeguard Gabriel (Gabe) Lawless was on duty at Strode Pool in Somerset when swimmer Rod Kerr, 72, was celebrating his birthday with a swim.

However, when Rod entered the pool, things went wrong and he stopped breathing.

Gabe noticed that Rod was face down in the water and leapt into action, pulled

Worcester - May 2022

Rod from the water and began CPR. Other staff then came to Rod’s aid and assisted Gabe as he was shocked twice with a defibrillator.

Thanks to Gabe’s lifesaving actions, Rod was able to get himself onto the ambulance stretcher and was taken to hospital where he had a defibrillator fitted.

Will Parker & Amy Owens

Lifeguard Will Parker and Health and Fitness Coach Amy Owens, were on their commutes to and from work at David Lloyd in Worcester when their lifesaving training skills were called upon.

Will said: “I was scrolling through TikTok when I looked up to see a man go flying and land on the road. At that point, my instincts just kicked in, and I ran over and did what I could to help.”

The man had left a nearby pub and was reportedly involved in a collision with a car.

Thankfully, Will’s colleague Amy, who is Emergency Response Pool trained, was nearby and rushed to the scene. Will and Amy supported and monitored the casualty to make sure he remained stable whilst they waited for paramedics to arrive.

Amy said: “After watching the incident happen, I’m glad that Will and I were both there and were able to help the casualty and his family as much as possible.”

Police and paramedics arrived on the scene, and the man was transported to hospital for further assessment.

Spa Leisure Centre - May 2022

Three staff members from Droitwich Spa Leisure Centre were first at the scene after a 48-year-old male collapsed whilst playing squash.

Maddie Oswell, Sandra Webb and Dan Wilde, all qualified lifeguards, were working when the alarm was raised. A man had collapsed playing squash, he wasn’t breathing, and his heart had stopped. Dan, Sandra, and Maddie recognised he was in cardiac arrest and started immediate basic life support. The AED was used three times before his heart kicked back in and he came out of cardiac arrest.

Two Critical Care Paramedics arrived at the scene, shortly followed by the ambulance crew who took over the resuscitation of the patient.

The Paramedics all thanked the leisure centre staff for their first aid and CPR actions and said that their quick reactions and achievements had given him the best chance of survival.

The patient’s wife and daughter visited the centre the next day to thank staff for saving his life and have since informed the centre that he has had an internal defib fitted and is recovering well.

Maddie Oswell, Sandra Webb & Dan Wilde

Droitwich

Louisa Leisure Centre, Durham - June 2022

Lifeguard Alex Brown had to put all of his lifeguard training into action when a four-month-old baby started to choke in the small pool at the Louisa centre in Durham.

The baby went under the water momentarily and then experienced difficulty breathing. Alex reacted immediately as the baby’s mother gave him the infant so he could administer first-aid.

Turkey - June 2022

Alex performed back blows on the baby to obtain a clear airway and advised the baby’s mother to take them to hospital to be checked over.

Alex said: Instinct took over and the hours of staff training came to me. I often wondered how I would react in an emergency and I’m happy to say that I reacted quickly followed my training with a positive result. I was just glad the baby, mam and dad were OK.”

Eloise Dickerson Weedy, Isadore Dickerson Weedy &

Eloise (Ellie) Dickerson Weedy, Isadore (Issy) Dickerson Weedy and Jacob Screeton were on holiday in Turkey when they saved a young baby’s life.

Jacob Screeton

All three are pool and beach lifeguards and Ellie and Issy are also both lifesaving Trainer Assessors.

They were enjoying a day by the pool when a gust of wind blew a baby in a pushchair into the pool and as the baby was strapped in, she was at risk of drowning.

Blackpool - July 2022

Beach Patrol Officer, Daniel Barber, was on duty during the summer when he spotted two teenage boys, 13 and 15-years-old, around 35 meters from the shore on a boogie board. Immediately recognising the dangers, Daniel made his way to the area to advise the boys to come in and move away from the pier, but he soon noticed that strong currents and a rip tide had quickly pulled them out towards the pier.

The younger of the boys quickly became out of his depth and both boys

Lincolnshire - September 2022

Eighteen-year-olds Logan Ward and Dan Malickis, are both RLSS UK lifeguards and were on duty in early September when they spotted a young child in difficulty at an outdoor pool in Lincolnshire.

The young boy had swam too far into the deep end at the outdoor pool where he soon struggled to keep his head above the water. Logan said: “ I had to dive in and get him to the poolside. After that he fell unconscious.”

Ellie, Issy and Jacob dived straight in and Jacob was able to get the pushchair out of the pool with the help of another person. Ellie and Issy then checked the baby to see if she was crying and breathing while unclipping her.

The baby was then taken to hospital to be monitored, and thanks to the quick thinking of Ellie, Issy and Jacob she was able to recover well allowing the baby and her family to enjoy the remainder of their holiday.

began to panic, grabbing hold of the pier stanchions.

Daniel sprang into action, radioing for backup and then entered the water to rescue the teenagers who were in struggling to keep their heads above water with the strong currents.

Daniel successfully negotiated the surf quickly to reach the two boys and stabilised the situation, recovering both teenagers and their boogie boards and getting them safely back to shore.

Logan raised the alarm and was soon joined by fellow lifeguard Dan, who immediately called an ambulance. The youngster lost consciousness for a total of four minutes after being pulled from the water by Logan but thanks to the lifeguards, by the time the paramedics arrived he was conscious. After assessing the young boy, the paramedics gave him the all clear and he didn’t need to be taken to hospital.

Daniel Barber

Alex Brown

Logan Ward & Dan Malickis

MEET THE... QUALIFICATIONS & AWARDS TEAM

The Qualifications and Awards Team is responsible for researching, developing, and bringing to market all our industry-leading qualifications and awards. They also spend their time constantly reviewing existing qualifications and awards to ensure they remain current – as well as helping with any technical questions that come in from members.

The team is led by Head of Qualification Development, Ryan Trumpeter (centre), and as well as his team leader duties he is primarily responsible for Pool and First Aid qualifications. He is supported by two Qualifications and

whose focus is on qualifications that take place outdoors like the NVBLQ and

and Charlotte Moss whose focus is on lifesaving awards such as our brand-new National

has recently been launched.

SPOTLIGHT ON… NRASTC

The RLSS UK National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches (NRASTC) is our most achieved, non-regulated award. It is a supervision and rescue award for swimming teachers, coaches and/or instructors working during programmed activities, such as swimming lessons.

It is suitable for teachers working in a wide range of swimming pools, where the water is deeper than the teachers’ standing depth and meets the Individual sites risk assessment.

The course takes 12 hours, which can be delivered in two days and covers the Health & Safety Management of swimming lessons and includes lifesaving skills such as intervention rescue and emergency action as well as first aid and resuscitation techniques.

Candidates must be 16-years old or over and be able to swim 20 metres on the front and 20 metres on the back.

To achieve the NRASTC certificate, candidates need to pass a formal assessment at the end of the course, where trainees must demonstrate the skills and knowledge learned during the course in the form of a theory and practical test.

Once completed, the award is valid for exactly 24 months and must be renewed to qualify for the six-hour renewal course prior to the qualification expiring.

If your facility has lifeguards or first aiders available to respond in an emergency then you could use NRASTC LIGHT, a 1-day version with a reduction in First Aid content.

