Warrington Surf Life Saving Club launches expansion project

After several months of behind-the-scenes preparation, Warrington Surf Life Saving Club is launching a fundraising drive to improve and expand their club buildings. "Most people of Blueskin Bay will have visited Warrington Surf Life Saving Club's meeting room," explained fundraising coordinator Pru Casey. "Our warm sunny room is used for Beach Education, first aid training, gatherings and community groups but unfortunately our ablutions and a kitchen are not a part of this building and somewhat rudimentary,so we are planning building upgrades."

• full description of the Club's activities and plans follows --

Warrington Surf Life Saving Club – "in it for life"

50 families make up the local surf club. We are a social bunch, who enjoy family beach activities and lots of time spent in water and beach-based sports – but our prime function is to recruit and train life guards.

Most kiwis know about lifeguards and are educated to "swim between the flags". Most family beach goers wisely choose their beach experience to involve a beach that has the protection of a patrol that will ensure safety in the water for family members. Life guards are on duty seven days per week during the summer school holidays and in weekends.

All of Warrington's life guards are volunteers. We provide voluntary life guards for weekends and holidays and Dunedin City Council pays for weeekday patrols during the height of summer.

Life Guards are talented young people who have undergone extensive training programmes to include:

• Surf swimming skills • Long distance pool swimming skills, • CPR certification • First Aid qualifications • Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) driving and rescue skills • Rescue board training to reach swimmers in difficulties • Tube rescue skills for patient retrieval in surf conditions • Fitness training

To maintain these skills Life Guards are required to develop and maintain a high level of personal skill and fitness throughout the year.

"In it for Life" is the Surf Life Saving motto, and this certainly is the case for our Warrington members. Club membership starts early, with children as young as 4 and 5 years old taking part. Beach education is an excellent medium to attract youngsters keen to try out surf life saving as a sport and families soon find themselves fully involved …with something for everyone!

The teenagers of Blueskin Bay grow up at the surf club together, finding common ground and forming life long bonds with lots to do in weekends and holidays together. Summer days are spent at that beach and the club house is a great place to hang out, learn new skills, build up fitness and surfing skills and make new friends.

Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in surf life saving with adult courses, first aid lessons, swim lessons and opportunities in official supervision of competitions, boat skills, guarding and coaching qualifications. In it for life.

Club Facilities

Warrington Surf Life Saving Club has developed an impressive collection of useful assets for training and rescue work

• Meeting room below which is storage for boats and gear and a shop facility • An 'A frame' building with patrol room and kitchenette upstairs and ablutions and changing rooms below • A garage to house and repair boards and canoes • Lots of different boards for kids to 'grow' into and use • A sturdy portable barbeque for fund raising and social activities

Most people of Blueskin Bay will have visited our club rooms. The buildings hold their origins in the disbanding of the Moana Rua Women's Surf Life Saving Club, situated between St Clair and St Kilda beaches 28 years ago. The loss of sand at Moana Rua saw a move of this club group and construction of an A-frame building at the current Warrington Beach site and a change of name of the club to Warrington Surf Life Saving Club. A change of constitution opened the club to all for membership.

Our current meeting room is a warm sunny room used for Beach Education, first aid training, gatherings and also by community groups looking for a pleasant venue. Unfortunately ablutions and a kitchen are not a part of this building and we have some what rudimentary offerings in this department.

Planned improvements

Warrington Surf Club plans to raise funds to build an extension to the seaward (Eastern) end of the current meeting room building to house ablutions facilities downstairs and kitchen facilities upstairs. These plans are given below.

Fig. 9 Current A –frame building shown with meeting room and extension

Fig . 10 A-frame building, Skyline garage and meeting building extension, shown with kitchen, ablutions and new extended deck.

We need to raise a total of $140,000.

A big THANK YOU to all those who have supported us in fund raising thus far! We have had the support of the following businesses and groups:

• Roger Belton and Southern Clams • Golden Fleece Hotel Waikouaiti
• Waitati Stores
• Friends of Warrington School
• Warrington School Board of Trustees
• Blueskin Nurseries
• Oceana Gold
• Allied Press
• J and L Callis Trust
• Waikouaiti Coast Community Board
• And probably YOU at our garage sales, quiz nights, and sausage sizzles.

We still have a lot of money yet to raise and are poised to apply for funds from the Community Trust of Otago and the Lotteries Commission.

Are we a valued service in the Blueskin Bay community? If so we stand a good chance of reaching our fund raising target. We can show our value through your support.

Letters of support, donations of money, goods or services, no matter how large or small, also demonstrate our worth to the community. If you are interested in supporting our venture you can contact our Fundraising Coordinator Pru Casey at pru.casey[at]gmail.com or 4822788. Interested in joining our club? Contact wslsc[at]xtra.co.nz or phone Kay Burns on 03 4822494 (Club President) Our full business plan is also available at the Blueskin Bay Library.

by Pru Casey

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