- 24/08/06 - Rookie Lifesavers on crest of a wave
- 26/07/06 - Putting the best foot forward
- 18/07/06 - Rookies celebrate competition success
- 21/06/06 - Online shopping comes to NSVL
- 26/05/06 - NSVL celebrates charity status
- 26/02/06 - NSVL Lifeguards in action - man face down in water at Whitley Bay beach
- 13/02/06 - Record-breaking lips
- 17/01/06 - Over 60 sign up to save lives
- 10/01/06 - Sign up to save lives
Rookie Lifesavers on crest of a wave
Rookie Lifesavers from the North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards based in Whitley Bay are on the crest of a wave after getting hold of some specialist surf boards.
Rookies show off their new nipper boards The new ‘Nipper Boards' are modified surfboards which allow the Rookies to learn essential surf safety, paddling and rescue skills.
Geoff Wade, one of the Rookie Trainers in the club, explains: “The boards are basically junior versions of the rescue boards used by lifeguards, but are made of a soft material so that they can be used safely.
“Many of our Rookies will grow up to be the beach lifeguards of the future, but becoming skilled in the use of rescue boards takes a lot of practice. The investment in this new equipment means that they can get a head start.”
The Nipper Boards have been supplied thanks to a generous donation to NSVL from the Willen Trust and will be used during the club's Rookie beach sessions in the summer, and in the waves of Whitley Bay Leisure Pool in the winter.
Putting the best foot forward
For most of us, having the self-discipline to exercise on a daily basis is often too big a challenge to keep up, however for John Ellis from Gateshead, turning up at Cullercoats Bay every day, for his 30 minute sea-swim has become second nature for the super fit senior!
However what makes John's physical feat all the more remarkable is he does so with a prosthetic leg.
Now in his early sixties, John lost his left leg (just below the knee) following a tragic house fire in his early twenties. Yet against all odds John vowed never to let his disability get the better of him and subsequently strove his way back to the life he thought he'd lost forever.
Inspirational John, started swimming at Cullercoats Bay following the closure of Tynemouth's open air swimming pool at Longsands Beach, and whatever the weather; rain or shine, snow or hail, he'll be out swimming with his special ‘sea leg', as he has done for more than 30 years!
When asked about the colder months, John replied ‘the temperature drops to less than 3 degrees Celsius in the winter, but that never stops me from going in'.
Even more startling is that his only protection from the cold is a head cap and shorts – no wet suits for John. But the cold doesn't bother him – in fact, John is so convinced of the healing qualities of the sea that he claims never to have suffered even so much as a head cold since he started: “A dip in the sea works wonders for your cardio vascular strength and respiratory system, leaving you completely invigorated ready for the day ahead!”
Putting his swimming skills to good use, John will be navigating the 3 miles from St. Mary's Lighthouse to Cullercoats Bay later in August to raise money for the lifeguards who watch over him while he's in the water.
The money raised from the sponsored swim will be donated to the North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards and used to kick start a £500,000 funding appeal for a new lifeguard training centre.
Geoff Wade, from NSVL, said, “The club is continually expanding and is now outgrowing its current facilities. Our long term aim is to have our own purpose-built training facilities which can be used by over 175 lifesavers within the club, and also the wider community for our emergency response and water safety programmes.
“It's a big ambition, but John shows that with a little bit of determination anything is possible, and his swim is the perfect opportunity to get the appeal off to a great start.”
Asked about his worst ever experience in the water, you might expect John to recall stories of monsters of the deep, but the reality is a little more embarrassing: “The worst day I can remember was losing my shorts mid-swim, when the elastic snapped without me realising!
“To my embarrassment I didn't feel a thing (due to the cold) and only noticed when I was half way back up the beach to the lifeguard's tower… and was a laughing stock!”
Anyone who would like to sponsor John can do so either by meeting him in person, mornings at Cullercoats Bay, speaking to the Lifeguards there, or donating online by following this link.
John is also appealing to local businesses to sponsor his swimming shorts, cap and towel with their logo and marketing message which will be used on the day, not to mention everyday thereafter as John takes to the high seas!
Words: Matthew Aconley
Rookies celebrate competition success
18/07/06 - Young lifesavers from NSVL came back with a haul of medals after attending a competition with teams from across the UK at the weekend.