For more information about NRASTC on to book on a course visit: www.rlss.org.uk/nrastc

Awards Managers, Jamie Radmore

National Surf Coach Lifesaving Award (NSCLA)

Lifesaving Academy (NLA) which

EMERGENCY RESPONSE DRONE AWARD UPDATE

The RLSS UK Emergency Response Drone Pilot Award was launched in April in partnership with Eagle Eye Innovations (EEI) and since then has been receiving lots of attention, especially from the press. One TV programme that showed particular interest, was BBC Click - a gadget, technology and digital review show which airs during BBC Breakfast and is also available on BBC iPlayer.

On a lovely September day, members of the RLSS UK Senior Leadership Team and Qualifications and Awards department met presenter, LJ Rich and a BBC production team in Barry, on the beautiful Welsh coastline to record a segment for the show. Lots of exciting footage was taken, and we look forward to the piece being aired. Dryrobe came to the rescue after LJ’s time in the water, she would have been very cold without it!

For more information about the drone award visit: www.rlss.org.uk/emergency-response-drone-pilot-award

NATIONAL SURF COACH LIFESAVING AWARD (NSCLA) UPDATE

RLSS UK has launched a brand-new lifesaving award - the National Surf Coach Lifesaving Award (NSCLA) - created in partnership with Surf Life Saving Association Wales (SLSA Wales).

The NSCLA has been developed with support from Surfing England and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to ensure surf coaches adopt the highest standards of beach safety.

The award is aimed at surf coaches before enrolment on an instructor/coach course and covers: the lifesaving skills and knowledge they require when coaching, including the beach environment, hazards, and supervision, rescue skills in the surf environment, and First Aid and Life Support.

For more information about NSCLA visit: www.rlss.org.uk/nscla

REBRAND -

Online learning has become a crucial component of our water safety education and training since its launch in March 2020. Over the past couple of years, our online learning offering has evolved; and we now have 42 CPDs or online learning modules designed to cover all ages and knowledge of water safety with flexible completion at a time and place to suit you. Some modules are free and available to all, some are free but only available to RLSS UK Members, and others are chargea ble. We are delighted that, since the launch, we have had over 770,560 online learning modules completed!

For an update on changes to all our brands over the past few years visit: www.rlss.org.uk/rlss-uk-qualifications

THE NATIONAL LIFESAVING ACADEMY PROGRAMME LAUNCH

In 2011 the Society marked a historical moment by launching the Survive & Save awards. It was the first significant change to the senior lifesaving awards programme in over a quarter of a century, and it built on the runaway success of the Rookie Lifeguard awards.

Over a decade later, we’re proud to take the best bits of Survive & Save and launch a new senior lifesaving programme that will hopefully last another quarter of a century! The National Lifesaving Academy (NLA) launched at the start of October and marked a shift in the way we recognise the valuable contribution that lifesavers make to society.

For the past couple of years, we have been soliciting feedback from our members about the Survive & Save programme to shape new lifesaving awards that work better for all of our lifesavers. We’ve worked closely with lifesaving instructors, clubs, and commercial leisure partners to design a flexible programme that can be delivered to more lifesavers and enables more people to enjoy water safely.

It was clear that clubs and instructors wanted a more straightforward system of awards, that there was a need to make the awards more accessible to more young people, and that there was an opportunity to formally recognise the years of skill growth, gained by our top lifesavers.

Here’s the rundown of the significant changes that we’ve made to the new awards programme:

Bronze Medallion: Back at the Top!

When Survive & Save launched, the decision to put the Bronze Medallion awards as the entry-level award was not a popular one! But don’t worry, we’ve rectified that and given it the recognition it deserves.

Lifesavers will now undertake the Bronze Lifesaving Certificate before choosing to take their Bronze Star in the pool, in open water, or at the beach, or of course all three. Once they’ve completed their Bronze Star, they’ll be able to move on upwards to the Bronze Medallion in the same environment.

The Distinction Award: More Accessible!

The Survive & Save Distinction award required a Lifesaver to achieve three Gold awards within 24 months. This was, and always will be, a truly remarkable achievement. But we heard your feedback that some lifesavers were disappointed that this award was out of reach due to their location or family’s financial situation.

The new NLA Distinction award has been redefined to reflect the value of instructors and volunteers to the Society. There are now three pathways to achieving the Distinction once a Lifesaver has gained a single Bronze Medallion:

Gaining a Lifesaving Instructor award

Undertaking voluntary service to the lifesaving community

Pursuing work experience in the leisure sector

How to Update

If you’re a current lifesaving instructor who would like to continue to deliver our senior lifesaving awards, we’ve created a simple online training course to update your qualifications and become an NLA Lifesaving Instructor. You should already have had an email inviting you to complete your NLA Lifesaving Instructor, Tutor, or Mentor update.

The update consists of a webinar that will walk you through the new award structure, the new admin procedures for your RLSS UK account (powered by tahdah), and the new skills added to the National Lifesaving Award syllabus.

It is free to update your qualification to the latest version via the online update,

so we hope that you’ll make the time to update your knowledge to enable you to teach the new National Lifesaving Academy awards!

Once you’ve completed your online update, you’ll see a new folder of resources in your RLSS UK account (powered by tahdah) that includes all the documents you’ll need to plan, run, and assess a National Lifesaving Academy course and a digital copy of the new candidate manual.

Even after you’ve updated, you’ll still have access to all of your current Survive & Save resources; they’ll only be switched off in your account once the programme is no longer available to be taught.

We’ll keep the update open until the end of December 2023, after this time we’ll move passed Survive & Save and onto the National Lifesaving Academy. Anybody not updating after 31 December 2023 will be required to attend a new Instructor Course to bring their skills up to scratch.

Your questions about the new programme answered – For our up to date Question and Answers visit: www.rlss.org.uk/Pages/ FAQs/Category/nla-faqs

New Candidate Manual: Updated!

The senior lifesaving manual has been given a fresh new look with a whole host of new faces joining a few familiar ones. There’s also new information included where new knowledge has been added to the syllabus!

Recognised Prior Learning: It’s Here!

You might be wondering why professional work experience has made its way into the Distinction award, and that’s because we’re finally formally recognising the skills that our Lifesavers gain throughout the senior lifesaving awards programme.

For many young people, lifesaving is the first step toward a long career in the leisure industry. We now allow any Bronze Medallion award to be used as Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) hours towards the relevant vocational lifeguard qualification. This will remove 7 hours off the course of the relevant, environment specific, lifeguard course.

First Aid: Aligning with our Professional Standards!

We know that our lifesavers can learn complex skills, so we took this opportunity to bring our first aid teaching in line with our regulated qualifications. Now our lifesavers will learn the same theory and techniques as you’ll find in our regulated qualifications, such as First Aid at Work and the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification.

It was also time to update our first aid syllabus to cover AEDs for adults, children, and infants. With the rise of Community Access Public Defibrillators and the news that all state-funded schools will have a defibrillator by the end of the 22/23 academic year, it was the right time to teach our Lifesavers how to use these life-saving bits of equipment.

In addition, the manual been laid out in the same way as our lifesaving manual – with a theory section, a water skills section, and a first aid section. We’ve discovered what works in our vocational lifeguard candidate manuals, so we’ve applied what we’ve learned to the new National Lifesaving Academy Candidate Manual.

Lifesaving Sport: Watch This Space!

There’s a noticeable absentee in the new National Lifesaving Academy – but don’t worry, Sport Lifesaving awards will be back in a different and new format! Keep your eyes peeled for announcements coming in November at the National Lifesaving Championships!

