Lifesaving – new session, new programmes

LIFESAVING is not only about swimming. Yes, there is the world famous bronze medallion and the lifeguard awards for beach and pool, but there are opportunities to learn first aid, resuscitation, defibrilation skills and develop recognised training awards.

As the Tryst Lifesaving Club celebrates its 20th birthday as a lifesaving club and lifeguard unit it is preparing for a number of developments at both local and national levels.

Lifesaving awards are changing and the introduction, across the UK, of the “Survive & Save” programme opens up a new range of awards for everyone. Participation is possible at bronze, silver and gold levels where you can choose from the specialist skill levels of general lifesaving (medallion level), beach lifesaving, stillwater lifesaving or sport lifesaving. You can choose to complete just one or all four of the specialist areas before you move on to the next level. When you have successfully completed three gold level categories you become elegible for the distinction award of the Royal Life Saving Society.

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These new awards tie in to the Duke of Edinburgh Award levels and the progress awards of various youth organisations such as the Scout Association or the Girl’s Brigade. The Tryst Lifesaving Club will be one of only a few lifesaving clubs in the west of Scotland able to provide all levels of this new award.

At a local level the club is keen to help others learn about resuscitation and first aid skills and to this end the club intends to develop a project that will offer a range of North Lanarkshire community groups free resuscitation and first aid training. This type of community service project is one of the main aims of the club and it is keen to make this opportunity available to as many groups as possible.

The club is looking for new members to help it implement these two projects and explore other opportunities to keep fit, have fun, and help the community. Contact the club via its website www.trystlifesavingclub.com or pop along to the Tryst Sports Centre on a Monday evening at 8 pm to find out more about the opportunities club membership brings. Swimmers of all levels and non-swimmers alike are welcome at the club. The club’s training programme for 2011/12 gets started on October 3 with a national pool lifeguard course that is open to those wishing to become club members and those that are simply seeking a nationally recognised award.

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