Alongside a busy summer training and racing, a group of Portreath SLSC youth members have been working on the Graduate Lifeguard Programme. They are all aiming to become beach lifeguards in the future and each module on the programme gives them the skills to achieve this. Leading up to summer the group worked on creating beach awareness and safety presentations to deliver to younger children. Working in smaller groups they delivered some fantastic presentations, educating children about the flags on the beach, sea and sand safety and what to do in an emergency. Schools, cub groups and other Community organisations received these talks and hopefully the children took some valuable knowledge with them when using the beach this summer. Moving on from this the group learnt how to rescue someone using a Peterson tube and have put these skills into action by helping the club sessions by being water safety cover. For the older graduates, first aid has been their priority, covering CPR, bandaging and currently mastering the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator) and Oxygen. A very good start to the GLP from some budding lifeguards.
Over the winter months we are planning a Coastal Surveillance Course as well as a First Aid course for all the Graduates, hoping some of our senior members will join in so that the club can provide additional coastal patrols next year.
Chantel Richards