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Page updated: 12 September 2006
Home - Members - News - Archived

Members News Archive

The following news items contain out of date information and are archived for information purposes only. Current news items can be found here. (Archive only goes back to December 2005)

Pool and beach sessions

   
Item last updated : 10/08/06 Date posted : 10/08/06 Info current until : 3 September

There are only a couple of Rookie beach sessions left, but once the main summer season is over the beach base will return to its normal Sunday operational hours from 12.30-4.30pm for members to drop in whether just for a cup of tea or for a dip in the sea!

Pool sessions have been continuing throughout the summer for Rookies and adults with a concentration on competition skills. These will continue for the remaining weeks of the summer holidays, so it would be good to see as many members using the pool sessions as possible over the next few weeks so that we can cover the pool hire charges.

Formal teaching sessions for the Rookies will recommence on Sunday 10 September, so could parents please ensure that all Rookies are present for this session or contact us if unavailable to attend so that we can organise classes.

Beach base work weekend

Date : Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd September
Venue : NSVL HQ Time : From 10am both days
Item last updated : 16/08/06 Date posted : 16/08/06 Info current until : 03/09/06

Over the past year we have spent a lot of time improving our facilities down at the beach, however there are still some things which need to be finished off.

On the weekend of 2nd and 3rd September we will be having a ‘work' weekend down at the beach base to complete all the little jobs that need to be done to ensure the base remains habitable over winter.

Any members who are available to come down and help out over this weekend would be welcomed. Remember, it is also the end of season barbecue weekend, so why not come down a bit earlier?

Summer Beach Sessions

30/06/06 - Pool sessions will continue throughout the summer holidays, however we will also be running beach sessions where junior members will be able to put what they've learnt in the pool into practice.  Adult members and parents are also welcome to attend and join in, and if any lifeguards are available to help with safety cover then this would be appreciated.

These sessions will be held from 3pm-4.30pm at the NSVL Headquarters on the Central Lower Promenade, Whitley Bay, every Sunday from 9th July to 20th August inclusive.  Free parking is available behind the Spanish City in the Bingo Hall car park.

There will be opportunities to go in the sea for those who wish to.  If your child would like to go in the sea then swimming costumes and protective footwear will be needed.  If your child has a wetsuit please bring it along - NSVL has a limited number of child wetsuits available to borrow for those who do not have their own.

Star 1 and 2 Star 3, 4 and higher lifesaving
9th July Normal beach session Normal beach session
16th July TVLB visit Normal beach session
23rd July Normal beach session TVLB visit
30th July Cullercoats RNLI visit Normal beach session
6th August Normal beach session Normal beach session (Cullercoats visit postponed)
13th August Normal beach session Normal beach session
20th August Normal beach session Normal beach session

For each beach session (with the exception of the visits) the following will be needed:

 

 

 

Beach Lifeguard Competition

Updated 03/08/06 - Due to appalling weather and sea conditions, the Lifeguard Competition was cancelled on Wednesday night and postponed until next Wednesday, 9 August. Same time, same place (From 6.30pm at Tynemouth Longsands).

25/05/06 - This year's annual North East Regional Beach Lifeguard Competiton will be held on home sand at Tynemouth Longsands on the evening of Wednesday 2 August.

NSVL will be fielding at least one team, so we require volunteers from our lifeguards to take part. Entry is for qualified Beach Lifeguards only - open water awards will not be accepted. If anyone is interested in being in a team then please see Dave Bedford.

The competition is meant to be a fun event, so no one should feel that they aren't up to it! Events include rope throwing, torpedo buoy rescues and the traditional 'Beach Flags' game.

There will be plenty of time to practise all events in the run up to the competition, indeed those who have been down to the beach over the past few weeks may have played Beach Flags already.

Registration for teams will be from 6pm, and the competition will start as soon as all teams arrive (some teams will be travelling from Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland).

Cafe C at the beach will be open for the event and all members and Rookies are welcome to come along and support NSVL in this fun event.

Rookie Competition Success

18/07/06 - Congratulations to our Rookies who went along to the Blyth Rookie Festival at the weekend and came home in fourth place despite there only being 9 team members.

Special mention must go to Beth May-Lennox who won three of her events, including the hotley contested beach flags and won Best Girl for her age group. You can read the press release on the main news page.

Online club calendar launched

18/07/06 - Club members can now view an online calendar with all club events, training sessions and socials. By using Google Calendar, all this information can be posted in one central location for everyone to access.

You will need to register with Google to use the service, and you can get onto it by clicking on this button:

Click here to view the NSVL Calendar

If any members have any events or occasions they would like to be placed on the calendar for all members to see - house parties, birthdays etc - then e-mail geoff@beachlifeguards.co.uk and I'll put them on.