Rookie Lifesavers attended the Blyth Rookie Festival hosted by Blyth Lifeguard and Swimming Club on Saturday, the first time a team from the recently expanded NSVL Rookies section has entered a lifesaving competition.
The Rookie Festival is a fun beach event testing fitness and lifesaving skills for children aged six upwards, including events such as beach sprints and sea swims.
Despite only being their first taste of competitive lifesaving, team members proved they were up to the challenge in events on the beach and in the sea, bringing home a number of first places in individual events. Beth May-Lennox, 8, from Whitley Bay, came first in three events including the hotly contested Beach Flags race, bringing her the title of Best Girl in the competition.
Geoff Wade who has trained the team said, "It was an excellent showing from our Rookies in their first ever competition, and hopefully we can continue their success in the coming months. Thanks go to Blyth Lifeguard and Swimming Club who organised the event and ensured parents and children had a great time."
For more information about joining NSVL Rookie Lifesavers, visit the Rookies page at www.nsvl.org.uk/rookies.
Online Shopping comes to NSVL
21/06/06 - North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards based in Whitley Bay has launched a new online fundraising webshop.
Whether it's utility services, electrical products or holidays, NSVL supporters can shop online at buy.at/nsvl and raise money for the club at no extra cost to themselves.
Over 100 retailers are accessible through the webshop, including Amazon, BT, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and RAC. Many retailers provide exclusive offers to the webshop, such as discounts or offering free delivery to the customer, providing more reasons for supporters to buy products through the webshop.
Using buy.at/nsvl is the same as buying online in the normal way, except by clicking through buy.at/nsvl NSVL receives commission on every product you buy. For example, BT Broadband offer up to £30 commission for each broadband product purchased through the webshop.
Geoff Wade from NSVL says: "The webshop facility is such a simple but effective idea. We receive a commission on each purchase you make. Donating to NSVL now couldn't be easier or cheaper!"
NSVL Becomes a charity
26/05/06 - North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards is celebrating after being awarded registered charity status.
The North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards based at Whitley Bay was founded in 1998, and has since become one of the largest lifeguard clubs in the country with over 175 members.
The club has members from age 6 to 66 and runs lifesaving, water safety and first aid training from its Headquarters on the Central Lower Promenade at Whitley Bay beach and from Whitley Bay Leisure Pool.
The announcement is a great start to the summer season and and is the culmination of months of hard work behind the scenes.
The new status as a charity will give the club much greater access to funding to improve and develop all areas of the club's activities for the benefit not only of members, but also the wider community. It will also help to further the club's already high profile locally, nationally (and even internationally).
For more information on the activities of NSVL, community courses and beach safety information, please browse through the other pages of this web site.
For those who are interested in the technical side of things, NSVL's entry in the Register of Charities can be found here.
Incident on the beach? Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard
26/02/06 - While conducting a training session on Whitley Bay beach, NSVL lifeguards received an urgent VHF radio call from Humber Coastguard requesting them to investigate reports of a man face down in the water at the south end of Whitley Bay beach.
It was immediately apparent that a group of people was gathering just a few hundred metres away, and lifeguards ran to the scene.
The man had been lying on the beach after consuming a large amount of alcohol while the tide came in around him. Members of the public tried to arouse him, but he was unresponsive and would not move.
As the lifeguards approached, paramedics had just arrived on the beach and were treating the man. The lifeguards reported back to the Coastguard and were stood down.
A member of the public had made a 999 call to the ambulance service - it was only a later 999 call from another member of the public which alerted the Coastguard, who were then able to radio the lifeguards directly.
The Coastguard is able to despatch lifeguards, lifeboats, ambulances, helicopters and coastguard teams quickly, and can ensure that the right teams with specialist equipment are there for the job.
Luckily in this case the situation turned out all right as an ambulance had been close by, however if it had not been close by then things could have been more serious.
So remember, if there is an incident on the beach or coastline then phone 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
Record-breaking lips
13/02/06 - NSVL assistant teacher Kat Ratcliffe found an unusual way to support the RLSS Kiss4Life appeal...by breaking two lip-themed World Records
Kat, from Whitley Bay, smashed both her existing records, by eating 177 Smarties in three minutes with chopsticks and sorting 30 jelly beans into six colours using a straw in just 25.36 seconds.
