Raising The Flags

N G EW SO N I V A S UT E H F I W L

SU

ES AL

RF

RAISING THE FLAGS

SUPPORTING MEMBERS CLUBS & BRANCHES

1

A United Front

Surf Life Saving is the largest volunteer-based, grassroots community movement in the country.

From humble beginnings, when a group of people gathered together to try to work out how to save people’s lives on our beaches, our organisation in NSW today is more than 70,000 strong, representing people from all ages and walks of life. Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) is made up of 129 clubs and 11 branches, united under one banner and pursuing one purpose - to save lives.

By joining together, surf clubs have harnessed the skills and strengths unique to each, to foster a cooperative spirit and growth in our movement which is the envy of other community organisations.

By affiliating together as one entity, Surf Life Saving NSW has used this strength to: • • • • •

Lobby government for support Leverage our brand to attract sponsorship support Introduce standard equipment, policies and procedures Protect all members through cost effective insurance arrangements Educate and motivate our members through accredited training programs and development opportunities

2

Funding

The sound of the sausage sizzle is almost an anthem at most surf clubs each weekend in summer. Our movement has been built on the back of simple fundraising efforts like this and they will continue to play a big part in helping clubs generate income within their local communities.

But it’s a sad fact of life that it costs more and more money to maintain and upgrade clubhouses and equipment, and surf clubs deserve to be able to rely on other steady streams of income.

The public knows our surf lifesavers do a great job, however not many people understand that we are a charity and are very much in need of their support.

Surf Life Saving NSW receives a small amount of NSW Government funding for ongoing operations and we are constantly looking at new ways to deliver services and support to clubs through other means.

Surf Life Saving NSW conducts a range of fundraising activities, such as a quarterly raffle and regular

donation program, and distributes this income to clubs and branches each year.

SLSNSW works hard to attract and retain sponsorship support and we have built solid relationships with a number of like-minded corporate partners in NSW, to help us deliver vital lifesaving, education and training programs and world-class surf sports events to our members.

And through our National partners, all clubs and members benefit from things like: Cash support to branches Free patrol uniforms Gear and equipment grants Free hats and sunscreen Cost effective surf sports events and athlete development opportunities Surf safety education material Subsidised merchandise and other special offers

3

Grant Programs

On behalf of our clubs and members, we vigorously pursue every opportunity to attract income or assistance through government, corporate or philanthropic grant programs.

This saves time-poor volunteer club administrators from preparing lengthy and complicated grant applications and allows them to focus on the important stuff - like running an effective lifesaving service.

Although the process is time consuming, we have developed significant expertise in this area, successfully competing with other not-for-profit organisations to secure funding for a variety of programs which directly benefit our members.

The most significant of these is the Surf Club Capital Facility Program, which delivers $2million a year to help clubs maintain and upgrade their clubhouses and facilities. For many years clubhouses were neglected by local and state governments, with some falling into virtual disrepair.

Now in its sixth year, the program has distributed $12 million to clubs most in need, funding things like extensions and renovations to training and storage facilities, upgraded security, disabled access, through to contributing toward the complete rebuilding of some clubhouses. More than 70 surf clubs have received funding through the program to date.

Other recent programs we have successfully secured funding for include: • Upgrades to training facilities and equipment at Surf Life Saving NSW headquarters to improve member and public education services • Developing a youth recruitment campaign designed to attract younger patrolling members, particularly in regional areas • An Athlete Development Program, targeting talented athletes from outside metropolitan areas • Implementing the new Work Health and Safety legislation to minimise the impact and workload on clubs • Conducting a Lifesaving Exchange Program, where 25 young patrol captains from city surf clubs travel to regional clubs to share expertise and in return, our talented country surf lifesavers get to experience patrol conditions on some of the busiest beaches in the country • Introducing a Critical Incident Peer Support Program to assist members who are involved in serious incidents or emergencies with professional, confidential counselling services

4

Government Lobbying

There is no doubt that government, like the public, appreciates the enormous contribution made by our volunteer surf lifesavers, but they may be less aware of the unique issues and challenges which are being faced by surf clubs throughout the state.