Cullercoats Harbour Day

12/07/06 - In advance of the visits with Rookies to Cullercoats Lifeboat, it would be great to see our Rookies down at Cullercoats beach on Saturday 22 July for Cullercoats RNLI's annual Harbour Day.

The day will be packed full with fun activities and the chance to see a variety of lifeboats, and rescue displays hopefully including the Search and Rescue helicopter. While it is not a formal organised session for Rookies it should be a fun day out for any families who wish to visit and support a worthy cause at the same time. Events starts from around 11am.

BBQ Double Celebration

03/07/07 - A fabulous sunny day brought around 2,000 beach-goers to Whitley Bay, including over 60 members of NSVL for the Beach Games and Barbecue.

The afternoon was a double celebration, firstly for the club gaining charitable status recently, and secondly as we found out on Saturday morning that we have been awarded £3,000 from the Willan Trust to purchase new Nipper Boards and other equipment for the Rookies (more news of which to come soon).

The festivities started at 3pm with a number of courts and pitches carefully set out on the sand and properly marked. With a choice of volleyball, tag rugby or Beach Flags, the Rookies decided to play...rounders (breaking two bats in the process!)

With no other option, teams were chosen for volleyball and bech flags. The initial girls heat of beach flags was won twice by Beth showing that age isn't always an advantage. Daniel beating Pearce to the final flagLater on, the 20-strong flags heat after the barbecue saw Daniel winning after beating Pearce to the flag (and in what must be a first, no attempts to cheat from either party!)

Further games of football and tag rugby, along with some splashing around in the North Sea completed the afternoon in time for the barbecue and some very juicy barbecue packs.

Despite some competitive high spirits being dashed, everyone seemed to have a great time. With glorious weather and a good turnout, hopefully this will be the start of a great summer 2006. Beach sessions commence next weekend from 3pm for all Rookies.

 

Summer Beach Sessions

30/06/06 - Pool sessions will continue throughout the summer holidays, however we will also be running beach sessions where junior members will be able to put what they've learnt in the pool into practice.  Adult members and parents are also welcome to attend and join in, and if any lifeguards are available to help with safety cover then this would be appreciated.

These sessions will be held from 3pm-4.30pm at the NSVL Headquarters on the Central Lower Promenade, Whitley Bay, every Sunday from 9th July to 20th August inclusive.  Free parking is available behind the Spanish City in the Bingo Hall car park.

There will be opportunities to go in the sea for those who wish to.  If your child would like to go in the sea then swimming costumes and protective footwear will be needed.  If your child has a wetsuit please bring it along - NSVL has a limited number of child wetsuits available to borrow for those who do not have their own.

We have also arranged visits to the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB) museum (at the Spanish Battery, Tynemouth), and Cullercoats Lifeboat Station (Cullercoats Bay) on the dates listed below.  The classes who aren't on a visit have their normal session at Whitley Bay.

For the TVLB visit, meet at the TVLB museum at 2pm (car parks at Spanish Battery and Collingwood Monument - please do not use the TVLB car park).  We will finish by 4pm in order to return to the pool.  If you have children in more than one class, then you can bring all of your children to one of the visits.

For the Cullercoats Lifeboat Station visit, meet at the NSVL beach base at 2.30pm (we will be walking there and back, and should return by 4.30pm).

Parent help would be appreciated for all sessions, but especially the Lifeboat visits where we will be walking the children round to Cullercoats.  Please let us know if you are able to assist.

Star 1 and 2 Star 3, 4 and higher lifesaving
9th July Normal beach session Normal beach session
16th July TVLB visit Normal beach session
23rd July Normal beach session TVLB visit
30th July Cullercoats RNLI visit Normal beach session
6th August Normal beach session Normal beach session (Cullercoats visit postponed)
13th August Normal beach session Normal beach session
20th August Normal beach session Normal beach session

For each beach session (with the exception of the visits) the following will be needed:

Blyth Rookie Festival

25/06/06 - NSVL Rookies have been invited to attend the Blyth Rookie Festival which will be held on Saturday 15th July at South Beach, Blyth.

The aim of the festival is for competitors to test their lifesaving skills within the open air and the open water environment. It is a FUN event and it will be followed by a beach barbecue for all the competitors and their families.

This is an excellent chance for our Rookies to meet Rookies from other clubs and will also be a good introduction to lifesaving competitions in which our Rookies will have as good a chance of winning events as those from any other club.

Events at the Festival include Beach Flags, Beach Sprint, Throwing Event, Body Board Race, Wading Race and the Blyth Golden Challenge (swim, run, body board, run), and can be competed individually or as a team. Competitors can choose whether to compete in just the land-based events, the aquatic events or both. There is also a 400m surf swim for any parents or other adults wishing to take part.

Events will be in different age groups from age 5 right the way through to adults, so even our older juniors can join in. Rookies will get the chance to practise the events in the competition in the beach sessions on the weeks before the Festival.

If your child(ren) would like to take part then you must complete the separate application form at the tuck shop and pay the nominal entry fees (which include the barbecue pack) by Sunday 2 July.

PLEASE NOTE: Parents will be responsible for transporting their child(ren) to and from Blyth and remaining with them for the duration of the Festival.

For more detailed information about the Festival and events, visit www.nsvl.org.uk/training/rookies/competitions.htm

Beach Barbecue

09/06/06 - To celebrate NSVL becoming a charity, we will be holding a beach barbecue on Sunday 2 July for members, families and friends at our headquarters on the Central Lower Promenade, Whitley Bay.

The festivities will start from 3pm with beach games for all ages, and the barbecue itself starting from 5pm. There will be no pool session on Sunday 2 July.

Barbecue packs are available, costing £2.50 per pack. Packs must be ordered by Sunday 25 June, and orders can be taken by any committee member accompanied by payment in cash or cheque payable to NSVL. (All members should be receiving a letter with details on ordering barbecue packs).

You don't have to order a barbecue pack to come along and join in the fun - we would like as many people as possible to join us for what should be a fun evening.

Summer season starts here!

26/05/06 - With the traditional British Bank Holiday weather forecast for this weekend, the beach lifeguard summer season gets well and truly underway.

NSVL-trained Lifeguards will be patrolling the four beaches of North Tyneside, and as well as other beaches along the whole length of the north-east coast. We even have some of our lifeguards in Wales and Ireland!

Club training sessions will continue throughout the season on Sunday afternoons, and additional staff training sessions will take place on Saturday and Sunday mornings for which Volunteer Lifeguards are required to provide additional cover. There will also be informal training for the Lifeguard Competiton throughout the day and on evenings where required.

Whether working locally or further afield, we'd like to wish all our lifeguards a safe and happy season. Keep the beaches safe!

NSVL Photoshoot

24/05/06 - We are currently designing new leaflets and promotional materials for the club. We require images of club activities for this and also for use on this web site.

We have enlisted the services of a photography student (the daughter of Committee member Pat Raeside) to spend some time with us and take some good quality photographs of all the club’s activities.

There will be some general photos taken down at the beach and during Rookies pool session on Sunday 4 June, however we would also like some volunteers to come along to the pool on Bank Holiday Monday evening 29 May at around 5.30pm.

This session will be solely for the purpose of taking photographs, to include Rookies, youth/adult lifesaving, pool lifeguard and beach lifeguard.  We therefore need a number of Rookies (from the whole age range), and also youth and adult members to come along and volunteer a couple of hours of their time to be photographed.

Club clothing will be provided and no one will be required to be photographed wearing only swimwear.

Members and parents will be able to purchase prints of photographs of at a special reduced rate.

Only members who have signed the photography permission declaration form (or their parents have signed in consent if under 18) will be allowed to participate in the shoot.

Use it - don't lose it!

05/05/06 - Every week after the pool session we pick up items left by members, including (amongst other things) goggles, t-shirts and swim caps.

We have a box full of lost property (mainly goggles) which is available to look through at the stall. Anything which goes unclaimed is just kept as spares.

Please make sure you pick up all your belongings before leaving the pool and avoid wearing jewellery and watches when coming to Rookies as they will only have to be taken off. Also, ensure that items such as goggles are marked with your name so that we can return them if you do lose them!

It's not just personal items which get left - litter and footprints often do too. Please remember, we are the only people in the building on a Sunday night and we have to make sure it is clean before we leave, which often cuts into valuable social time!

NSVL Online Relaunched!

25/04/06 - After 17 months with the old design, you may have noticed that NSVL Online has had a bit of a spruce up.

Hopefully the new site will be even easier to navigate for both members and other people visiting the site.

For the benefit of members, every page of the site now has the latest news, training session status, upcoming social events and dates for your diary on the yellow bar at the right hand side of the page, so you don't have to search through the site for important information.

If you have any comments about the web site, how we can improve it or additional information that can be added, please email geoff@beachlifeguards.co.uk.

NSVL 150

10/04/06 - NSVL membership reached a milestone this weekend, as we gained our 150th member.

Total membership now stands at 60 adults and 90 under-18s - not including all the Rookie parents and other people who support of the club. This is the largest number of members in the club's 8-year history.

Membership numbers are set to continue to rise over the coming months as more courses are run and bring new people to the club.

We thank you all for your continuing support and look forward to welcoming the next 150 members!

CONGRATULATIONS!

26/04/06 - In a bumper few weeks of assessments, NSVL members have gained a host of new qualifications.

Assistant Teachers Miriam Austin, Chris Elliott, Nick Golder and Kat Ratcliffe all successfully passed their Lifesaving Award of Merit and Life Support 2 or 3 awards.

Liam Arrowsmith, Hannah Brennan, Becki Newman, Becki Powell, Beris Wakenshaw and Lizzie Ward all successfully passed their National Beach Lifeguard Qualification and Life Support 3, after enduring extremely harsh sea conditions and April snow flurries which caused the assessment to be moved to Cullercoats Bay.

Jed Laidlaw, Ian Laidler, Marc Little, Mellissa Patterson and Stephen Poulton also renewed their Beach Lifeguard qualifications and Life Support 3.

Kathryn Elliot, Joanne Faber, Katie Firth, Rachel Heron, Amy Ilderton, Rachel Manton, Sarah Manton, for passing their Lifesaving 1 test.

Congratulations to everyone who's gained or renewed qualifications - and remember, getting the qualification is just the start of your training!

Update 05/05/06 - More congratulations!

BANNERS AT THE BEACH
NSVL banners for the beach10/04/06 - NSVL members can often be seen training in the sea at Whitley Bay on Sunday afternoons, but people walking along the promenade often haven't got a clue who we are or what we're doing.

Now, all that has changed, as NSVL has taken delivery of two new advertising banners. The banners, which are tied to the railings during our training sessions at the beach, promote all the activities of the club and can be seen by those looking over the top from the road who normally cannot see our beach base directly underneath. One of the banners is placed at the top of the steps with an arrow down to the beach base so that hopefully none of our visitors will get lost!

Despite only being in place for one (very cold and windy) afternoon, the banners have already proven their worth with people coming down and asking for more information, and hopefully as as the weather warms up and the number of people coming down to the beach grows we will get even more enquiries.

CHANGES AT THE POOL

04/04/06 - In order to create more pool space for the Rookies, the older lifesaving classes (Lifesaving 1, 2, 3 and Bronze Medallion) have now been moved into the 6-7pm pool session, and will spend the 5-6pm slot learning theory and practicing first aid and resuscitation.

At the same time, each Rookie class will now get 30 minutes of dry side training every 4 weeks encompassing water safety and emergency response.

These 'dry' aspects of the Rookie Programme are every bit as essential as the 'wet' skills, but by keeping it to half an hour every month hopefully it is not taking too much of the Rookies' swimming time away.

The 'dry' work will be completed from 5-5.30, but Rookies should change before 5pm as normal and wear their usual pool t-shirt so that they are ready to go into the water at 5.30. On weeks when the group is doing dry work first please ensure Rookies do not go in the shower before the session.

The increased amount of pool space generated by these two changes means that where necessary classes can be split to ensure that Rookies get the best experience possible.

SUMMER SOCIAL EVENTS

04/04/06 - A number of social events will be taking place throughout the summer, and here is advance notice of some of them.

Friday 21st July - Picnic night at Gibside Hall, near Burnopfield.

Saturday 5th August - Open Air Theatre - The Wind in the Willows at Wallington Hall, Northumberland.

Saturday 26th August - The Northumbrian Proms at Wallington Hall, Northumberland.

Similar events in previous years have proved popular with members, and where there is enough interest minibuses will be provided for transport.

For more information please see Maureen at the stall.

NSVL MAKES THE FRONT PAGE

April 2006 edition of Lifesavers - complete with Kat Ratcliffe on the bottom left31/03/06 - NSVL assistant teacher Kat Ratcliffe made the front page of the April issue of RLSS UK's national magazine, Lifesavers, after her record breaking exploits with Smarties.

Meanwhile, NSVL Trainer Tom Poulton was also recognised on page 5 for the national award he won for Save a Baby's Life late last year.

If you can't wait for your copy of Lifesavers to hit the doormat, you can read more about these stories on the News Page.

NEW REPRESENTATIVES ON THE COMMITTEE

07/02/06 - The Club Executive Committee would like to welcome a new representative, Pat Raeside, who takes on the role of Fundraising Officer.

Pat has recently come into the club through her son Tom who is in the Rookies. She is involved with fundraising for her full time job and is perfectly placed to assist with the club's application for charitable status and raising funds.

We also welcome onto the Committee two youth representatives. Assistant teachers Mim, Kat, Nick and Chris have decided to share the two posts between them and will all be available to talk to Rookie members and represent their views on the Committee.

The only position still unfilled is that of a Parental Representative. If you would like to get involved with the running of the club and represent parents at short monthly meetings held after the pool session, please speak to any member of the committee.

SAVE LIVES - RECYCLE!

07/02/06 - The club has invested heavily in equipment for its members to get the best possible experience while training, but when faced with someone drowning in reality a nicely coiled rope or life buoy is not always available.

One of the most essential lifesaving skills to develop is use of initiative, and many lives have been saved using every day items as rescue aids.

The club is looking to start a collection of everyday items which could be used as rescue aids, so next time you have a spring clean look out for things which could be used to help rescue someone and bring them down to the pool. From old brooms for reaching to tupperware as a floating aid, the only limit is your imagination! Who knows, we may even award a prize for the most novel ideas!

NEW EQUIPMENT

26/04/06 - NSVL has taken delivery of over £2,800 worth of new equipment for the Rookies and other courses over the past few months, including new ropes, rings, torpedo buoys and 8 new junior resuscitation manikins.

The new equipment, which is in addition to our existing stock, means that there is now enough basic rescue equipment to be used in multiple classes at the same time.

We are constantly reviewing our equipment stock and looking for new equipment that can improve the experience of our members and make sessions more fun. If any Rookies, parents or members have any ideas for new equipment feel free to e-mail nsvlexec@beachlifeguards.co.uk.

 

 

 

PIZZA NIGHT - SUNDAY 23 APRIL
04/04/06 - After the huge success of the pizza night in February, which was attended by over 60 members and their families, the next pizza night has been organised for after the pool session on Sunday 23 April.

The venue will once again be Cassa Bellisimo in Whitley Bay and members and family of all ages are welcome to come along for what is a very enjoyable social evening.

Numbers must be confirmed for the week before, so please see Maureen at the stall to put your name down by Easter Sunday.

POOL SESSIONS OVER EASTER
04/04/06 - Pool sessions for both Rookies and senior members will continue throughout the Easter holiday.

Sessions on the 9th and 23rd April will be normal taught sessions. On Easter Sunday there will be the termly fun session for Rookies, including waves, slide, diving pool and inflatable. This session will be free of charge.

The second session from 6pm will also be on but no formal training will take place. Adult members are invited to partake in imbibing alcoholic beverages afterwards.

BEACH BASE REFURBISHMENT COMPLETION - EASTER WEEKEND
04/04/06 - After the sterling work getting the beach base ready for Boxing Day, refurbishment works went on a bit of a back burner in the new year due to courses being run.

There are a number of bits and pieces still to be done, such as bag holders and new benches in the changing rooms, along with more shelves for storage. There is also the odd bit of paintwork still outstanding.

Committee members will be down at the beach over Easter weekend finishing off the works, and any other members who would like to come down and help are more than welcome. No specialist skills are required as long as you can hold a painbrush or even just make cups of tea!

Any time you could give to help would be appreciated. We will be there Easter Saturday and Sunday for most of the day. If you are popping down, please phone the base on 0191 200 8639 to check we are there.

 

POOL SESSIONS RESUME
22/03/06 - Pool sessions for Rookies and adults will resume from Sunday 26 March and continue throughout the Easter holiday period in April.

WHITLEY BAY REGENERATION
06/03/06 - Confirmed by the exhibition of plans for the regeneration of Whitley Bay at the Leisure Pool last week, there are currently no proposals for the Central Lower Promenade on which the NSVL Headquarters is situated and therefore our residence there is more certain for the medium term. However, the promenade does form part of ongoing environmental works by the Council.

Whitley Bay Leisure Pool is due to be refurbished from 2007.

Archived - POOL CLOSURE - NO SESSIONS SUNDAY 12 AND 19 MARCH 2006
28/02/06 - Whitley Bay Leisure Pool will be closed for maintenance work from 6 March to 18 March inclusive. NSVL adult pool sessions on Sunday 12 and 19 March will be cancelled, with Rookie sessions used for dry-side training - please read the following information carefully.

Sunday 12 March

A session will be run for Rookie Star Grade 1 (Richard's class) and Star Grade 2 (James's class) ONLY .  The session will take place upstairs in the cafe area of the Leisure Pool at the usual time of 5pm-6pm. 

There is NO session for Star Grade 3, 4, or Bronze Medallion (Geoff, Joe and Malcolm's groups).

Rookies will be taught some basic first aid and life support skills, along with water safety.

This session will be free of charge and Rookies will not require swimming costumes.  However, please ensure that Rookies are dressed in comfortable full-length clothing as some rolling around the floor will be required!

NB - For families with more than one Rookie, brothers or sisters in higher classes are welcome to come along as well, however the session will be targeted for the younger Rookies.

