National Lottery funding awarded to Langland Bay Lifeguard Club

Langland Bay Lifeguard Club has secured National Lottery funding to deliver voluntary lifesaving patrols at Llangennith this summer.

The club received the funding following positive feedback from beach visitors, tourists, and the local community after their team of volunteers carried out 33 rescues across weekends in July and August last year.

The grant will be used to purchase rescue, first-aid, and patrol equipment so that the team can continue their volunteer lifesaving patrols at Llangennith beach on weekends this coming summer.

Due to the pandemic, beaches had become busy as many were 'stay-cationing,' Darren Williams, a Club Trainer, explained.

As a result of some rescues that were carried out during this period, the club was approached to provide volunteer weekend patrols on the beach.

"The funding will provide us with key rescue equipment like rescue tubes, rescue boards, first aid kits, defibrillators, PPE and uniform," Mr Williams, told Nub News.

"It will enable us to develop some signage and educational materials, whether that's leaflets or signs, and put them up when we're on patrol.

"It means we're able to run more volunteer lifesaving patrols. It gives us the right equipment, allows us to deliver the right training, and support our volunteers to deliver the best service possible."

Before last year, there was no lifeguard patrol – voluntary or paid – on Llangennith beach.

Rebecca Evans, MS for Gower, also offered her congratulations to the club via a Facebook post.

"I'm really pleased to see this being taken forward in #Gower after we saw a worrying number of incidents off the coast last summer," she wrote.

Langland Bay Lifeguard Club was established in 1975 by Life President Alan Lloyd MBE to provide a volunteer lifeguard service at Langland Bay.

It is run entirely voluntarily and provides aquatic based lifesaving and first aid training to members. Training is provided across four age ranges, from 'Nippers,' aged 7-12, to 'Seniors and Masters,' who range from 18 to over 60.

To find out more about the club, click here.