Funding issues are the most obvious threat to clubs, however a range of other concerns include security of tenure, competing interests for land and facility use within local communities, restrictions on commercial activities, compliance issues and so on.

While it can be a long, drawn out process, Surf Life Saving NSW consistently lobbies state and federal governments on a variety of issues, on behalf of NSW surf clubs.

While some battles have been won and others continue to be waged, the key is in identifying the strengths and threats to our movement and taking every opportunity to garner support from government.

At Board and Senior Management Team level, representations are regularly made and we enjoy good relationships with many members of parliament, from all political persuasions.

Consistent lobbying efforts resulted in the establishment of the Surf Club Facility Development Program, which has helped more than 70 clubs to provide their members with functional and safe environments from which to conduct their lifesaving and training operations. When the first four year program expired, Surf Life Saving NSW campaigned hard for it to be renewed. The announcement in 2009 of a four-year extension to the program was a significant achievement and saved us from having to go cap-in-hand to the government on a yearly basis to renew support.

A seat at the table: We continually reinforce to government and the public the importance of the contribution made by Surf Life Saving and demonstrate that there is no end to what our people can achieve, given the right support.

Our volunteers’ contribution to saving lives beyond the beach is increasingly being recognised and our emergency response and support operations

networks continue to take us a step closer to being recognised as an emergency service. Across NSW, SLS Duty Officers and staff sit on Local and District Rescue and Emergency Management Committees, alongside Police and Ambulance representatives.

SLSNSW is a recognised support agency in the State Disaster Plan for Tsunami and flood events, taking a role in planning for response and recovery operations in conjunction with the SES. Leveraging off our existing Emergency Response System, we have a structured protocol for calling on the state’s 20,000 active lifesavers – who can provide fundamental support in the event of a tsunami or flood.

Some other lobbying priorities include: Security of tenure for surf clubs: Surf Life Saving NSW is helping to drive a consultation and review process with the Land and Property Management Authority and local government stakeholders to work out ways of securing lease arrangements for surf clubs on crown land which allows clubs to plan activities and operate with some certainty into the future.

PwC Report on the Economic Contribution of Surf Life Saving: We can now demonstrate NSW surf lifesavers contribute around $1.6 billion a year to coastal drowning and injury prevention services. For every dollar invested in Surf Life Saving, the return is $29 in terms of lives saved and injuries prevented.

We plan to leverage this independent assessment of our worth to lobby government for increased support for the vital work of our volunteers.

5

Better Communications

A major challenge for an organisation of our size is to stay connected and communicate effectively among ourselves.

Surf Life Saving NSW helps facilitate communications between clubs and branches in many ways, as well as providing members with up-to-date, accurate information through a variety of means.

Reducing the administrative burden on clubs is a priority. In the past to communicate important information to members, a club might have relied on someone who could exploit the work photocopier to print a stack of memos, then stuff and stamp envelopes before taking a trip to the post office. Now, in just a few keystrokes, clubs can keep their members updated and admin to a minimum. Online resources are constantly expanding, IT systems such as Surfguard have revolutionised member data handling and storage and e-commerce enhancements like the Lifesaving Online payment gateway are simplifying club administration by allowing members to update their details and pay online.

A well-developed media strategy complements the communications line-up, profiling the successful rescue efforts and achievements of members and clubs, promoting sporting and fundraising events, highlighting public safety issues and consistently advocating our core surf safety messages in the public arena.

Some of the ways we keep clubs informed and help them communicate with members include: Club Mail: Our weekly e-newsletter provides clubs with a one-stop shop for news and important information to communicate items of interest to their members.

