The Bradford on Avon Lifesaving & Lifeguard Club was formed in 1971, by a handful of enthusiasts shortly after the opening of Bradford on Avon Swimming Pool.
We have a dedicated team of teachers and volunteers who are all Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checked (previously CRB checks) waiting to give you a warm welcome.
As a family-friendly club, we organise fun social activities each year including a Summer trip and Christmas party as well as supporting national initiatives such as Drowning Prevention Week. We support the community and have assisted over 200 guides and brownies to obtain their Water Safety badges in recent years.
As a voluntary club, we need help and support to keep the club active. We train members to become young leaders and teachers as well as our own lifeguards. We also require valuable administration and poolside assistance so if you think you may have a skill to offer or some time, however small, please let us know. We can offer training if required.
When do we meet?
We normally meet 49 weeks of the year, just closing for 3 weeks over the Christmas and New Year period.
We are allowed to enter the changing rooms to prepare for lessons from 3 pm.
A register is taken when all members enter onto poolside. It is essential for safety purposes that all members ensure they are recorded each time they attend.
Club times are:
3 pm
Rookie Bronze and Silver in the main pool
Gold Rookie, National Lifesaving Academy and NPLQ resuscitation and first aid theory classes will be run when teachers are available.
3.45 pm
Gold Rookie, National Lifesaving Academy and NPLQ lessons start in the main pool.
4.30 pm
Close
The history
The club had a rescue boat and canoes kindly donated by Avon Rubber. We used to do rescue demonstrations in the Kennet & Avon Canal for the Canal Trust. We had to hose ourselves down afterwards as we got covered in mud and weed. Due to health concerns, this practice has since long ceased.
By the nineties, we updated our rescue boat and other related accessories (e.g., VHF Radios, Dry Suits etc.). However, due to reductions in the water level of the River Avon, access to launch our boats was becoming difficult which meant we had to look for different places to train. Also as a result raft races and other water-related activities died out. We were covering up to 10 events a year, between Bristol and Swindon and even held our own open days on the River Avon, to introduce youngsters to open water in a safe and friendly manner. Unfortunately due to cost and lack of qualified boat crew, this part of the club ceased and we are now just pool-based for training.
Major changes from the RLSS have been the introduction of the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) and the replacement of the traditional awards, Bronze Medallion, Award of Merit and Distinction for the Survive and Save programme.
The upheaval has had one advantage, but it has taken a lot of management. The NPLQ has become a popular qualification in order to gain employment, and we have been successful in putting people in work.
We enjoy ourselves socially and try to make our lessons as fun as possible so everybody stays interested. It is our ability to face these challenges along with a great team spirit which helps our Club flourish.
In 2017 the club re-branded their logo and clothing to a more modern look. This is the old logo:
