The thrilling Four Nations Beach Sprint Regatta that took place in Studland on Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, 2025, and we were once again honoured to be invited by British Rowing to provide safety cover and support for Team GB during this spectacular event.

This event marked the Club’s first opportunity for our boats and crew to operate from our new base at Rockley.

The sun shone brightly throughout the weekend, providing Team GB with the perfect conditions to test the brand-new beach sprint race format. This innovative format featured four-lane racing, which allowed for double the action and, of course, twice the jeopardy!

Thanks to our dedicated safety cover team, we were able to manage the increased excitement and ensure the safety of all participants. Some of our team members even had the fantastic opportunity to participate in a photoshoot with the renowned adventurer and presenter, Steve Backshall!

Our Club Captain had the following to say after the event:

…..I just wanted to say a big thank you to all that helped over the weekend.  Feedback from the organisers and the public regarding the standard of cover and the conduct of our team was fantastic. Everyone involved should be so proud of what we achieved and I am very grateful for your support.  It was a lot of fun in a beautiful part of our patch.  Well done all….

The following members hard work and commitment to lifesaving made the event a success and represented our Club with pride.

Tom McMahon, Mark Shakles, Dave Perch, Tim Travers, Darren Morton, Jeff Marchant, Emma Travers

Ellen Shakles, Sam Travers, Pippa Marchant, Lola – Mae Pilley, Daisy McMahon, Felix Morton, Oliver Heckford, Sam Delvin

Thanks also to members of Boscombe Lifeguards: Tim Fudge, Megan Knight, Christopher Grant and Nigel Brim

Arrived at beach at 04:45hrs to get all the buoys, anchors and warps plus all the kayak on the waters edge for 05:10hrs to meet the boat crews from Legacy and Apollo who then proceeded to set up the 750m course for the sea swim leg of the triathlon.

All set up by 05:50hrs as requested by the organisers ready for a quick warm up swim by the competitors and the actual race started at approx 06:05hrs

All over and done by 06:40hrs and all packed up and ready to go home for breakfast by 07:30hrs.

Glorious morning, sun hidden by cloud to start with but flat calm, warm waters, and zero wind. The sun did eventually come out to play which made for a very nice mornings work by the club indeed.

Just Perfect

Special Thanks to the following members who got up extremely early to help with this safety cover – as always you all do a fantastic job and do the club proud.

The new NLA Award program is aimed at 12yrs and above and covers several levels and strands in each level.

The entry level is the National Bronze Lifesaving Certificate

Our club started this program at the beginning of February 2023 with the aim of completing it in time to start the Bronze STAR levels and in Particular the Bronze Star Beach Strand in June (summer months).

We are happy to announce that we have now successfully completed this and we extremely proud to present our first National Bronze Lifesaving Certificates to our members during May 2023.

Huge Congratulations to the following 54 club members – so very proud of you all – well done

Congratulations to all our winners of the 2022 Annual Award who were presented with their awards at the Dolphin Pool during our training session on Thursday 23rd Feb 2023.

Only a selection of awards are given out each year to deserved members BUT… every single member of RLSS Poole Lifeguard is a winner!! you are all learning invaluable life skills by being a member of our club, So don’t ever forget that!

The reason you are all winners:

You have chosen to be part of this club and as such demonstrate a want to learn a life long valuable skill of saving lives and knowing what to do when others are in trouble in and around water!. Not many people in the world even want to be able to help others or would know how to, unlike each of you do – so well done everyone. #staysafe

Continue doing what you do – you make RLSS Poole Lifeguard proud to have you in our club – well done!

Our Annual Award Winners for 2022 are as follows:

Click on the images below to view larger versions of them

Most Improved Female Rookie

Lola Pilley

Lola has been with the club for a long time and is consistent in everything she does. Whether that is achieving Rookie Gold 3 and the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medallion or participating in Twilights, she puts in 100% effort into all that she does. Lola has also expressed an interest in assisting with Rookie training and I know she will make a welcome addition to the training team.

Most Improved Male Rookie

Jake Balchin

Jake has been an absolute superstar over this last year. His dedication to training is impeccable and gives every session his all. Having recently been nominated as Rookie of the Month, Jake has continued to grow in confidence and it is great to see him settle and love the training he does.

Rookie of the Year

Ellen Shakles

Ellen has been a dedicated member of Rookies and has grown in confidence throughout this last year by gaining Rookie 1,2 and 3 and the Platinum Jubilee Medallion. Ellen has the best attendance record at 93%. Ellen has made some strong friendships within the club. Ellen always assists in all the safety events which we have much appreciated. Ellen is a great role model for our club.

