For all your surfing needs, Tynemouth Surf Co offers a 10% discount to NSVL members. Just show your membership card when paying.

Visit the shop at Palace Building above Tynemouth Longsands beach or online at www.tynemouthsurf.co.uk (you must visit the shop in person to get the discount).

NSVL has a number of courses running over the coming months, including:

• Pool Lifeguard course, weekends in May
• First Aid at Work course, weekends in July
• Beach Lifeguard course, intensive, one week in July
• Bronze Medallion classes for 13+, ongoing on Sunday evenings

More information about all of these courses can be found on the web site at www.nsvl.org.uk or by speaking to any member of the Committee. If you know of anyone outside the club who may be interested direct them to the web site or get them to come along to NSVL on a Sunday.

We will be having a number of social events over the summer season for everyone to get together, along with the usual pizza nights.

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

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.

Adult members are also welcome to join us for drinks after the training session on Sunday evenings.

Changes to the pool sessions
In order to create more pool space for the Rookies, the older lifesaving classes have been moved into the 6.00-7.00pm session, spending the 5.00-6.00pm 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.

The ‘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 their swimming time away.

The extra classes in the second session mean that there is a lot more activity, but there is a lane available for adult members wishing just to swim. Parents of the younger members who are now being taught in the second session are also welcome to go for a swim.

                      *-----------------TOP TIP--------------------*
                                Going on holiday?
                      Please let us know in advance when
                     your child will be absent from Rookies
                 *-----------------TOP TIP---------------*

Summer beach sessions
We will be extending our Rookies summer beach sessions this year and are looking at extra games, activities and visits we can include to make the sessions even more fun and get the whole club together down at the beach as well as the pool.

Parents who are coming down with their children will be welcome to join in, help out and hopefully have fun at the same time!

We will be sending out further information in the coming month and hopefully starting June, but in the meantime if any families are out and about on the beach on a Sunday afternoon why not drop in and say hello?

Lost Property
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 will just be 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!

Safety first at the beach
Many of you will have heard of the tragic drowning of 13-year-old Mark Langton at Sunderland over Easter. Accidents like this are rare, but it highlights just how dangerous the sea can be.

The following general advice should be followed whenever visiting the beach, especially if visiting the beach before the lifeguard service is operational (from late May):

• No lifeguards = no swimming: only swim at the pool
• Do not allow children to play near the shoreline if the sea is rough
• Ensure that children remain supervised at all times
• In an emergency, phone 999 immediately and ask for the Coastguard
• Under no circumstances should you go into the water to rescue someone - you might end up as a casualty yourself.

Always remember to stay SAFE when near water:

Spot the dangers
Always go with someone
Find the safety signs and flags
Emergency? Know how to help

Well done to all the Rookies who have handed in posters – the standard is really high as can be seen from Sarah Nessfield's poster above.

If any Rookies haven’t made a poster yet then why not get them to have a go? Posters can be about any aspect of the Rookie Programme, but try to make them unique! If you are stuck for ideas, why not ask your teacher?

All of the posters will be put on the Rookies section of the website for the whole world to see. Please keep posters to A4 size and hand in to Geoff Wade.

Recycle - the lifesaving possibilities are endless!
Since Christmas the club has spent over £2,800 on new equipment, but when faced with someone drowning in reality purpose-built rescue equipment 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.

We’re looking to you to add to our collection of everyday objects that can be used as rescue aids! Next time you have a spring clean look out for things which could be used to help rescue someone. From old brooms for reaching to tupperware as a floating aid, the only limit is your imagination!

Just bring any suitable objects along to the pool and drop off at the stall.
  
                      *-----------------TOP TIP------------------*
                            Bring along old mobile phones
                            to be used by the Rookies to
                            practise making emergency calls!
                      *-----------------TOP TIP------------------*

Busy at the beach
It's been a busy time down at the beach base in recent weeks, with courses running, assessments taking place, lifeguards coming along for training and continuing work to improve the facilities. As the weather improves the beach is a great place to be, and not just for swimming. Why not come along and join in with a game of beach rugby or beach flags? Get in training early for the Lifeguard Competition!

New Vice Lifeguard Captain
After qualifying as a beach lifeguard at the beginning of April, Liam Arrowsmith has been a regular feature down at the beach base training, providing cover for courses and even keeping an eye on the beach over the Easter weekend as well as providing pool lifeguard cover during the Rookies sessions.

Having shown such willing, he has been invited to become Vice Lifeguard Captain for the club and help out Dave Bedford organising training at the beach and pool, so well done to him.

Summer training
We will also need qualified Beach Lifeguards to assist during the training sessions we run for the local authority lifeguards as part of our deal with North Tyneside Council. These sessions will be taking place on Saturdays and Sunday mornings from the beginning of June. Please speak to Dave or Liam if you are available.

