Club News 2007
Whitmore Bay SLSC Features on ITV1 Wales Documentary
The series looks at day-to-day life on Barry Island during the summer of 2007.
Episode 1 - Shows Whitmore Bay SLSC trainee lifeguards preparing for their exam held in St Davids and the exam itself. Watch Again
Episode 4 - Whitmore Bay SLSC raising funds for The Gambia trip - Team Race and Morrisons bag packing. Watch Again
December 3rd - The Gambian Fire Chief Visits Barry Island
Roger Bakurin, Fire Chief of The Gambian Fire and Rescue Service, visited Whitmore Bay Lifeguard Hut to meet members of the Club and to see the Club's equipment and facilities. Members of the team were also presented with certificates for their work in Africa by the RLSS Commonwealth Secretary, John Long.
New Junior Rescue Boards
Thanks to funding from The Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust, 4 junior rescue boards have arrived from Pro Designs in North Devon. A full size race board was also ordered, all in Club colours.
First Aid & Lifesaving gear sent to Gambia
Whitmore Bay SLSC is continuing to support it's counterparts in the Gambian Sea Rescue Division by donating first aid kits, lifejackets, rescue tubes, resuscitation manikins, and a rescue board. The equipment was packed into a GAFSIP container which left Avonmouth on the 3rd of October. GAFSIP is a charity which donates fire and rescue equipment to the Gambia Fire Service, and also supports schools and local communities with furniture, books, pens and clothes. GAFSIP Website
WB Junior Section is officially launched
Club members aged 13 - 19 will now benefit from separate junior training sessions and it's own sub-committee. Beach and first aid training will run through the winter on Tuesday evenings, starting on the 9th of October. Junior members will work towards a junior beach lifeguard qualification involving first aid, fitness and lifesaving skills. 4 Junior rescue boards have been ordered ready for next summer. Interested in getting involved?? Contact Us
Successful Gambia Water Safety Project
The team have returned home after 2 weeks spent training 20 fire men in surf life saving and first aid.
Visit the Gambia Project Gallery and Gambia Project Blog
Working with other Groups
During the Summer of 2007 Whitmore Bay SLSC Lifeguards ran 3 beach safety talks and demonstrations to other voluntary groups in the Vale of Glamorgan. 1st Barry Cubs, Smugglers Explorer Unit and Ely Football team were all given an introduction to surf lifesaving and shown how to use lifeguard equipment. Interested Clubs or Groups can contact us here to arrange a demonstration and talk.
Welsh Nipper Ocean Championships
Well done all the Whitmore Bay Nippers who competed in the Welsh Champs on July 14th. 280 Nippers from 11 Clubs descended on Barry Island to race in sprint, board, swim, wade and relay events.
Congratulations also go to Christopher Hughes who finished 3rd in the under 12 Beach Flags event.
Water Safety in The Gambia: Update
Ross Anstee, Cliff Nelson and Mathew Rowlands recently featured in the Barry and District newspaper here. Fundraising events have been well supported by club members, family and friends so thank you guys. Bag packing at Morrison's has boosted funds but there is still loads of work to do before the team heads off. 'M' Series Competition and BBQ - 28/07/07. Morrison's Bag Packing - 1st, 2nd, 3rd Aug.
Surf Lifesaving Competition Update
Welsh Ranking 2 (re-run) -
| U16 Ski - Mat placed 3rd U16 Board - Mat placed 8th U16 Iron Man - Mat placed 5th Visit Gallery |
Rest Bay Ultimate Challenge - U19 Individual Race - Luke placed 1st U16 Individual Race - Mat placed 1st Visit Gallery |
6 Pass Beach Lifeguard Exam
Well done to Cliff, Mike, Bri, Ross A, Mat and Rhys for becoming qualified beach lifeguards. The exam, held in St Davids, lasted 5 hours in big surf and strong winds. The 2nd Welsh Ranking, also held at St Davids, saw 3 Whitmore Bay juniors battling the conditions and other clubs for places in the Welsh Team, so well done Ross A, Rhys and Luke for your efforts.
New Lifesaving Gear Has Arrived!
Thanks to funding from Awards for All Wales and the Sports Council for Wales, Whitmore Bay SLSC has imported new Dolphin Surf Craft from Australia. 3 boards, 2 single skis and 1 double ski have been added to the club's equipment racks and boosted training sessions for club members.
Welsh Ranking 1 - 03/06/07
Aberavon played host to the first Welsh open water competition of the year. This is the first time Whitmore Bay SLSC has competed at this level with 3 members entering the event. Mathew Rowlands placed 4th and 8th in the U16 ski and board races. Luke Fraser came 5th in the u19 board race and Ross Fraser finished 7th and 3rd in the senior board race and beach sprint. Visit Gallery
Fundraising BBQ + Leg Waxing - 02/06/07
Well done and thank you to all those who supported the event. Over £240 was raised for The Gambia Water Safety Project. Special thanks goes to Jane for organising the BBQ and Mat for providing the hairy legs.
Eleven Pass Free First Aid Course
New G-Boards for Nippers
Thanks to funding from the Barry and District News, Whitmore Bay Nippers have purchased 8 new nipper boards. The boards will be used for training and competition in the pool and sea.
Whitmore A 13th in Winter Series
Over the winter months Whitmore Bay competed in 3 still water competitions known as the Mini League. Competitors raced in various lifesaving events against other clubs in South Wales. These included a manikin tow relay, obstacle relay, rope throw, tube rescue and manikin rescue. Team swimmers included Ross F, Luke, Ross A, Mat, Becky, Briony, Pete, Jess and Gwyn. This is the second season the Club has competed. The team placed 13th, 17th and 6th in the three meets finishing in 13th overall out of 28 teams.