Other Rookies took on the challenge to try to beat her records, but none could match Kat's technique. Once ratified, her new records will appear in the Guinness Book of Records.
The record attempt was part of NSVL's fundraising activities for the Kiss4Life campaign.
Earlier, the club's 70 Rookies participated in a special fun lifesaving competition night, followed by a family quiz. All proceeds from the night will go to the Kiss4Life appeal.
Over 60 sign up to save lives
17/01/06 - At the club registration session on Sunday 15 January NSVL welcomed over 30 new Rookies in all age groups. This brings the total number of Rookies and junior members to over 80.
In addition, there was a healthy turnout for adult membership, 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!
Sign up to save lives!
NB - Details on this story are not current and it is included here for archive purposes only. If you want to find out more about getting involved with NSVL, please click here.
10/01/06 - Get fit, save lives, have fun.
That's the message from Whitley Bay's North Sea Volunteer Lifeguard club (NSVL) which is looking to attract new recruits of all ages interested in learning how to save lives.
The club is holding a registration and open evening from 4.30-7.00pm on Sunday 15 January at Whitley Bay Leisure Pool for new members to come along and see what it's all about.
Children aged 6-12 can join Rookie Lifesavers and learn essential water safety knowledge and lifesaving skills.
Teenagers can complete lifesaving awards which count towards GCSE PE and Duke of Edinburgh, whilst those with a competitive streak might want to take part in the increasingly popular Lifesaving Sport.
Adults can become fully-qualified lifeguards, relive their schooldays by taking the Bronze Medallion, or just come along for a relaxed swim.
It really is fun for all the family, so why not make your New Year's resolution to get fit, save lives and have fun by taking up lifesaving. Come along for two weeks with no obligation.
For more information click the links at the top of the page or contact Geoff Wade on 07990 827 407.
Best ever turnout for Boxing Day Swim
26/12/05 - 2005 saw the biggest ever turnout for the annual bout of lunacy that is the North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards' Boxing Day Swim at Whitley Bay.
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.
The turnout was so good that there weren't enough commemorative t-shirts to go round, but that didn't spoil the fun.
Although for some it was a quick splash, the veterans and some of the newcomers lasted a full 15 minutes bodysurfing in the waves. Time was only called as club chairman Joe Welsh had to hand out the Certificates of Insanity to the swimmers.
The participants have raised thousands of pounds for the club and other local charities and it is hoped that next year's event will be even bigger.
Any participants who missed out on getting a t-shirt or Certificate of Insanity can contact us on nsvl@beachlifeguards.co.uk.
A full photo album of the day is available here.
National award for Save a Baby's Life programme
17/12/05 - Newcastle University medical student and NSVL Trainer Tom Poulton has beaten over 1,000 other entries to win a national award for his work setting up a programme to teach new parents essential skills to save their baby's life.
The award was presented at the Student Volunteering Awards held at the Baltic Gateshead, organised by the HEACF (the Higher Education Active Community Fund). Tom was entered for his work developing a pilot scheme where 28 medical students and members of the Newcastle University Lifesaving Club were trained how to deliver the 2-hour community Save a Baby's Life sessions.
The training seminar at the university was run by NSVL's Malcolm Dunn who is the Save a Baby's Life Coordinator for the area, and who himself won an award for his work on the programme earlier this year.
Save a Baby's Life is a 2-hour workshop session delivered to groups of parents to teach them what to do if their baby stops breathing or starts choking.
The students are available to deliver 
Save a Baby's Life sessions across the city, and so far they have taught over 150 parents. The scheme has become so popular that another 20 students are already lined up to become trainers in the new year.
Tom is currently working with student organisation MedSIN to develop the pilot scheme for a national roll-out to allow medical students from around the country to set up similar projects. Lifesavers, which administers Save a Baby's Life nationally, has also given Tom a £5,000 development grant to assist with this expansion of the scheme.
If you would like to find out more about Save a Baby's Life sessions please see the Save a Baby's Life page. For more information on Newcastle University Lifesaving Club visit their web site at: www.societies.ncl.ac.uk/lifesaving.
More detailed information about this story can be found in the Members Section.
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