Some of the lifeguards also make it down to the beach through the week for an informal swim or paddle - if you want to be kept informed when people are down just let Dave know. If there is enough interest a weekly evening training session can be organised for the summer months.

Lifeguard Cover
Thanks to all the pool lifeguards in the club who regularly come along and lifeguard for us during the Rookies session, especially regulars Liam Arrowsmith, Dave Bedford, Tom Bowie, Johnny Erskine and Vikkie Loan.

We know that most of our pool lifeguards are keen to get into teaching the Rookies, but remember that you are doing just as important a job by lifeguarding, and you can watch the teachers to pick up ideas for when you do start teaching!

We do also need lifeguards for the second session, but this will be done on a rotational basis.

Training
As most of our pool lifeguards are also beach lifeguards, dry-side training takes place down at the beach base on Sunday afternoons. Remember, you should complete at least one hour CPR training per month under HSE guidelines to ensure your skills remain fresh.

Holidays Reminder
Thanks to all our members who have been running courses, teaching lessons or doing assessments over the past few months - the club couldn't run without you.

As the holiday season approaches, could all teachers and trainers please ensure that they write in the pool diary any dates they will be unavailable to teach so that we can ensure classes are covered.

CPR Update
As most of you will be aware, the CPR protocols are changing and RLSS UK is currently in the process of updating all its Trainer Assessors in the new protocols.

It should be noted that use of the 'old' protocols is NOT dangerous and will still provide effective basic life support - if you haven't received training in the 'new' protocols, continue to use what you have been taught.

NSVL will make sure all its members are trained in the new protocols as soon as possible. All teachers and trainers will receive free copies of the Resuscitation Council UK's Resuscitation for the Citizen booklet, which outlines the basics of the new protocols. Any adult members who would like a copy can also request one free of charge.

For more information, you can visit the Resuscitation Council UK's web site at www.resus.org.uk. New checklists and handouts will be available on the NSVL web site once updates have taken place.

NSVL members have been training hard over the past few months. It's not only the Rookies who have been collecting badges...

• Francis Thompson gained his Bronze Medallion and Life Support 1.
• Assistant Teachers Miriam Austin, Chris Elliot, Nick Golder and Kat Ratcliffe all successfully passed their Lifesaving Award of Merit and Life Support 2 or 3 awards
• Their trainer James Parkinson completed his moderation period to become a fully qualified Lifesaving Trainer Assessor.
• 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, while Jed Laidlaw, Ian Laidler, Marc Little, Mellissa Patterson and Stephen Poulton also renewed both qualifications.
• Simon Almond (Jnr), Sarah Johnson and Rosie Pritchett all gained the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification.
• Kathryn Elliot, Joanne Faber, Katie Firth, Niall Haslett, Sam Robinson, Amy Ilderton, Rachel Manton and Sarah Manton passed their Lifesaving 1 test.
• Will Hogg and Geoff Wade passed the Level 2 ASA Swimming Teacher course.

Congratulations to all - and remember, this is just the start of your training!

GOOD LUCK! - to everyone taking exams (lifesaving or otherwise) in the coming months.

Members are also getting their faces known outside the club:

• Malcolm Dunn joined Joe Welsh, James Parkinson and Geoff Wade on the committee of the Royal Life Saving Society Northumberland and Durham Branch, after being elected as President.
• Rookies Billy and Ronnie Kemp made some fleeting appearances as extras on the BBC 2 comedy Thin Ice, filmed at Whitley Bay Ice Rink.

If any members (including Rookies) have made important achievements outside the club, please let us know so we can congratulate them in the next issue of the newsletter.

The NSVL website www.nsvl.org.uk is the face of the club locally, nationally and internationally, averaging 130 unique visitors every day from all over the world.

The web site is also your one stop shop for finding out the latest news about social events, pool sessions and other training.

To ensure that this information is easy to access for everyone, the site has just been given a facelift. The latest news headlines and dates for your diary will be on every page so that you can be kept up to date with important information without having to search through the site.

There is also a downloads page on in the members area where you can download or request all club documents, from membership forms to the Club Rule Book.

If you wish to register a different e-mail address to receive this newsletter, please e-mail nsvl@beachlifeguards.co.uk with SUBSCRIBE as the subject
             
To unsubscribe send an e-mail to nsvl@beachlifeguards.co.uk with REMOVE as the subject line
             
This and previous newsletters are available online at
www.nsvl.org.uk/newsletter

North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards
w: www.nsvl.org.uk
e: nsvl@beachlifeguards.co.uk
p: Registered office: 53 Earnshaw Way, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE25 9PL.