Est. 1975
Registered Charity Number 1087775
Langland Bay Lifeguard Club C/O 18 John Street Mumbles Swansea SA3 4LH
Affiliated to the Surf Lifesaving Association of Wales (SLSA Wales), Royal Lifesaving Society UK (RLSS UK) and Boys & Girls Clubs of Wales (BGCW).
For the attention of: The Charities Commission
Re: Langland Bay Lifeguard Club – report of activities 2023
Please accept this letter as a summary of the Trustee’s Report for 2023 activity for Langland Bay Lifeguard Club. Run entirely by its members, who are all volunteers and receive no payment for the work they do, the Club’s primary purpose is to provide aquatic based lifesaving and first aid training to its members across a range of ages from 7yrs to 60+. In addition, the Club provides opportunities for members to compete against other Surf Lifesaving Clubs to hone their skills, build on their fitness levels, and have fun! The Club is split into 4 sections – Nippers, Juniors, Seniors and Masters. Club activities take place at Langland Bay in the summer months (from the start of May to end of September) and at a local swimming pool in the winter months (September to end of April).
During 2023 the club made further recovery in terms of membership and activities the members had available to them. An overview of each section for 2023 is as follows.
Nippers
Aimed at 7–12-year-olds, the Nipper section of the Club exists to provide children with the fundamental skills and knowledge of how to stay safe in or around the water and teaches them basic rescue skills so they can help others. Children are age/ability banded to provide progressive training through the groups. The resumption to full club activities following the disruption caused by the outbreak of Covid 19 is now in place and a real sense of positivity amongst the Nipper parents has resulted in more trained water safety cover provided for our growing numbers within the Nipper section and we have resumed attendance at Nipper carnivals in line with other surf lifesaving clubs in Wales.
Membership levels
As a result of strenuous efforts by our club Nipper coaches and helpers our Nipper membership has been virtually maintained compared to last year.
- 60 live members, of which 34 are female and 26 are male
Lifesaving awards and competitive achievements
- Nipper awards were continued with a slightly increased number of 21 completing the competence awards.
Juniors (12 to 16yrs)
The Junior section builds on the fundamental skills learnt during Nippers. Members at this level will train for intermediate First Aid and Lifesaving qualifications, which lead onto the opportunity to work towards obtaining their National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification (NVBLQ). This is an industry standard award which is the pre-requisite for employment as a beach lifeguard across the UK.
Membership levels
The Junior membership has been the most challenging group to resume to pre-covid levels. We have
- 16 live members, of which 11 are female and 5 are male
Lifesaving awards
- Junior awards were offered to the group with Level 1 lifesaving awards being successfully completed primarily for entry into Surf lifesaving competitions.
Seniors & Masters
There are various vocational awards and training opportunities available to Seniors, for example Rescue Boat Training and other specialist first aid and lifesaving qualifications, which serve either as a pre-requisite for employment or as evidence of extra-curricular activities for CV’s.
Membership levels
This year has seen a big increase in membership within this section primarily due to Nipper parents becoming interested in playing an active role within the club. Also Seniors returning from University rejoining the club. We have
- 62 live members, of which 24 are female and 38 are male
Lifesaving awards
- Senior & Master awards were completed for those wishing to gain employment, compete at surf lifesaving competitions or become safety assistants to help on the beach with the Nipper sessions.
Competitive achievements (Juniors, Seniors and Masters age groups)
In 2023 the club competed at both Welsh and British pool and surf lifesaving competitions with a few very impressive results.
Other Club activities and achievements
As a volunteer-based organisation we rely on the support of our members to assist with the day to day running of the club, from training delivery to fundraising activities to maintenance of our building and equipment. In 2023 the club returned fully to ‘normal operations’ with a focus on providing a full range of activities for our members to learn and/or display their water safety skills. Our fundraising team again struggled to raise money from fundraising, and this will be a focus for the club committee in 2024.
What’s planned for 2024?
During the course of 2024 we plan to further return the club to normal activities including lifesaving training and competitive activities with other clubs in Wales and across the UK;
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Work with Surf Lifesaving Wales to provide a safe environment for our members to continue their training.
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Provide continuing safeguarding and other ‘background’ training courses, online or face to face to ensure our compliance with organisational bodies we affiliate to.
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Continue to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our young people, to help them learn, develop and grow as individuals.
For and on behalf of Langland Bay Lifeguard Club
Darren Williams
Club Treasurer Langland Bay Lifeguard Club