Assistant Lifeguard of the Year

Archie Snook

Archie has become a confident and competent lifesaver, not only having completed Rookie Gold 3 and the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medallion but has also represented the South Region at the National Lifesaving Championships. He has supported us at a number of safety cover events and has shown himself to be an excellent lifesaver. He is a credit to the club.

Lifeguard of the Year

Ethan Pilley

Ethan has worked incredibly hard this year, supporting the club at a variety of safety cover events and also qualifying as a Rookie Instructor. His dedications to the club has seen him grow and mature into an exceptional young man and an excellent lifesaver. He not only gives of his time, Ethan also gives of himself, providing moral support to our younger members at larger event such as the Twilights. It is great to see him now on the training team, passing his experience and kindness to the next generation of lifesavers.

Boatperson of the year

Samuel Travers

Awarded for Sam’s commitment and dedication to all club activities in particular his enthusiastic approach and ability to learn new skills in providing safety cover on the boats and gaining his RYA PB2.

Training Shield

Amelia Percival

Amelia’s confidence just keeps on growing and this has allowed her to give back to the club as a Rookie Instructor. A talented lifesaver in her own right, she regularly attends Thursday evening training both to teach and to take part in her own training. Her personality is matched with a sound knowledge of lifesaving skills, and this is what makes Amelia a worthy recipient of this award.

Services to Lifesaving

Mike Darkin

Awarded for giving freely of his time to enable the club to deliver multiple RYA PB 2 courses to our members through our club RYA Centre.

Associate member of the year

Emma and Tim Travers

Awarded for their all their support and enthusiasm with firstly assisting and subsequently getting involved with the safety cover at numerous events throughout the year

Certificate of thanks

Emma and Gary Snook

Awarded for their support with looking after our safety teams, following early morning starts at numerous open water events where the club provided Safety Cover.

Presidents award

Jill Bailey

For many years Jill has been a huge supporter of RLSS Poole Lifeguard Club.  In addition to her many other roles within the RLSS UK and other local groups Jill has, over the last few years has found additional time to assist the club.

She has worked with Louise Harrison in preparing some of our policies, especially those relating to Safeguarding and Privacy and Data Protection.  Following her assistance, it was agreed by the Club’s Executive Trustees to ask Jill to become one of our Governance Trustees, to which she gladly agreed.

Like so many voluntary groups RLSS Poole Lifeguard Club took a while to recover following the disruptions caused by Covid-19.  Jill has always provided positive support and asks questions that stimulate discussion, cause reflection with a view to assisting the club to identify a way forward.   

With 2022 being the first year since 2019 that the club was able to perform all of its various roles, providing training, entering competitions and co-ordinating and providing safety cover for open water events it became clear there were a number of different agendas being discussed.  Jill played a key role in running a club review day; where a SWOT analysis to identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats to the club was completed.  This process allowed representatives of the club to discuss all issues affecting the club.  Following the SWOT Analysis an ongoing 5-year action plan was prepared.  This will provide an agreed structure for taking the club forward. 

Jill has many commitments in her life and I am pleased she has been able to give unselfishly of her time to RLSS Poole Lifeguard Club, she has assisted in laying the pathway for the club to a brighter future.  Jill is extremely careful and considerate of others, she knows individuals are the backbone of any organisation, especially voluntary groups.  She has delivered instructor courses allowing several our club members to qualify as Rookie and Survive and Save instructors. Jill’s knowledge and experience is a useful asset to the club.           

The cost of this session to cover food and drink is just £5 per person.

Letters will be going out on Thursday and we need the form below completed by the Thursday 15th September so that we can let the chippie know numbers.

Please be sure to bring your club yellow t-shirt / hoodies and something warm to wear afterwards including woolly hats, as well as rain coats depending on weather forecast.

If you’re doing the boat handling course, you too are welcome to come and join us for the session and dinner once your boat session has finished for the day.

Now the clocks have gone back and the nights are drawing in, the evenings are getting colder which means everyone will want to start wearing warmer clothes.

So, now’s the ideal time to purchase one of our new Club Hoodies to compliment the club t-shirt each member has.

Simply visit our club shop and place the order, we will sort everything else out and arrange collection at a thursday evening to save you the postage.