Lifesaving sport has progressed on the world stage since Survive & Save was released in 2011, so it was time to introduce a tailored set of awards to lay the foundation for a future talent pathway for lifesaving athletes. This will allow us to amend the awards with agility in line with ever evolving UK and international sport guidance.

Lifesavers Pathway

PROFESSOR GREG WHYTE COMPLETES RECORD CHARITY SWIM

Professor Greg Whyte OBE, world-renowned Sports Scientist, physical activity expert, and former Olympian, set himself a mammoth challenge back in July to swim 125 miles of the Upper Thames in just four days whilst raising money for RLSS UK and RNLI. Greg is used to training celebrities such as David Walliams and Davina McCall on their charity challenges, but this time it was all about his own strength and endurance.

Before the challenge began Greg said: “The key message for me, is this: one person drowns every 20 hours in the UK and water safety is central to reducing this figure. Unfortunately, only one in five children have received any formal water safety education. By tackling this enormous challenge, I am aiming to raise funds to support the RLSS UK and RNLI to improve water safety education and reduce the tragedy of drowning.”

Greg set off from Lechlade Lock on 12 July and lock after lock powered through, even having to fend off a number of swans along the way! He was in the water for around 20 hours every day, covering an average of 30 miles daily and only getting around four hours of sleep a night. Along the way he was able to enjoy swimming with members of his family and swimming through his hometown of Marlow.

Greg has worked with RLSS UK for a long time, supporting the vital water safety messages from the charity to prevent drownings. During the challenge, he continued to share the messaging and raise awareness of water safety whilst raising over £21,000 for RLSS UK and RNLI.

Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK said “

The challenge was the first time that this stretch of the Upper Thames had been taken on in the quickest time so Greg was looking to push the boundaries on what was possible.

“

Not only has he shown incredible and inspirational endurance and determination to get back in the water to complete the challenge, but has once again shown his fantastic commitment to raising awareness about water safety education and supporting RLSS UK. We are so proud of Greg for completing this challenge against the odds and for raising a huge amount for both us at RLSS UK and RNLI. Well done Greg, and thank you.”

This was the first time that anyone had attempted to swim this stretch of British water as quickly as possible so Greg was looking to achieve something that had never been done before, as both speed and endurance were combined for the challenge, which was a Guinness World Record attempt.

Through sheer grit and determination, Greg pushed through the pain but unfortunately on Friday 15 July, his medical team advised him that he needed to halt the challenge as they feared he had ruptured his bicep and would need a scan to reveal the full extent of his injury.

However, not to let something beat him, Greg ensured he worked hard with his recovery and three weeks after first setting off he got back in the water to swim the remaining 50km and get to the finish line. On 1 August, Greg once again powered through the miles and was able to finish his mammoth challenge the next evening, finishing at Teddington Lock.

DID

YOU

KNOW

ABOUT THE FUNDRAISING CHALLENGES

YOU

CAN TAKE PART IN FOR RLSS UK?

Extreme Challenges

RLSS UK has teamed up with Life Changing Challenges to give fundraisers the opportunity to raise money for us whilst taking on some exciting challenges! Whether that might be trekking to Everest base camp, completing a wing walk, or trekking Machu Picchu, RLSS UK would be proud to support your achievements and help you fundraise for the charity along the way.

www.rlss.org.uk/extreme-challenges

Cycling Challenges

Each year there are a number of cycling events throughout the UK of varying distances for you to take part in whilst raising money for RLSS UK. So if cycling is what you love, or you fancy trying something new, this could be the challenge for you!

www.rlss.org.uk/sign-up-for-a-cycling-race

Charity Skydive

RLSS UK has partnered with Go Skydive, Salisbury, organisers of sponsored charity jumps to offer you the opportunity to experience an adrenaline rush like no other. If you would like to see what it feels like flying through the sky then this is the perfect challenge for you, it certainly won’t be an experience you forget.

www.rlss.org.uk/sign-up-for-a-skydive

Run a Marathon

From virtual races to in-person events, we have marathon events for you. There are numerous marathons throughout the year and across the globe that you can take part in. Whether you’re a marathon novice, you’re looking to complete your 10th marathon, or everything else in between, we’d love for you to fundraise for RLSS UK!

www.rlss.org.uk/sign-up-for-a-marathon

Build your own Challenge

If you have your own idea on fundraising for RLSS UK we would love to hear from you. If you want to challenge yourself to do something a little out of the ordinary and fundraise for us at the same time then there are so many opportunities. Some ideas include a sponsored car wash, dance marathon, sports day, football match, golf day, the list really is endless!

www.rlss.org.uk/forms/build-your-own-challenge

How we help

Anyone who fundraises for RLSS UK can receive:

Free fundraising pack with everything to get you started

Freebies including a branded t-shirt

Race entry (event depending)

Sponsorship forms

Top tips for fundraising success

As part of our fundraising efforts to raise money to ensure that we are able to help everyone enjoy water safely, you can take part in a number of challenges to raise money for us.

From our newest challenge – Make a Splash – to a number of extreme challenges, to even building your own challenge we can support you with it all!

Take on your fundraising challenge in 2023 and help support RLSS UK to ensure everyone can enjoy water safely. www.rlss.org.uk/fundraise

RLSS

Challenge 2023

UK’s Make a Splash will return in 2023!

Challenge yourself whilst fundraising to help people enjoy water safely.

Want to be the best version of yourself, both physically and mentally?

Make a Splash is a sponsored distance challenge that you can complete in a location, timescale and manner that suits you. Whether you choose to swim, canoe, or stand up paddleboard, we will offer full support throughout your challenge and keep you motivated. Simply choose the distance (10km, 25km, 50km or 100km) and complete the challenge your way.

No matter how long or short the distance achieved, we are grateful for every penny raised. All funds raised will help to deliver national water safety campaigns and help enhance communities through lifesaving courses and education. When you register, you will receive a swim hat in the post along with a fundraising guide, which has ideas to help maximise your donations. Once you have completed the challenge, you will receive a medal and certificate celebrating your success!

2022 Splashers:

Hayley:

Sarah: “

RLSS UK

Splash Challenge,

Take up the challenge at: www.rlss.org.uk/make-a-splash

“ My daughter Chloe and I decided to sign up to the Make a

to do exactly thatgive us a challenge! ”

is a great charity which I’m really keen to support. ”

SPORT BENEFITS

Strictly for RLSS UK members only, this site is dedicated to saving you your hard-earned cash.

With household names offering great discounts on everything from grocery shopping to days out, if you’ve missed this site – you’ve already missed out.

Our Benefits Platform has many and varied offers on everything from your weekly shop, clothes and days out, through to adventure holidays.

Offers include Costa, Sports Direct, Pizza Express, Tesco, Halfords, Deliveroo, Uber Eats and even fun days out at Alton Towers

Activate your Tahdah account, get exploring and start saving!

BENEFITS BOOST

FOR YOU AND RLSS UK!

Always trying to do our very best for our members, partners and supporters, here we take a look at two ways you can save money AND help RLSS UK at the same time.

SHOPPING MADE ‘SMILES’ BETTER

There can’t be many people on the planet who haven’t at least heard of Amazon, but what you might not know is how easy they’ve made it to shop AND donate to the Royal Life Saving Society UK, just like you do already with RLSS UK Shop.

“Signing up to AmazonSmile is an absolute no-brainer; it doesn’t cost me anything and every little bit adds up. It really is such an easy way to raise money and support RLSS UK.

“Everyone I know seems to use Amazon and Amazon Smile is exactly the same. I’ve even been asking my family and friends to set it up too.”