Sunday 19 March

A session will be run at the normal time for those in Rookie Star Grade 3 (Geoff's class), Rookie Star Grade 4 (Joe's class) and those taking Bronze Medallion with Malcolm.  The session will take place at the NSVL Headquarters on Central Lower Promenade , Whitley Bay beach. 

There is NO session for Star Grade 1 or 2 (Richard and James's classes).

Although the session is taking place at the beach base, Rookies will NOT be going into the sea and do not require any swimming kit.  Please ensure that Rookies are dressed in warm, comfortable clothing suitable for practicing life support and rolling around on the floor. 

This session will be free of charge.

Free parking is available behind the Spanish City (in the Bingo hall car park) from where it is a short walk across the pelican crossing and down onto the promenade where we are situated.  A map can be found by following this link .

Parents are welcome to stay at the beach base during the session where there will be tea and coffee available.

NB -  Unfortunately we do not have the facilities to accommodate younger Rookies at the beach base during this session.  If you have to bring younger children with you please ensure your child is directly supervised at all times.

COMPETITION NIGHT - THE RESULTS!
12/02/06 - As part of NSVL's fundraising efforts for the RLSS Kiss4Life campaign, the pool session on Sunday 12 February was taken over for a Rookie Competition and family quiz night.

Hopefully everyone had a fun time and we raised over £150 for the appeal...along with breaking a few world records.

The standings for the Quiz are as follows:

1st - The Plarks
2nd - Tom's Team
3rd - Four Amigos
4th - Terrific Tigers
5th - The Hasletts
6th - The Champions
7th - Diving Dolphins
8th= - The 2 Fs
8th= - The Magpies
10th - Can't be bothered to think of a name
11th - Beach Bums
12th - Fahey Fish

A number of raffle prizes were uncollected (winning ticket numbers below). Prizes will be available to collect next Sunday or you can contact Joe or Maureen in advance.

Tickets 21-25 - jigsaw
Tickets 76-80 - chocolates
Tickets 171-175 - bottle of wine
Tickets 186-90

 

Archived - NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
07/02/06 - An Extraordinary General Meeting of North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards will take place on Sunday 5th March 2006 , 7pm , at Whitley Bay Leisure Pool, The Links, Whitley Bay , NE26 1TQ .

The purpose of the meeting is to vote on a special resolution to modify the memorandum and articles of association of North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards.

As you may be aware NSVL intends to apply for Charity status in the near future. The proposed changes to the memorandum and articles of association would bring them in to line with the Charity Commission's model memorandum and articles of association for a Charitable Company, thus making the process of Charity application easier.

Copies of the current and proposed memorandum and articles of association have been sent to all adult members or can be downloaded in small or large print from the downloads page.

Archived - WHITLEY BAY REGENERATION AND POOL CLOSURE
05/01/06 - Another year on and it is still unclear exactly how the regeneration of Whitley Bay will affect the club.

All the metal, wood and sandstone on the exterior of the base is being repaintedWe hope to find out early this year what the plans are for the Lower Promenade where our Headquarters are situated. Before Christmas we renovated the Headquarters building to make it habitable in the short term. For a long term future the base needs a lot of money spending on it, but until plans have been finalised for the Promenade we are just doing the bare minimum to keep the base habitable.

Along at the pool, plans for a new centre have now been scrapped, and instead the existing pool is set to be refurbished. This is not likely to happen this year, but the pool may close in May this year in order for the roof to be repaired. If the pool does close the Rookies sessions will move to the beach for the duration of the closure.

SOCIAL SUCCESS
31/01/06 - The first NSVL Social of 2006 went down a treat, with over 70 club members and families young and old packing out the Cassa Bellisimo restaurant in Whitley Bay.

We were especially pleased to welcome a host of new Rookies and their parents to join in the fun and experience the delights of potato skins and pizza!

It is planned to hold at least one social even each month where members and families can get together away from the pool and beach.


OVER SIXTY SIGN UP TO SAVE LIVES
16/01/06 - At the club registration session on Sunday 15 January we welcomed over 30 new Rookies in all age groups. This brings the total number of Rookies signed up to just over 60, with next Sunday being the cut off point for returning Rookies to renew membership.

In addition, a number of new youth and senior members signed up to the club, taking our membership to its highest ever level.

To all new and returning members, welcome to the club and we hope you have fun with us in 2006!

Rookie parents are asked to read the following information sheets regarding Rookies.

Look out on this web site for the latest news and information about the club.

POOL SESSION PRICE DROP!
05/01/06 - More good news! From now on the cost for pool entry will be reduced by 20p to £2.00 for all members.

