June 12, 2018 - 1173 views
With summer on the way it’s expected that record numbers of people will visit Colwyn Bay this year. With water safety very much front-of-mind, Colwyn Bay Watersports and Conwy Borough Council have teamed up with a number of partners to promote surf life-saving andthe possible setting up of voluntary life guards on the town’s golden sands.
Last week a well-attended Open Meeting was held at Porth Eirias which generated much interest from the local community and members of the water sports fraternity. Lyle Bluck, tutor of the Surf Lifesaving Association of Wales (SLAW) and Matthew Jessop from the RNLI were on hand to present their vision for a local club and help answer questions from the public.
“It was encouraging to see everyone’s passion for the project and a desire to make this areality in Colwyn Bay”, said Lyle Bluck. “South Wales has well over 20 clubs serving beachesand stretches of water but we don’t have the same presence in the North. We would very much like that to change by providing support to individuals and groups who would like to take their first steps towards setting up a club.”
In the weeks to come a beach lifeguard course will be run at Colwyn Bay Watersports providing the opportunity for interested parties to gain an internationally recognised qualification and get on the path towards establishing a club.
The sport is fairly unique in that the competition element closely mirrors the activities carried out by professional lifeguards working on duty beach patrols. It involves an understanding of beach safety, weather and tide, water-based rescues and first aid.
SLAW and the RNLI are heavily committed to supporting the scheme in North Wales. There is a support package including free training and equipment on offer for clubs who affiliate and are keen to become involved. A number of other coastal areas in North Wales are working along similar lines and it is hoped that in the near future, local clubs will be able to meet up, share skills and compete against each other from time to time.
To get involved and be included in future project meetings please email Roger Pierce from Conwy County Council roger.pierce@conwy.gov.uk