Jenna Bennett, RLSS UK’s Fundraising and Events Executive.

What is AmazonSmile?

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support a charity of your choice every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.co.uk on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping App for iOS and Android phones. When you shop with AmazonSmile, you’ll find the same great choice and prices, with the added bonus that AmazonSmile will donate a portion of the purchase price to your selected charity.

Yes, you heard that correctly AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products, to the RLSS UK.

It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? And you’re thinking, there’s bound to be some sort of convoluted procedure to setting it up…think again.

AmazonSmile talk you through the process, how to select RLSS UK as your chosen charity, answer all your questions and showcase the good they do:

YOUTH LEADERSHIP TEAM (YLT)

Nardia Oldroyd - Youth Advisor

I’m Nardia Oldroyd, the RLSS UK Youth Advisor. I’ve been a lifeguard from a young age as well as a Rookies Instructor and NPLQ Trainer Assessor. I’m passionate about teaching people new skills that could one day save a life. I have a strong background in leisure, working as a Duty Manager across multiple sites. Three years ago, I began working at a university where I have been working hard to improve student experience and contribute to student employability.

YOUTH LEADERS

Alexandra Phillips

Hi I’m Alex and I began my lifesaving journey & Save programmes. I began teaching our young members by attaining a Young Leader award, followed by becoming a Lifesaving Instructor and NPLQ holder. I continued my volunteering journey being elected as the co-chair of the Shropshire branch and joining the Youth Leadership Team. Outside of the RLSS UK I am a final-year student midwife at the University of Nottingham with aspirations of qualifying later this year and transitioning into clinical practice. I loved being part of the first generation of the YLT but I felt that my job wasn’t completed as unfortunately, due to COVID-19 pandemic I felt we had more to accomplish. I aim to inspire our young membership to take on positions of responsibility in order to create a more inclusive and diverse society at all levels.

Amine Badaoui

Hi, I’m Amine. I always had a great interest in lifesaving and lifeguarding for some time. I am excited to start working alongside other Youth Ambassadors, communities and young people to build bridges, develop ideas and give younger people the microphone to voice their concerns and needs. I am currently studying A-Levels at sixth form hoping to study at University next year. Alongside my role as a Youth Ambassador I’m also a qualified lifeguard. Throughout my term, I’m excited to get to work with members of different backgrounds and experiences promoting the importance of water safety and other key lifesaving skills through the means of events and other activities. Getting younger people involved in lifesaving or lifeguarding is imperative as it teaches them skills for life and allows them to freely express themselves.

2022-25

I’m so excited to lead my newly formed Youth Leadership Team through our term. We have a great team with new and exciting ideas ready to be put into action. I’m passionate about increasing diversity and representation, widening the reach of RLSS UK, promoting volunteering and of course increasing water safety awareness.

Bhavik Barochia

Hi, I am Bhavik and I started my lifesaving journey at the age of eight when I joined my local lifesaving club in Windsor. I am a strong advocate for the youth voice and take an active role in the running of my club, both on the committee and poolside as a lifesaving instructor every week. I am also involved in the administration of Thames Valley Branch as the Youth Development Officer. Outside of lifesaving I work as a scientist, and have recently concluded my PhD in infectious diseases and currently working as a scientific consultant for various government and non-government organisations.

I am excited to be continuing on the RLSS UK Youth Leadership Team for a second term and I really hope to empower our younger members for future generations. My personal interests include championing equality, diversity, and inclusion at a societal level.

Elsie Sharkey

Hello, I’m Elsie. I’m studying outdoor sports at college. I love being a lifeguard as it gives you the opportunity to save lives and to travel, and I enjoy both, especially the opportunities that RLSS UK provides. Since I was younger, I always wanted to be a lifeguard. As soon as I turned 16 I became one and it was brilliant opportunity. I’m excited to become an RLSS UK Youth Ambassador and have the opportunity to make new friends and help RLSS UK do the most to prevent drowning.

I really hope that in my role as a Youth Ambassador I can help prevent loss of life in open water swimming, especially in summer. It breaks my heart every time I see something happen and I hope everyone becomes more aware of how they can helps others if they see them in danger. I’m also eager to be a listening ear to hear what the public would like, such as training, from RLSS UK.

YLT Activities – Nardia explains what the YLT have been up to!

Ffion-Hâf Davies

Hi! I’m Ffion, I’m from Swansea, and I’m currently studying English and Creative Writing at university.

Lifesaving has been a part of my life for longer than it hasn’t - I was a Rookie for eight years before qualifying as a pool lifeguard at 16. I’m now also a Rookie and Lifesaving Instructor and am currently anticipating the start of my NPLQ Trainer Assessor course. For Drowning Prevention Week 2022 I organised multiple events and fundraisers in my local leisure centre, in addition to creating social media posts for both my centre and RLSS UK for their World Drowning Prevention Day video.

I can’t wait to join the Youth Leadership Team to help raise the profile of RLSS UK amongst young people and bring drowning prevention education to the fore. With the work of the RLSS UK being a part of my life for the past 11 years, I’m hoping to encourage many more of you to follow in my footsteps.

Isabel Jones

Hi, I’m Isabel Jones and I’m currently in the last year of studying my A-Levels. I study Art, Textiles and English. Next year, I aspire to do an Art Foundation course with the intention of continuing onto a Textile Design degree. I got into lifesaving through the Rookie Lifeguard Programme aged 12 and became an Assistant Lifesaving Instructor around two years ago. I became an NPLQ Lifeguard in August 2021. In 2022 I got the amazing opportunity to Lifeguard the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. I’m excited to be joining the Youth Leadership Team because I would like to be able to work in a team to improve RLSS UK’s youth engagement. I want more young people to be involved in lifesaving and for it to be more accessible and diverse to all. Personally, I want it to be easier for pupils to continue with lifesaving and involvement with RLSS UK once a person has completed their Rookie Awards and gain experience working on new projects and ideas.

Phoebe Parry

Hello, I’m Phoebe. I’m 23 and from Leeds. I am an Aquatics Coordinator for Leeds City Council.

I support leisure centres with swimming lessons including school swimming and I lead on Drowning Prevention Week for the organisation.

I am a Swimming Coach and run a squad of 42 swimmers aged between 11 and 18. I first got involved in lifeguarding at 16 as part of swim teaching and I have also worked at an outdoor Lido.

I am excited to be joining the YLT as I recognise the importance of Water Safety and hope to be involved in spreading the message. Working with youth, it’s heartbreaking to hear of the devastations of drowning in the UK - I want to play my part in the prevention of this. As an Youth Ambassador, I would like to promote the pathway of lifeguarding as a career, open opportunities for the youth and increase awareness for the Drowning Prevention Week campaign.

Siân McWalter

Hi, my name is Siân and I live in the Highlands in Scotland where I study BSc Adventure Performance and Coaching at UHI (I live for wild swimming and all things watersports!).

My journey started with RLSS UK around two years ago when I became a lifeguard at a holiday park and now work as a lifeguard, swimming teacher and volunteer coach at my local leisure centre. I’m excited to be part of the YLT as its still a new and exciting scheme which has a lot of potential.

My main reasons for joining the YLT are to introduce opportunities such as Lifesaving Clubs to rural communities such as the Highlands as these are currently unavailable, and, alongside the rest of the YLT, to promote and champion change to make our current and new programmes more inclusive and diverse, allowing more people to have access to the RLSS UK.