Additionally, pool sessions will now run without breaks for school holidays (excluding Christmas and New Year). Rookies sessions during the school holidays will be a bit different from normal weeks and include mini-competitions and a fun night at the end of each term for which entry will be free.

This benefits everyone: cheaper entry, easier payment on poolside & no more worrying whether the pool session is on!

To make sure sessions start promptly each week at 5pm, parents are asked to ensure that Rookies arrive and are changed ready on poolside by 4.50pm at the latest.

NB—All teachers and lifeguards on poolside give their time for free. If you assist on poolside during the Rookies in any capacity you are entitled to free pool entry for the 6-7pm session.

KEEPING YOU INFORMED...
05/01/06 - With over 120 members in the club it is essential that the right information reaches the right people at the right time, so a number of new procedures have been implemented to improve communication with members:

  • Setting up group e-mail lists for specific groups of members to send regular updates on training and events
  • A quarterly newsletter sent via e-mail to all members and parents (hard copies on poolside/at beach base)
  • Continued regular updates of the club web site at www.nsvl.org.uk

The new e-mail lists mean you will only receive information directly relevant to you—e.g. Rookie parents will only receive information regarding Rookies, lifeguards will only receive information about lifeguard training. This should ensure that you are not bogged down with irrelevant information.

If you do not have an e-mail address or would prefer us not to contact you via e-mail, please note this preference on your membership form. You will still be able to read any notices sent out on the members section of the web site, but the only direct communication you will receive will be postal copies of official club notices and newsletters.

Remember, this is your club! If you have any comments, suggestions or ideas, please feel free to speak to any member of the Executive Committee either in person or via e-mail. You can send e-mail to the whole committee by using this single e-mail address: nsvlexec@beachlifeguards.co.uk.

You are also our most important tool for attracting new members, so to help you pass the word on the club is producing business cards and leaflets which will be available for members to hand out. In the meantime, the best place to send people for information is this web site.

BEST EVER TURNOUT FOR BOXING DAY SWIM
05/01/06 - 2005 saw the biggest ever turnout for the annual madness of the NSVL Boxing Day Swim.

With the water a chilly 7°C, 54 hardy souls aged 5 to 55 jumped in the sea supported by more than a hundred people on the beach.

Although for some it was a quick splash, the veterans and some of the newcomers lasted a full 15 minutes in the waves. Time was only called as club chairman Joe Welsh had to hand out the certificates to the swimmers.

Hundreds of pounds was raised for the club and other local charities, and our thanks go to those who took the time to get sponsored.

Collected sponsorship money can be handed to any member of the Executive Committee by 15 January or posted to the club address on the back page (if posting please write a personal cheque for the amount payable to NSVL).

Apologies go to members who didn’t get a t-shirt on the day. We had 45 t-shirts available, but unfortunately that still wasn’t enough to go round. We have ordered more t-shirts for the people who missed out on the day. Please e-mail your name and size to nsvl@beachlifeguards.co.uk and we’ll make sure you get one.

Loads of photos of the day are available here.


ADULT LIFESAVING AND SWIMMING
05/01/06 - The Sunday night session at 6pm is not just for lifeguards - all members are welcome to come along for a swim. Even if you don’t want to do any formal training, this is a great way to support the club and it’s good exercise too! Lifesaving training is available for those who want to participate so why not make your 2006 New Year’s resolution to get fit, saves lives and have fun!

ROOKIE AND YOUTH LIFESAVING
05/01/06 - Six youth members of the club successfully completed their Assistant Teacher qualification during 2005 and now provide valuable assistance to the Rookie Trainers.

Another Assistant Teacher course is planned for early 2006 which will be open to all 14+ members and will bolster the teaching support for Rookies. We are also keen to welcome back any ex-Rookie teachers.

The younger Rookies will get the chance spend more time doing dry-side training (including resuscitation) and Star Grade badges will be awarded on a regular basis. As a break from normal teaching, there will also be mini competition nights where Rookies can put their skills to the test.

A Bronze Medallion course will be run early in the new year for all the Rookies who have turned 13 so that they can achieve the flagship lifesaving award.

The Bronze Medallion counts towards both GCSE P.E. and Duke of Edinburgh so it’s an invaluable award for our younger lifesavers to have.

James Parkinson is in the process of completing his full Lifesaving Trainer Assessor qualification, and will be taking the current Assistant Teachers back into training so they can complete their Award of Merit.

To help us organise lessons so that badges can be awarded regularly, please ensure that your child attends all sessions. If you know your child will be absent, please notify the trainer in advance. Please note, if your child is absent for more than four weeks consecutively without notification (or membership is not renewed before 31.01.06) his/her place will be offered to someone else.

