Macleay Surf Life Saving Clubs ready for busy season ahead

After a few years of uncertainty due to ongoing natural disasters and COVID-19, SLS Mid North Coast Branch President Rod McDonagh says the SLS volunteers are ready to get back out there and keep beachgoers safe when they visit local beaches.

"It has been a steady start to the season for our local clubs," he said.

"After a few seasons of irregularity with COVID-19, fires and floods, our members are looking forward to getting back to some form of normality.

"As a volunteer organisation, we could not continue to provide the service that we do without the ongoing support of Newcastle Permanent Building Society".

In a bid to keep Nippers and their families as safe as possible, all three clubs will officially start on Sunday, December 5.

The annual Macleay Nippers days will once again be a part of the summer for junior members to come together with their friends, learn new skills and have some fun competition.

"Even though our patrols at Hat Head have been active on the beach from September, it is not the same as when the Nippers are around," Hat Head SLC President Ken Parish said.

"We are getting ready for our juniors to be back on the beach".

Kempsey-Crescent Head SLSC have been busy planning for their centenary celebrations. It is an exciting time for the club with many past members and distinguished guests to attend.

The centenary will include a formal celebration on Saturday, December 11 and an open day for the public on Sunday, December 12.

"We are looking forward to reigniting our highly successful surf sports program for our senior members that was introduced last season," Kempsey-Crescent Head President Carl Thurgood said.

"Our surf boat crews have been training hard for another strong campaign this season, with five crews competing across the state".

As with all areas of the Mid North Coast, South West Rocks is starting to see an influx of visitors to the region with restrictions lifting.

"The data is showing a higher than normal number of people at the beach for this time of the season, and we are expecting the trend to continue throughout the summer," South West Rocks Club Director of Lifesaving Brienna Elford said.

"Our Emergency Call Out team has been activated once this season.

"The Support Operations team are highly skilled and rescue ready in case of any out of hours call out."

Education and training will also be returning this season. All three clubs are getting ready to hold courses, including the Bronze Medallion, Surf Rescue Certificate, First Aid Certificate, IRB Crew, and Driver awards.

New and past members are always welcome, and the three Macleay clubs are on the hunt for people interested in assisting with beach patrols, in the water on the sand, or in the clubhouse with the support crew.

COVID-19 procedures have been put in place to ensure that members are kept as safe as possible, including social distancing, additional personal protective equipment and sanitising products.

For more information on how to contact your local club go to www.slsmnc.com.au.

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