LIFESAVING CLUBS NEWS

LOUGHBOROUGH LIFESAVING CLUB

Doctoral Researcher (Sports Coaching) at Loughborough University and RLSS UK National Trainer Assessor Ray Lau tells us all about Loughborough Lifesaving Club.

NORTHWICH LIFESAVING CLUB

Toby Shepherd, 21, is the Club Secretary at Droylsden Life Saving Club in Manchester as well as a qualified RLSS UK lifeguard.

“Loughborough Students Lifesaving is a friendly club that strives for excellence. The club is ideal for those who want love to swim, learn about lifesaving and perhaps compete in sporting events. In addition, there is a very active regular social side to the club. Loughborough University is a top 10 UK university recognised for its sporting excellence. It has been ranked number one in the world for sport-related subjects in the QS world university rankings since 2017.

The club trains over several weekly sessions with the competition and development squads. The training includes swimming fitness, lifesaving and first aid skills. Members work towards the Survive & Save Awards, with 2022, seeing its first members gain the gold sport and nine recently qualifying as Lifesaving Instructors.

With hard work, commitment and fun, it is not surprising to see the results. The club competes in the British Universities Lifesaving Student Clubs’ Association (BULSCA) and has won both leagues. It has members competing in Lifesaving at National and world levels. Above all, the club provides a fun and safe environment to learn, socialise and develop knowledge and skills in lifesaving. The club endeavours to work within the community. If you are going to university, check out if there is a university lifesaving club, join and take part.”

In March the club held a presentation for seven lifesavers who achieved their RLSS Survive & Save Distinction award. All of their parents and friends came to cheer them on.

The presentation was followed by a whole pool session where all of the age groups were mixed together for fun (lifesaving) relays.

RYDE BEACH LIFEGUARDS

Toby first joined the lifesaving club in 2008, aged seven, after attending an Open Water Life Saving session at Fleetwood Beach and Debdale Reservoir, and just a year after he began taking part in sessions, aged 8. In 2014, Toby completed his Survive & Save bronze core award, closely followed by his silver core award in 2015.

Toby’s older siblings became RLSS UK qualified lifeguards through the club when they turned 16. Toby said:

“I used to stay behind after Life Saving Sessions and help clean up the leisure centre with my sister and I loved every minute of it.”

Shortly after Toby’s own 16th birthday, he passed his National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) and said:

“I was very excited to start my journey as an RLSS UK lifeguard.”

Toby was able to help lifeguard at festivals through his lifesaving club, such as the Just So Festival and the Geronimo Festival, as well as helping at The Great Swim Series.

August saw Ryde Beach Lifeguards Rookie Lifeguard program return for another year, with 30 children aged between eight - 13 attending their first three day junior course.

The course comprised of lifesaving skills in the pool and beach, as well as first aid and CPR.

Throughout the course the rookies worked towards their RLSS UK Paddle Board and Bronze Lifesaving Awards, as well as their Brodie (Best Boy) and Stephanie (Best Girl), these were awarded to Noah Girling and Isabelle Hughes for their outstanding achievement.

Todd Miller, Beach Manager said: “The Rookie Lifeguard course has grown year on year, and we hope our rookie lifeguards will become the islands next generation of pool and beach lifeguards.”

After finishing high school, Toby moved to Cornwall to study Watersports at Falmouth Marine School. During his three years of studying he worked as a lifeguard and swim teacher.

TOBY’S JOURNEY AT LOCAL LIFESAVING CLUB

Toby has continued to be involved in the lifesaving club, holding roles such as a Volunteer Lifeguard, and Admin Officer then, during the pandemic, he began to take on additional commitments.

“Within my role as Admin Officer I was doing a few of the Club Secretary tasks, and with COVID-19 and other commitments the previous Club Secre tary left, so I submitted my interest into the role at an Annual General Meeting (AGM). The committee agreed, as I had worked hard over COVID-19 doing policies and procedures, to website development, that I was the best suit for the role as I had been conducting most of the tasks,” he added.

In October 2020 Toby completed his Trainer Assessor course and in September 2021, he became the Club Secretary for Droylsden Lifesaving Club.

Toby said: “Currently I am going to work for outdoor education provider, PGL, for two months and I have been in contact with RLSS UK about running emergency response courses on cruise ships. I am a freelance lifeguard and Trainer Assessor for Active Tameside and really enjoyed driving around running sessions at the five centres they run. I haven’t really got a plan for the future but I really enjoy doing stuff for the club and RLSS UK and hope to carry on my love for lifesaving and share this with everyone.”

In 2022, a 14-year-old named Lucy Smith tragically drowned after getting into difficulty in the water close to Toby’s club in Manchester, and this sparked Toby to speak out to encourage people to learn more about lifesaving and the dangers of open water.

Toby has been encouraging members of the public to learn basic lifesaving skills to prevent tragedies in similar scenarios. Toby is also pushing for lifesaving sessions to be implemented into the school curriculum to give everyone the opportunity to have the right skills and knowledge around water safety.

Toby said: “Most drowning are preventable; lifesaving is an amazing skill to have under your belt and you never know where and when you might need to use them. It’s just amazing to think that you can just trust someone to look after you and get you the help you need if you are unable to yourself.”

COMMUNITY PILOT UPDATE

As you may be aware, we are currently running a pilot project in Durham, Northumberland & Scotland in order to trial a new way of working to provide increased support to enhance water safety awareness, advice and training at the local community level.

This pilot has been developed as a result of extensive feedback from our 2020 Membership Survey and is giving us the opportunity to explore whether a change to the community structure of RLSS UK could potentially allow us to deliver our vital water safety messages and activity in an even more consistent and impactful way.

The pilot will now be running until October 2023, when we’ll be able to thoroughly assess what changes (if any) should be implemented to the community structure across the UK & Ireland, but as part of the staff team committed to facilitating and evaluating this pilot, we feel that now is a good opportunity to share an update on how the project has been progressing and how the volunteers involved are focussed on meeting the three main objectives: to increase awareness of the Society, raise the profile of lifesaving clubs and to expand networking opportunities for our members.

We’d very much like to thank our Pilot Coordinating Group - a team of volunteers who are committed to organising and trialling this new way of working within Durham, Northumberland & Scotland. We’ll continue to keep members posted on the pilot’s progress and the eventual assessment of the project next year.

Matt Croxall, Senior Head of Membership & Amelia Ireland, Community Volunteering and Events Executive

Sheena Harper, Lead Coordinator tells us more

“Work on the Pilot began early this year, with the first Coordinating Group members appointed in April and our newest volunteer joining the group in September. Membership of the pilot group was by application and interview, if required. One of the most exciting aspects from my point of view, is that the group has encouraged engagement from a mixture of sources. Some individuals have previous experience at branch, regional and national level of the Society, whilst others have been involved at the local grassroots level. We’ve also engaged volunteers who are new to RLSS UK, bring essential skills and experience, and a valuable new perspective which has been invigorating for the rest of the group and opened up new lines of thought.”

Gordon

Helen

Mike Murray

Murry Robb

Kelsea Murray

Maureen Harrison N&D Advisor

Penney Wilkinson N&D Advisor

David Bullen N&D Advisor

“

SO,what has the Pilot achieved?” Sheena Harper continues.

“

To a certain extent it was like being handed a blank sheet of paper. We knew what the goals were: the development of Hubs and to drive forward the aims of the Society on a local community level. In our initial discussions, we recognised the breadth of where our activity was coming from. The group were aware of places where activity was happening, be it an individual carrying out Save a Life Series, groups of local people working together under the hibernating branch structure, clubs to name but a few. These groups have been encouraged to set up as Hubs to carry out the aims of the Society with support from both the Pilot Coordinating Group and the staff at HQ. We have also begun to engage with other groups, such as ATCs and other members in the leisure industry, to support growth of activity within their local community.