The hoodies cost just:

• £19.50 for the Junior Size
• £21.50 for the Senior size

They have the words “RLSS POOLE LIFEGUARD” on the back, our club logo on the front left breast and your (members) first name, embroidered on the front right breast. All in all, a very good price

The CLUB SHOP can be located under the Members Area of the club Website or just follow the link / picture below.

www.rlss-poole.org.uk/clubshop

If you have out grown or ruined your original club yellow t-shirt, you can also purchase replacement t-shirts from the club shop

Following on from last month, of issuing each member their own rescue breath pocket mask, this month we took delivery of 6 new Rescue Tubes (3x Senior Tubes and 3 x Junior tubes).

This new acquisition cost £550 pounds but The club felt it worth while to boost our existing quantity of rescue tubes so our members don’t have to share equipment during our training sessions.

The Rescue Tube is designed as a floatation rescue aid, which can be worn across the shoulder of the rescuer whilst swimming to the aid of a person in distress in water. It allows the rescuer to perform a non contact rescue and can also be clipped around a casualty to provide support. The rescuer can then simply tow the casualty back to a point of safety, whilst at a safe distance, without putting themselves at risk, by having to hold onto a casualty.

This means we now have 10 of each size so plenty to go around on each club session

Fantastic weather and sea conditions today, certainly made up for the 2 x cancellations last year.

287 swimmers took to the water and all bar 2 completed their swim /challenge. Lots of happy faces all round suggests that everyone had a great time, which is what the Brownsea Swim is all about:
Long lasting great memories, from an Iconic Swim.

Well Done everyone that took part and thanks to all those involved in the marshal team, and the Safety Team either as part of the Paddle Craft Team or on the Safety Boat Team. We really do appreciate you giving of your time to allow this event to take place – Thank You.

• Brownsea Swim 2019 – Overall Result

Had a great evening with the Brownies and Guides from 2nd Canford Heath Group on Thursday evening. Gorgeous conditions with sunshine all round.

We split the group into two halves and Lara and Izzy took one half into the water and did lots of work and play on the rescue boards and sit on top cobra ski, whilst I took the other group for a quick shore walk, pointing out hazards, navigational mark (letting them know what they are there for). We also spoke about RIP currents – what they are, how to spot them and how to get yourself out of them safely.

We then went into the water and practised some self rescue techniques, making use of the buoyancy of the salt water to aid themselves, by relaxing and just simply floating on top of the water conserving energy etc.

We then went through the basic rescue principles of Shout, Signal, Reach, Throw, Wade, Row, Swim with and aid and Swim and Tow. And practised some of these elements. How to shout for someone to come and help you (adult Preferably) How to shout to the casualty in the water and get their attention. Try to keep them calm, we spoke about how you could try to reach them or throw something to them, like the Perry buoys on the end of the groynes.

We then paired up and 1 went into the water to pretend to be the casualty whilst the other was the rescuer and practised approaching the casualty, stressing the importance to talk to the casualty at all times and asking them not to grab hold of you. (Your own safety is very important). Once they had done that they then told the casualty that they were going to take hold of them and support them whilst they waded to shallower water. Once they were in shallow water they encouraged the casualty to stand up and we taught then how to support a casualty properly, such that you don’t let go of them and lose them again.

We then went through a bit of after care, by walking the casualty out of the sea, and up above the tide line, laying the casualty down with the head lower, and if needed, to lift the feet. we then discussed the need to get warm clothing and generally look after the casualty until further help arrived. We then swapped around so the casualty became the rescuer and vise versa

Once all of this was done the two groups swapped over and we repeated the exercise with the new group. With Lara and Izzy teaching basic skills of rescue boards and kayaks.

All in all it was a very enjoyable evening and all the brownies and guides were smiling, laughing and having a great time. in fact some of them did not even want to get out of the sea at the end of the session.

Many thanks To Lara Moore and Izzy Marshal and everyone from the 2nd Canford Heath Brownies and Guides Group

Mark Shakles

Youngsters wanting to complete their beach Survive & Save for gold, silver and bronze were again blessed with sunshine and clear waters. I’m not sure Andy Smart, who organised the event from the Poole RLSS side planned the weather, but it was great to see the local youngsters joining in and mixing with the visiting clubs. Of course, there was the usual required syllabus training, but there were also some other beach staple activities of beach polo, beach flags and rescue board antics. Altogether there was enjoyment all round and even the odd bit of dancing inspired by the Sand Fest sound-system.

Thank you, Redditch and South Worcester for the extra ice-cream, lollies and drinks, and we can assure all adults that all the extra calories were quickly burnt off by the children.

See you for the ‘Red-ster Fest’ next year.