Website: The Surf Life Saving NSW website receives on average, 140,000 hits a month from members and the public. As well as offering information on almost every aspect of Surf Life Saving activities, it helps promote major and local events and provides links to every surf club in the state. The beachsafe.org.au website houses a plethora of beach safety information, along with the location of patrolled beaches and patrol times. This excellent resource is also available via a free phone app.

Social Media: Greater engagement and networking between clubs and their members is being encouraged through our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Surfguard Membership Database: Improvements have been made to Surfguard to make it even easier for clubs to store and access information and communicate with members simply and quickly via automated email or text messaging options. How easy is it now to SMS a friendly reminder to the patrol team, or invite the Nippers parents down to the club for a barbeque!

6 Celebrating Success As our members are volunteers, it is sometimes difficult to find ways to adequately recognise and reward the outstanding efforts made by individuals or groups. To address this, we have put in place a number of member recognition programs, such as our Junior Lifesaver of the Year, Surf Lifesaver of the Year and Volunteer of the Year awards.

To promote the brave actions of those who put their life on the line to save others, we have introduced a Rescue of the Month program, which publicly recognises outstanding lifesaving efforts, many of which have almost certainly prevented a loss of life. Branches select their most significant rescue and a state winner is awarded each month. The most outstanding of these receives the NSW Rescue of the Year honour.

The Annual Awards of Excellence is the pinnacle of our member recognition program, celebrating the efforts of our most outstanding lifesavers, administrators, officials, athletes, coaches and clubs. To be acknowledged for their volunteer efforts in the presence of peers from around the state is a true thrill for most of the award recipients.

Other ways in which members are recognised for their contributions include: • Recognition awards for long-serving members and officials • Opportunities to represent NSW in interstate teams • Conducting talented athlete and high performance programs for competitors • Meritorious awards program to honour bravery displayed by members • Life Member and Hall of Fame honours lists • Scholarship and development opportunities • Lifesaving and sporting exchange programs

7

Education and Training

The skills and expertise of our surf lifesavers are highly respected by the community. Training to become a lifesaver begins at an early age, and Surf Life Saving NSW believes that the role of a lifesaver is a lifelong learning process. By investing in our people, clubs have reaped the benefits of a capable and proficient volunteer force. Last year we issued more than 30,000 awards in areas such as Lifesaving, Emergency Care, Powercraft, Radio, Training/ Assessing and Coaching /Officiating.

Surf Life Saving NSW not only provides the framework and resources to educate our own people, but also operates a very successful commercial training arm which delivers accredited first aid training to members of the public, schools and business. The revenue generated by the Australian Lifesaving Academy goes back to fund the activities of Surf Life Saving in NSW. Other ways in which clubs and members benefit from our education and training services include: • Employment opportunities for members to become contract First Aid Trainers and First Aid Services officers for events, or professional lifeguards with the Australian Lifeguard Service • Providing first aid training to clubs and members at nominal rates • Nationally accredited training delivers skills which are highly transferrable to other industries eg. team effectiveness, communication, problem solving, OH&S, first aid • Heavily discounted first aid equipment and supplies, through our strategic partnerships with suppliers

8

Supporting Clubs and Members

Running a surf club is for the most part like running a small business, except for the fact that you’ve got no regular income, potentially hundreds of employees (volunteers) to manage and in some cases tens of thousands of customers (beachgoers) to keep safe and happy.

The demands on volunteers are huge and the consequences of failing to achieve are potentially life threatening. To reduce the workload on clubs and ensure our members are protected, Surf Life Saving NSW provides a range of support services, resources and development opportunities.

A few ways in which we support clubs and members include: Legal protection Our members and clubs are limited from damaging legal claims through their affiliation with Surf Life Saving NSW. WorkCover protection Members who are injured while conducting lifesaving or training activities are insured through WorkCover NSW in the same way as an employee in a workplace.

Critical Incident Debriefing process Member welfare has been enhanced by the introduction of a statewide support network which provides professional counselling support to surf lifesavers involved in serious incidents or emergencies.