“The Coordinating Group has already supported a number of successful events including a World Drowning Prevention Event, a local open water event in Girvan, and a Family Fun Day in Gateshead in memory of Robert Hattersley – a 13 year old boy who tragically drowned in the River Tyne earlier this year.

“As with any change there are always challenges, not least the large geographical area of the pilot, with different legislatures, school terms and curricula. We have been developing robust processes at every stage which will be available for organisation to use going forwards. After a slow start the pilot is gaining momentum and we hope to see a positive outcome of increased local presence of RLSS UK, better inclusion, and greater engagement of volunteers and members.

“I would like to thank the staff at HQ who have been incredibly supportive of this new venture.”

Sheena Harper, Lead Coordinator

Don’t forget, if you’re based in the Pilot area, you can request support from the Coordinating Group for an activity or event via our website here: www.rlss.org.uk/forms/ event-support-request-form

You can also contact the group by emailing volunteer@rlss.org.uk

Ruth Lee at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

Anyone can get into trouble in the water - even top athletes. So, when the Commonwealth Games were held in Birmingham recently, organisers wanted to ensure they had done everything possible to protect the safety of competitors.

Swim Safety Ltd had the honour of providing lifeguarding cover at the Commonwealth swimming and diving events and used Ruth Lee Pool Rescue Manikins to get the team efficiently up to speed!

Swim Safety Director Martin Suzan said: “Before training for these games, some of the lifeguards had never trained with the Ruth Lee Pool Rescue Manikin. To begin with, some of the smaller team members found it a little daunting when they felt the weight of the manikin on the dry land. But after a few goes, they realised they did have the ability to rescue the full-body manikin from the bottom of the pool and felt much more confident in their abilities.

“The team found it much more realistic working with the Ruth Lee Pool Rescue Manikin compared to the orange torso rescue manikin.”

Courtesy of: Seven News Australia

Our Members

Volunteering at the Commonwealth Games

Joshua Dovey

RLSS UK Trainer Assessor (TA)

“

“

Volunteering at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been an amazing experience and I wish it could have continued for longer!

“I was working in the Media Centre, and my main two roles were working on the help desk and the tribunes. The tribunes are a dedicated area for the media to watch the games with the best view, with tables and internet connection so that any articles or posts can be updated quickly. For both of these areas, my role was to support the media and journalists with any questions they may have and guide them to the right places to be when needed. Volunteering in the tribunes was such a great experience as it has the best view for the media to watch the swimming and diving, so when I was not needed by the journalists, it meant I got to watch and enjoy some of the events.

On my last day of volunteering, I got to work in the mixed zone, which is where all of the athletes have their interviews straight after their event. I had to guide athletes to their interviews and it meant I got to chat with a few of them whilst we were walking to the different areas which was a lovely experience.

“

The media team and all of the volunteers were so friendly and supportive and you could not have asked for a better team to work in. I was given the opportunity to have an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live about volunteering and our role with the team which was scary at the time! It was lovely to be recognised for all the hard work we did as volunteers and the radio interview was a great opportunity to promote that.

“I hope I am able to take part in another event such as this in the future.”

Douglas Thomas First Responder

RLSS UK Ambassador for Wales, Doug Thomas, secured a volunteer role at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games as a First Responder. We caught up with Doug at the end of the Games to see how he got on...

“

I had a brilliant time working with some wonderful doctors, NHS consultants, ITU nurses and many other NHS Specialists at the main Athletes Village in Birmingham. What an incredible experience it’s been. I was appointed to work as a First Responder with the Medical Team. My role was an entirely voluntary one at the athletes’ village. Within the village, I was based at the field hospital looking after the main athletes, and our services were used a good number of times over the two-week period!

“

The field hospital was well equipped - very much like what you would find at a typical NHS hospital in the UK. I initially felt nervous working with people who had a lot more medical experience/knowledge than me, but I was made to feel at ease very quickly.

“

We also had a visit last week from Steve Barclay (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care). He came to the athletes’ village to thank the many volunteers supporting the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. It’s been an incredible two weeks that I will not forget!”

Lily Firm

Lifeguard

Lily Firm, 16, completed her Lifesaving Instructor course with RLSS UK and has since taken lots of opportunities to progress within lifesaving.

After completing the course, Lily began teaching the Rookie Lifeguard award and Survive & Save award at Leeds Lifesaving as part of the club’s programme.

She said: “this has been amazing to see the children progress in the skills that I already had prior to completing the course from my journey with lifesaving, it has been really good to give back to the community.” Lily has also been working as a Lifeguard in Leeds. Not only has Lily been helping to give children the skills and knowledge to stay safe in and around the water, but she helped ensure that the athletes at the Games stayed safe too as she was chosen as a lifeguard, officially becoming the youngest pool attendant for Birmingham 2022.

Lily said: “I hope it is inspires my younger lifesavers, showing them that anything is possible. If you asked me when I was a Rookie that I would be a lifeguard at the Commonwealth Games I wouldn’t have believed you.”

Looking ahead to the future, Lily would like to set up her own lifesaving club to encourage more people to engage with the programme.

“I believe it has given me so many life skills that are transferable to all areas of my life. Through this I would love to help encourage more girls, particularly teenage girls, to take part but also diversify lifesaving and swimming to many different ethnic communities,” she added.

Karen Stevenson Field of Play team

Trainer Assessor Karen Stevenson volunteered at the Games and said about her experience:

“I was part of the Field of Play team which means we had to look after the hockey pitches and ensure they are ready for the teams to play on. We had a lot of time-critical responsibilities as our roles affected the playing.

“Tension in the team was high as it reached the critical part of the games where medals are there to be won or sadly lost. We had to ensure that we remained neutral and performed our roles to the highest standards to ensure the players were not affected.

“I managed to get an opportunity to manage one of the games on the main pitch, which was a step up and exciting.

“It’s been an amazing experience meeting new people and finding out about their lives and what they do outside of the game. There really are some amazing people out there doing amazing things within the community to help other people. For these games to take place many volunteers are having to take annual leave and give their time to make this event an amazing experience for those volunteering, competing or spectating. Also covering the cost to be in Birmingham - amazing people across all sports and roles.

“It has been tiring as we have early and late shifts and are on our feet all day, but it’s been an absolutely amazing experience, making friends, networking, learning new skills, and developing current skills.”

Michelle Hayward

RLSS UK Trainer Assessor (TA)

“

In April, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Committee contacted me and asked if the school I work atEdgbaston High School, could provide lifeguards for the test event for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games called ‘Prep the Pool’. Prep the Pool was the first major event at the brand-new Sandwell Aquatics Centre venue and the start of our incredible experience!

“An assessment day was soon arranged for six sixth form girls from the high school and lifeguards from Birmingham University and Sandwell Council to be tested by myself and two other RLSS UK Trainer Assessors. Prep the Pool was a success, and then a month before the Games started, Swim Safety’s owner Martin Suzan contacted me to ask if we would be willing to be part of the team to lifeguard the Games.

“What an experience for all concerned! Everyone was up to date on training, working through competency in the competition pool and dive pit. Collecting the Ruth Lee from a depth of five metres was daunting, but all the lifeguards did it!

“The Games ran very smoothly, and the organisation and rotation put in place by Martin and his management team were fantastic. As Supervisors, Sean, Faye, Guy and Adam and I had an easy job as the lifeguards were also exemplary.

