The best way for our age group to fulfil our obligation to the club is to identify two parents who would like to volunteer as our age groups Volunteer Coordinators who can be the first point of contact between the club and our age group when tasks are assigned to us.
Our Volunteer Coordinator will engage with our volunteer work teams when a task is allocated to our age group and will plan, coordinate and promote social activities and travel arrangements (if required) for sessions or carnivals that require travel or overnight accommodation.
The volunteer parent teams required at the start of the season are:
Each age group has an obligation to contribute to the operation of the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club (BLSC) at times during the season. Tasks will be allocated by the BLSC Club Secretary and will include being rostered to:
Set up and break down the nipper course on the beach - Requires a small team of parents to move the beach equipment from the club on to the beach and set up the board, flags and sprint courses for the Saturday session. At the end of the session the team is then required to break down the courses and return the equipment to the club storage room.
This task is allocated to each age group approximately four times a season and will require a team of parent volunteers to be at the beach approximately one hour before the scheduled start of the Nippers Saturday session and for another thirty minutes on completion.
Set up and operate the BBQ - Requires a small team of parents to set up the marque and BBQ on the front lawn of the Brighton Surf Living Saving Club to operate the Bread and Sausage stall during the Saturday session. The club will organize sausages, bread, gas, drinks and will provide the marque, BBQ and the point-of-sale system.
This task is allocated to our age group about four times a season and will require our team of parent volunteers to be at the beach approximately one hour before the scheduled start of the Nippers Saturday session until the end of the session.
Operate the club bar - Requires two small teams of parents to operate the bar in the Brighton Surf Living Saving Club at the completion of a Saturday nippers’ session.
Two bar sessions are required to undertake this task when allocated to our age group.
This task is allocated to each age group about four times a season. Sometimes on a Saturday afternoon and on occasion, on a Sunday, or to assist the BLSC with a special event. Parents may not have poured a beer before, which is why the BLSC offers bar training at the club for parents who would like to help but don’t feel confident.
Our Bar Manager, Paul Harrington, offers guidance for anyone willing to help on our club bar. You can contact Paul on 0405 492 895, or via corcaigh@internode.on.net.
This is a greatly appreciated way to help the club while acquiring another skill.
The club will provide qualified surf lifesavers as water cover during the Saturday session. SRC’s are also assigned to each age group to provide water cover for specific age groups.
For parents who would like to be actively involved in their nipper’s session and broader club activities there is the option of becoming qualified by obtaining a Bronze Medallion. It is important that we have as many QUALIFIED water safety personnel as possible to supervise our water activities. Water safety personnel can be found in Hi-vis ORANGE or RED/YELLOW lifesaving rash vests and their ORANGE cap or red/yellow patrol cap.
We require as many parents/carers to hold their Bronze medallion (BM) as possible to assist in these activities. An inflatable rescue boat (IRB) will be operational during all water events however, it must be assumed that if water safety staff are not available, Nippers will not be able to take part in water activities. The minimum ratio for water safety to Nippers is one qualified BM adult to five children (1:5).
PLEASE NOTE THAT PARENTS/CARERS ARE NOT TO ACCOMPANY SWIMMERS UNLESS THEY HAVE ACHIEVED THEIR BRONZE MEDALION. If parents/carers enter the water, then it must be assumed that they will replace one of the Nippers under the supervision of water safety.
For more information on how to enrol in a Bronze Medallion course to become qualified to provide water cover refer to the club’s website.
The club has an obligation to provide trained volunteer carnival officials across all age groups to assist with the marshaling of nippers at carnivals, including the Junior State Championships. Officials are assigned to event stations at Carnivals to marshal competitors and administer the running of heats under the supervision of Carnival Referee’s.
Brighton usually needs to provide about 10 officials for every Carnival/State Championship 3 people for water safety in roughly 2–3-hour shifts and sometimes an IRB crew as well.
To become qualified to help marshal nippers at carnivals parents can complete a short online course to obtain their accreditation.
For more information or to obtain your accreditation refer to the club’s website.