Resources Our comprehensive ‘how-to’ manual, the Club Guide, was recently fully reviewed and is available in hard copy and online. The Junior Development Resource kit was produced in hard copy this year and provided to every club and branch.

Public safety campaigns We try to make the job of the surf lifesaver easier by better educating the public on how best to stay safe on our beaches and waterways. High profile campaigns include the hugely successful Telstra Beach to Bush schools program and our ongoing Rip Current awareness and Swim Between the Flags safety drives.

Pathways for member development Our members not only receive skills in surf lifesaving, but also skills for life. Beyond the Bronze Medallion there is a wealth of opportunities available to members to gain advanced skills and expertise in lifesaving and first aid, leadership, communication, coaching and mentoring.

International training opportunities are also available where lifesavers receive financial assistance to attend Lifesaving Exchange Programs or Youth Ambassador assignments.

Many skilled volunteers have also gone on to become professional Lifeguards, employed by the Australian Lifeguard Service, enabling local governments, NSW National Parks and commercial resort operators to meet their community service obligations.

New equipment NSW surf clubs and branches have received more than $1million in equipment in the last 12 months, including ATVs, IRBs and engines, jetskis, first aid equipment and defibrillators, radios, night rescue kits, new feathered flags and protective gear for Duty Officers.

9

Surf Sports Competition and Development

Our surf sports competitors are also skilled and proficient surf lifesavers. In fact, an interest in surf sports is often what attracts people to Surf Life Saving in the first place. Encouraging involvement in surf sports and offering opportunities to compete for both elite and grassroots-level athletes, helps provide clubs with a steady stream of fit and motivated patrolling members.

Major surf sports events such as the NSW Surf Life Saving Championships bring thousands of members together to enjoy the true spirit of competition and camaraderie, in many cases forming friendships which last a lifetime. Staging events including the State, Country, Interbranch, Endurance, Pool Rescue and IRB Championships are major logistical undertakings involving many volunteers, months of preparation and rely on the skills and experience of hundreds of officials, coaches and team managers to be a success.

Surf Life Saving NSW has a comprehensive Surf Sports Development Plan which offers tremendous opportunities for athletes, coaches, mentors and officials to develop skills and improve performance. Some of these include: • • • • • • •

High Performance Program Talented Athlete Program Pool Rescue Clinics IRB Development Clinics Regional Development Clinics Athlete & Coach Exchange Programs Coaching and Officials Courses

Athletes may also be selected as a member of our NSW Representative Team, NSW Under 21 Development Team or NSW Country Team. Offering a structured athlete development pathway helps to retain members in the senior ranks and builds a strong skill base of grass root athletes, coaches and officials.

10 Improved Technology

Our lifesaving efforts now pack an even bigger punch through the expansion and consolidation of our state-wide radio network and SurfCom operations. The entire NSW radio network is now linked through internet-based technology and the state’s volunteer patrol services are supported by four Regional SurfComs throughout the season. During business hours, lifeguard patrols and the SLS Emergency Response System are coordinated from the new State Operations Centre located at the SLSNSW Headquarters in Sydney. In conjunction with the SurfCom Management System, club patrols are now supported by safe, reliable, radio network capabilities, providing back-up in any emergency situation.

In addition to the regular maintenance of the coastal radio network, SLSNSW has invested heavily in the latest communications infrastructure to provide branch-run Regional SurfComs and the State Operations Centre with the largest and most effective lifesaving communications system in Australia.

Integration between the SurfCom Management System and SurfGuard has improved data record efficiency and has decreased the administrative workload on members and clubs.

Even ordering supplies and equipment is easier now with E-commerce initiatives such as the SLSA Shop Online. Clubs can order supplies, rescue equipment and patrol gear quickly and simply.

www.facebook.com/surflifesavingnsw www.twitter.com/SLSNSW

If you have a suggestion for how SLSNSW can better support Surf Life Saving in NSW, or for more information on any of our activities, go to: www.surflifesaving.com.au

December 2011

experts@surflifesaving.com.au