“A fantastic couple of weeks of aquatic events to be part of, and working with such a professional group of lifeguards was awesome and a privilege! The memories made will last a lifetime!”

RLSS Commonwealth UPDATE

2021 MOUNTBATTEN MEDAL RLSS COMMONWEALTH LIFESAVING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023

The Mountbatten Medal is awarded annually for the most gallant rescue or rescue attempt undertaken in the previous calendar year. This year it was awarded to Dax Lamb, aged 47, from South Africa.

In February 2021, Dax was celebrating a friend’s birthday at Umhlanga Rocks in South Africa, when his group was alerted to a drowning in progress off Umdloti Beach. Dax immediately sprinted across the beach and swam approximately 250m through the turbulent surf, reaching the 5-year-old casualty as he was pulled under a big wave. Dax dived under the water and pulled the boy to the surface. At this point, a former LSA lifeguard swam out and reached them as they were being hammered by waves crashing over them. Dax and the lifeguard were struggling to keep the boy above water, when another two former Surf Lifesaving Club members, who were spending time on the beach, arrived on surfboards to assist. They loaded the young boy on to one surfboard, and the two SLC members swam him ashore. The former LSA lifeguard used the other surfboard to get back to the beach. Dax, who was totally exhausted by then, allowed the current to take him further out and south, before he eventually managed to reach the beach. He then checked on the young casualty who was being monitored by the lifeguards. Without Dax’s quick and fearless response, the boy would have disappeared below the turbulent waves.

CPR CHALLENGE 2022

Nine member organisations from around the Commonwealth took part in the second RLSS CPR Challenge to mark World Heart Day on 29 September. For 2022 we reduced the Challenge time from 48 to 24hours, allowing each member organisation to select the time and duration for their own challenge. The challenge allowed RLSS members and supporters the opportunity to not only practice their CPR skills, but to promote the importance of learning CPR in saving lives. Thank you to everyone in the UK who took part, and we hope you enjoyed watching the efforts of our colleagues around the Commonwealth on our Facebook page.

The Lifesaving Society Canada and Royal Life Saving Society invite you to the 2023 Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships to be held at the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre, Windsor, Ontario, Canada from 13 to 17 September 2023.

Planning is well underway for this event that will see us bringing together lifesavers from around the Commonwealth for the first time since November 2019.

The official website for the Championships, which will include registration, will be launched in early 2023 but in the meantime any information relating to the event will be posted on our social media pages. Please note, the closing date for early bird registration will be 6 June 2023.

The Event Information Pack can be found at www.rlsscommonwealth.org/lifesaving-sport/commonwealthlifesaving-championships

Key Official roles have been appointed, but if you would like to be considered to officiate at the Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships, please contact commonwealth@rlss.org.uk to obtain an application form.

We look forward to seeing you in Windsor next September!

HM THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

To mark the Platinum Jubilee of our late Patron, HM Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Life Saving Society produced a tribute book which not only referenced Her Majesty’s involvement with the Society but contained tributes from many of our Member Organisations around the Commonwealth. The book was sent to Her Majesty in early June when the Platinum Jubilee celebrations were taking place in the United Kingdom, and can be viewed here https://www.rlsscommonwealth.org/hm-the-queen-elizabethii-platinum-jubilee/

WHISTLE, WHISTLE, WHISTLE... LIFEGUARD GOING IN

You may remember in May’s Lifesavers Issue, Felicity Cornelius-Mercer spoke to us about embarking on her journey to becoming a Lifeguard. Felicity has now qualified and has spoken to us again to update us on how she got on!

“Whistle, whistle, whistle… lifeguard going in” This is a sentence that will only mean something to those of you who have done your lifeguard training. Which I am now proud to say I have done and completed!

It felt like a big ambition when I made my New Year’s resolution for 2022; going from old lady breaststroke to successfully completing my NPLQ.

It is a pretty intensive course and you start to understand why, as the full responsibility of being able to pull someone from the water and attempt to save their life hits you.

If you asked the group ‘what were we most worried about?’ the answer would be freezing up in a crisis. What if we learnt all this info on first aid, pool management, lifeguard duties, saving techniques and then a scenario happened in real-life, and we just stood there and panicked? Trainer Ben had the perfect answer – I will train you to be ‘outstanding’ so that in a real-life crisis, if you do panic, you will only drop down to ‘competent’.

That sense of achievement doesn’t come around very often so I am going to cherish mine. Not only am I a qualified lifeguard now but I have fundamentally changed my relationship with swimming. No more head above water and dry hair for me and I couldn’t be prouder.

Life is precious and the more we know about life-saving the better. That was my focus when I embarked on my lifeguarding journey.

In my 42 years I have never had a first aid incident happen around me apart from the usual bumps and scrapes that my children get into. That is, until the summer after I had taken the course and was sufficient in first aid. A lady on the beach in Italy, a few metres from me, collapsed. Thankfully I could see she was still breathing so resuscitation wasn’t going to be needed.

I talk about confidence being so important because my first task was to push through the crowd that had gathered around her and did my best to explain I was a lifeguard, at which point they were all relieved and allowed me through.

Luckily it was standard first aid practise - recovery position and putting the crowd to use, by bringing umbrellas for shade and calling for the ambulance. The lady then opened her eyes, at the same moment a doctor arrived to start a secondary check.

The paramedics arrived very quickly, took over and hooked her up to some fluids straight away. After their checks, I gave her hand a final squeeze and said goodbye and off she goes to hospital.

JOURNEY FROM ROOKIE LIFEGUARD TO HOPEFUL LIFEGUARD

Conor Elliott, from Ireland, tells his story of how he started his lifesaving journey as a Rookie Lifeguard and now hopes to take his NPLQ qualification as soon as he turns 16.

“There are a number of factors that influenced me to get involved with lifesaving. The first was that a member of my family, my cousin James, 14, died in a drowning accident in 2009. He was a strong swimmer and this made our entire family more water safety aware.

“Another factor was that my uncle, Nial Elliott who is involved with RLSS UK, told me about the Rookie Lifeguard course and even brought me to see one of the RLSS UK swimming competitions. He let me know of the Rookie course in a leisure centre near to me and I immediately signed up as I have always loved swimming.

“I began the Rookie Lifeguard course when I turned 13 and it took around 26 months to complete all 9 levels; I would have completed it in 18 months if it wasn’t for Covid closing the leisure centres.

“Rookie has given me great confidence in my swimming ability and built on my skills. I love the way I get to learn about life saving while keeping fit.

“I learn’t how to swim quite a distance in clothing, tread water, to coil and throw a rope to a casualty, to rescue a casualty in water in different scenarios, to work within time limits, to quickly assess and put a plan into action, to ensure my own safety while helping others and to treat a casualty after an incident.

“I made some good friendships during Rookie with other participants and I had a fantastic instructor named Daryl who pushed me do my best. I thought he was a great role model and motivator.

“

I also joined the Order of Malta over four years ago where I get to train in all matters of First Aid provision. Since joining the Order of Malta I have learned about and received certificates in First Aid, Cardiac First Response (CFR), and First Aid Responder (FAR).

“

I have already spoken to staff in Aura leisure centre Drogheda, where I did my Rookie training and I plan to continue to attend Rookie classes until I turn 16, to keep my skills and fitness up. When I am 16 I hope to do the lifeguard course and work part-time as a lifeguard while I continue my education.

