CRACKINGTON Surf Life Saving Club is delighted to have been chosen to benefit from the Co-op Local Community Fund in 2020.

At a time when funds for community groups and charitable organisations are becoming more difficult to access, the club is ‘incredibly grateful’ for this opportunity to make a real difference in Crackington.

The club is raising funds for essential club equipment, maintenance and development and more specifically they are aiming to establish a community volunteer lifeguard patrol to help ensure the safety of all beach users through the year, within the Surf Life Saving GB framework.

Community volunteer lifeguard patrols are structured in such a way that a patrol captain engages volunteers at all levels of experience, ages and abilities throughout the community working together to monitor beach activity and help in any beach incidents or injuries. The patrols are specifically intended to bridge the gaps within the year where beaches are not otherwise patrolled by lifeguards.

Crackington Surf Life Saving Club helps to make the local beaches safer and more enjoyable places for everyone. The club’s members and volunteers have been providing beach lifeguard training for all ages for more than 60 years. August 19, 2019, saw the club celebrate their 60th anniversary.

The club trains members aged seven years and upward in search and rescue, beach education, lifesaving and fitness skills, helping create fitter and safer communities by the sea. Many of the younger Nipper members continue through Juniors to become fully qualified lifeguards on Crackington’s own beach, other local beaches and further afield. The majority of Cornish beach rescues are carried out by surf lifesaving qualified lifeguards.

A spokesperson from Crackington Surf Life Saving Club said: “To help us raise vital funds, we’ll be relying on Co-op members. When a member buys selected products or services from the Co-op they earn a 5% reward for themselves, with a further 1% for local causes like ours.

“The Co-op is looking to support organisations that make a difference in their local communities by protecting and improving community spaces, helping people reach their full potential by developing their skills, or promoting health and wellbeing.

“Co-op members can choose a cause by going online, www.coop.co.uk/membership. We really hope that people will visit the website and choose to support us. If you’re not a member and would like to support us, you can join at your local store or online at www.coop.co.uk.

“When a community comes together we’re able to achieve great things!”