Gambia Water Safety Project
Vale of Glamorgan Website December 2007
The Vale of Glamorgan Council give their support to the Beach Safety programme in The Gambia.
Barry and District News 18 August 2007
Lifesavers make a difference
A GROUP of Barry lifesavers returned home from Gambia this week after spending a month improving the lifesaving skills of their African counterparts.
Six volunteer youngsters from the Whitmore Bay Lifesaving Club visited the country's capital, Banjul, to train 20 firemen who are currently used as the region's lifeguards.
Cliff Nelson, from the Royal Life Saving Society, co-ordinated the visit. He said: "It was a fantastic trip. "The firemen were the lifeguards, both for the tourists and local fishermen. "But they could hardly swim and had virtually no lifesaving skills. It was frightening. quot;We spent two weeks giving the men fitness training and two weeks on basic first aid, like resusictation, as well as daily water skills.
"The experience was great for our younger members," he added. "We had 16-year-olds giving training lectures to men, which was impressive."
It's now hoped the newly-trained firefighters will help reduce the huge number of deaths by drowning in the rapidly developing West African
nation. It is estimated that of the 500,000 people who die annually in the world from drowning, nearly 100,000 are from Africa.And the Whitmore Bay Lifesaving Club are already planning a return visit in the hope of reducing that number. Cliff added: "The authorities said we provided some of the best training they'd ever experienced. "The Gambian President even heard about us and wants to be kept informed of the work we're doing! "In the future we hope to establish a number of sea safety rescue stations along the Gambian coastline.
"The trip was hugely rewarding and left us all feeling like we'd made a big difference to the lives of the people there."
Daily Observer Aug 29, 2007 - The Gambia Newspaper
20 Fire Service officers receive advanced training
About 20 Fire Service officers were certified after receiving a two-week intensive training on First Aid, CPR, rescue and beach safety management from the British Life Guards Society of Wales UK, headed by Mr Cliff Nelson. At the end of the training, four fire officers were identified as trainers.
Speaking at the end of the training at the Bakau Sea Rescue Station, Mr Roger Bakurin, Chief Fire Officer of The Gambia, congratulated the men for having successfully completed the intensive training on life guards.
He expressed delight that the training would boost-up the morale, skills and experience of the fire officers.
Chief Fire Officer, Bakurin urged the officers to put into practice whatever they had learnt and also teach others.
“There is need to standardise and do things in the right way,” he said
Bakurin finally thanked Mr Cliff Nelson and his team for providing such an important training for a national institution, like the Fire Service.
Mr Cliff Nelson, Head of the Life Guard Trainers Team from UK, said the certificates are important in recognition of the officers hard work and tremendous achievement.
He assured them of his team’s support and looked forward to a twinning partnership. Mr Nelson also presented some first aid materials to the fire officers. The ceremony was attended by senior fire officers.
Barry and District News 21 July 2007
Lifeguards on African mission
A
GROUP of Barry lifeguards will travel to Gambia this August to improve the lifesaving skills of their African counterparts - but not before raising £4,500 to pay for the trip.The six volunteer youngsters from the Whitmore Bay Surf Life Saving Club are appealing to people to help raise the money.
During the two-week visit, the team will teach lifesaving skills to Gambian lifeguards, and set up a lifeguard club in the country's capital,
Banjul.It is hoped the new club will help reduce the huge number of deaths by drowning in the rapidly developing West African nation.
Cliff Nelson, from the Royal Life Saving Society, is co-ordinating the visit. He said: "About 500,000 people die annually in the world from drowning - and nearly 100,000 of those are from Africa.
"The aim for this trip is to develop the skills of Gambian people so we can reduce that number.
"Obviously it will provide great life experience for our youngsters," added Mr Nelson.
"But we also want to set up a lifesaving club which will enable us to send members of Whitmore Bay Surf Life Saving Club out to Gambia in the future."
With accommodation, equipment and travel costs running into the thousands, volunteers have been busy organising fundraising events.
One of the volunteers, Barry Comprehensive School pupil Ross Anstee, 16, said: "It'll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us.
"To be able to teach lifesaving and first aid skills to people who really need them will be great.
"Hopefully we can make life much safer for the Gambian people - particularly by setting up a lifeguard club.
"I just hope we can raise enough money to pay for the trip, because I think we can really make a difference."
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The six volunteers will be packing shopping bags for customers at Morrisons, Barry from July 18 to 22. Collection buckets will be on hand for donations.
Barry Gem 16 May 2007
Lifeguards’ African training trip aims to help save lives
A TEAM of lifeguards from Barry are set to showcase their talents in western Africa, training local people in the art of life saving at sea. Youngsters from Whitmore Bay Surf Life Saving Club will be going to the Gambia to train local people for a fortnight.
Around 80,000 people die in Africa every year by drowning, much of which has been attributed to poor education in water safety. The Gambia has, however, made provision for improved education, which is where Whitmore Bay SLSC has come into the equation. Club chairman Dr Cliff Nelson said: “The club is planning on taking a group of young, qualified lifeguards to the Gambia for a two- week period in August, to deliver water safety training to locals and support the development of a new lifesaving club.” The club is run as a charitable organisation and is
seeking sponsorship to fund the trip for the four lifeguards. Three of the group are male (all aged 16) with one female (aged 20).Dr Nelson continued: “We believe, as a club, that this is a fantastic opportunity for the youngsters to gain invaluable life experience and also to use their skills to help improve water safety in the Gambia. “This is a sizeable project for a small club but the value to come out of the project will be immense. “There is a great potential to reduce the death rate.
The wider perspective is that, with the backing of the Royal Life Saving Society UK and Commonwealth Office, this would provide an exemplar model for other voluntary clubs in the UK to twin and help life saving and water safety awareness in developing countries.”
Estimated cost of the trip has been calculated at around £11,000, which the club is hoping to raise through sponsorship and donations. Anyone wishing to help can do so by telephoning 01789 774229, or emailing commonwealth [at] rlss.org.uk.