“

I would definitely like to work in the frontline services in a job such as Garda, Coastguard, paramedic, firefighter or nursing. I come from a family of frontline workers and this has helped guide me into wanting to be a frontline worker where I can use the skills that I have learned. I am sitting my Junior Cert in June and in three years will sit my Leaving Cert so luckily I have some time to decide which area I will go into.

“

If anyone was thinking of becoming a Rookie Lifeguard I would advise them to start straight away. I think it should be on the school curriculum as the programme not only teaches so much to ensure individuals own safety in water, but also teaches ways to save others. I would say it is a great way to have fun, challenge yourself and keep fit. When I started I thought I was a great swimmer but in reality I had so much to learn and going through the process of all 9 levels has improved my confidence in water.

“I can’t wait to do my lifeguard course and look forward to the road ahead.

MEET SOME OF OUR HONORARY MEMBERS

Our volunteers and members are an integral part of RLSS UK. We’re so fortunate to work with wonderful people around the country who support our work and deliver vital lifesaving training and water safety awareness within their local communities.

We have spoken with some of our Honorary Members who have been involved with RLSS UK for 35 years or more, and they’ve told us their stories.

Below is just a snippet, to read their full stories visit: www.rlss.org.uk/honorary-members

DAVID SLADE

How it started:

“

I first started lifesaving lessons in Portsmouth in 1957 and have not looked back since. Passing my elementary, intermediate certificate and my Bronze Medallion by 1959, whilst at school I assisted in ‘Land Drill’ teaching other students at Portsmouth Technical High School until I left school in 1961.

“

In 1959 I joined Portsmouth and Southsea Voluntary Lifeguards and the next year began teaching lifesaving lifeguarding within the club. It was during this time that I passed my Bronze Cross, Award of Merit, Distinction Lifeguard Cadet, Beach Lifeguard Proficiency Certificate, Instructors Certificate, and was also appointed as a Grade 2 Examiner.”

Recent years:

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In 2020 I won the 2019 William Henry Award which came as a surprise and was a source of satisfaction none the less that the efforts of the year had been worthwhile.

“

In 2021 I stood down as Chairman at Horsham Life Saving Club to give more time to the Wave Club but continue to be involved as a teacher at Horsham.

“

I have recorded occasional events related to my journey in lifesaving as poems, which have been published in two books of poetry.

“I firmly believe that being involved with the Society has made it so much easier to become part of the local community each time my job took me to new places.”

JANET WILSON

How it started:

“

It began in the summer of 1964, when I was 11. I had only just learned to swim a few strokes at school. We had been on holiday to Great Yarmouth, where there was a huge open air pool. My father had declared that I was not allowed in it until I could swim 50 yards - but maybe next year! I obeyed, but went home perplexed about how I was going to learn to swim the distance for next year if he wasn’t going to let me in the water! We only got six weeks of school swimming, and I had already had mine! ”

Recent years:

“

I think, over the last 60 years I have worked at every level, and in every area of RLSS activity, even competitions in earlier years. I’ve been an area organiser, Branch Chairman, Regional representative, National Committee Chairman, and Management Board member, often with several roles at once. In addition I have had the privilege of serving on International committees including RLSS Commonwealth and Chairing the ILSE Education commission. I have been, and still am, a part of that as a National Trainer Assessor, doing a little paid work, but the majority as a volunteer.”

STUART YEANDLE

How it started:

“

My lifesaving journey started as a 12 year-old in 1965 whilst a member of Swansea Swimming Club taking part in the club personal survival and lifesaving classes. I passed my first Bronze Medallion in 1967 and that same year competed in my first lifeguard competition with the Gower Lifeguards.”

Recent years:

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Whilst being involved with RLSS l have been a Branch committee member and have held the roles of Branch and Regional Competition Organiser, Wales team manager, Membership secretary, Treasurer and latterly Branch Chairman. I have also been a member of the RLSS Regional Committee and served a term as a member of a RLSS National Committee.

“

I am currently a member of the Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Swansea Water Safety Forum representing RLSS UK.”

TERRY DE BRYSTOW

How it started:

“

As a youngster I struggled with swimming but persisted and learnt to swim at my local pool, Kingstanding Baths in Birmingham. I became a stronger swimmer as the years went on and by 1959 aged 15, I became a swimming teacher.”

Recent years:

“

After many years involved with lifesaving and swimming, I am now retired but continue to support RLSS UK as an Honorary Member.”

THE RLSS UK DISTINCTION AWARD IZZY CELEBRATES ACHIEVING

You may remember in the last magazine we told you about Izzy Serventi achieving a RLSS UK Gold Medallion at only 12-years-old, we are really happy update you on her further successes in this issue.

Izzy joined Nantwich Lifesaving Club at the age of seven after completing Stage 7 of the Learn to Swim programme. Wanting to do more than competitive swimming, Izzy started the RLSS UK Rookie Lifeguard programme and continued with the Learn to Swim programme.

By the age of eight she had passed Stage 10 of the Learn to Swim programme at her local pool, and had moved onto the Rookie Lifeguard Silver Awards. By the age of nine, Izzy had completed the Rookie programme. Izzy then started her Survive & Save award early to continue with her successes in lifesaving.

The main challenges that Izzy has faced over the last 18 months have been pool closures, or changes to the way we can use the pool, or practice lifesaving, due to Covid. She didn’t let it stop her training and has been throwing ropes across the garden, practicing first aid on her sister, and had to practice lifesaving tows on her mum in the pool as she wasn’t allowed close contact with anyone who wasn’t a family member. She has also struggled with being the only girl of her age being at this level at the club; it is quite a challenge when you are faced with training against people with years of experience, and even having to perform lifesaving moves on a boy. She’s had some wobbles, but has stuck to it, and is determined to beat the boys, and show how amazing she is. To help Izzy with her confidence, the club has allowed her to teach a group of Rookie Lifeguards, with the support of a former lifesaving champion. Her group love her, and they have already passed two of their bronze Rookie Lifeguard Awards!

In the last 12 months, Izzy has returned to the pool following the Covid lockdowns and pool closures. She has continued with the RLSS UK Medallions, and recently completed the prestigious Gold Medallion. She is the youngest person to have ever achieved this and she doesn’t want to stop! Izzy is now training and competing with people over 16 years old. In three years she has gained the Bronze Medallion, the Bronze Sports Medallion and the Bronze Still Water Medallion, the Silver Medallion, the Silver Sports Medallion and the Silver Still Water Medallion. Her Gold award may seem like the icing on the cake, but in September 2022 she completed the Gold Still Water Medallion, and the Silver and Gold Beach Medallions.

Izzy has even inspired her mum to get involved! During the Covid lockdowns, she trained as a Rookie Lifeguard teacher, and is now an instructor at the Nantwich Lifesaving Club. Her younger sister Scarlett has also started on the Rookie Lifeguard programme.

One of Izzy’s coaches, Julie Pearson, said: “Izzy is an inspirational example of someone who just loves being in the water. She’s a joy to coach and we hope she adds to her awards and goes from strength-to-strength.”

Izzy was nominated for the Junior Everybody Awards for two years on the run, but missed out on a trophy. This has made her even more determined to show the world what RLSS UK does, and what competitive lifesaving is all about. It is a sport that you don’t hear much about, but it is one that saves lives, and requires a huge amount of skill. This year she has been nominated for the Adult Everybody Awards for ‘Young Achiever of the Year’. RLSS UK, her whole family, and her local club, just want her to be rewarded for being such a remarkable young lady who has exceeded everyone’s expectations and continues to make everyone very proud!