Rookies is always looking to attract new members, so if you know any parents with children age 6 upwards please tell them to come along. We intend to increase the number of Rookies to 60 during 2006—once this number has been met we will introduce a waiting list system, so any new people interested need to get in quick to be sure of a place!

All new Rookies must be able to swim at least 25m on their front and back and be able to tread water for 1 minute.

DROP IN AT THE BEACH BASE
05/01/06 - The beach base is open every Sunday from 1pm-5pm for the benefit of all members, not just beach lifeguards. Whether you want to come down to practise some resus, experience the delights of swimming in the North Sea or just fancy a cuppa we’d love to see you down. Rookies and their parents are also welcome to come down to see the lifeguards in training—and the prom is an excellent place for Rookies to practise their rope throwing!

BEACH LIFEGUARD TRAINING
05/01/06 - Beach Lifeguard training is on every Sunday afternoon from 1-5pm at the NSVL HQ on the Lower Promenade, Whitley Bay; pool training from 6-7pm.

New Lifeguard Captain Dave Bedford is keen to encourage more lifeguards to come along on Sundays for training and to socialise.
There is no charge for use of the beach base facilities and equipment, but during courses lifeguards are requested to provide safety cover. We expect our volunteer lifeguards to complete at least 1-hour training per month.

If you fancy coming down at other times then this can also be arranged by contacting Dave (details on p4).

Beach Lifeguard courses are planned for the new year open to good swimmers over 16 years. For more information please visit the beach lifeguard page or speak to any member of the Executive Committee.

POOL LIFEGUARD TRAINING -
07/11/05 - All pool lifeguards are welcome to come along and join in with training from 6-7pm on Sunday evenings. If you come along at 5pm and supervise the Rookies session, your pool entry and training is free.

Pool lifeguards are also welcome to come down to the beach base on Sunday afternoons to do resuscitatin training.

Remember, you need regular training throughout the 2 years of your qualification in order to resit. NSVL expects its volunteer pool lifeguards to complete at least 1-hour training per month.

NSVL trainers also run full pool lifeguard courses throughout the year. To gain this Level 2 qualification you must be 16 years or over and a competent swimmer. For more information visit the pool lifeguard page which has full details of courses and pre-requisites.

Please note: if you are unable to get into the Leisure Pool please knock and wait outside the fire exit by the poolside next to the car park (not the exit at the bottom of the ramp).

INVESTMENT IN NEW EQUIPMENT
05/01/06 - A significant proportion of funds raised for the club go into providing new equipment for both the beach operation and the Rookies.

There was a massive investment in 2004 of over £7,000 in new equipment, so there was not a big requirement for new equipment in 2005. However, the Rookies did benefit from the purchase of a number of body boards for use during the beach sessions in the summer.

The equipment wish list for 2006 is currently being collated and both the Rookies and Lifeguards should see some major investment in new equipment during 2006 to make training sessions more interesting and fun.

Tom receiving the award NATIONAL AWARD FOR TOM POULTON - 17/12/05 - Congratulations go to NSVL member Tom Poulton who has recently been to an awards ceremony at the Baltic in Gateshead to receive an award for setting up a Save a Baby's Life programme at Newcastle University. Malcolm Dunn went to the university to train a number of students to deliver the Save a Baby's Life programme, and they are now available to deliver the sessions across Newcastle.

Tom takes up the story:

"The original project started in the 2004-05 academic year with a grant of £1,600 from the union here with money they had been given by HEACF (Higher Educational Active Community Fund) . The money was intended to allow the project to run for one year and I budgeted for 120 people to attend free SaBL clinics. It did run for a year before the money ran out and with help from the uni lifesaving club, about 150 people attended.

"The student union entered the project for the awards and it was chosen as a winner from over 1,000 entries. The award was from the HEACF Student Volunteering Awards. HEACF was set up by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). HEFCE are planning to write up the awards for their magazine next term and are wanting to focus specifically on this project as a case study. The new project is trying to make what is already in place a bit more sustainable.

Malcolm delivers a training seminar at the university to teach the students how to run Save a Baby's Life sessions"Malcolm trained 28 medical students to run the clinics and I'm hoping for about another 20 next term. I've been given £5,000 from the RLSS and the plan is to go out to SureStart centres and other venues to offer citywide access to free training.

"I'm hoping that if this is a success it could be replicated at other medical schools with the help of a student organisation called MedSIN. They exist to help set up health related projects locally and then reproduce them nationally in other medical schools. It helps that I'm on the committee for the Newcastle branch and I know the main people in the national committee, so I'm hoping to present the idea to them formally at the next General Assembly in March/April."

The press release version of this story can be found on the News page.

 

 


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