Southbourne Surf Life Saving Group: Volunteerism at Work

We have various volunteer organizations involved in many vital services all over the world, from firefighting to medical missions to soup kitchens to rescue operations and many more. The heart of volunteerism is kept alive by caring individuals and groups engaged in providing communities assistance in informal education, livelihood development, social integration and emergency services. We need as much help and support from all sectors of the society to address issues and needs which the government cannot fulfill by its own.

The call of volunteerism appears in many shapes. It could take the form of a dire occurrence such as an earthquake, a super hurricane or even the tragic case of a friend who drowned. The desire to reach out to people we care for or even to total strangers can be a small fire that grows in intensity as circumstances work toward realizing a personal mission to make one’s world a better and a safer place to live in.

Oftentimes, however, volunteerism can best be nurtured by people who have associated themselves as a niche-group to meet certain needs and to work for a particular mission, such as drug rehabilitation, animal rescue or lifesaving. And as the latter connotes, the heart that truly values life can find ways to express that love and concern for others through volunteer work in one’s community.   

Founded in 1986, Southbourne Group Surf Life Saving Club started as a small group of volunteers and has now grown into a well-staffed group, particularly in its Young Life Savers section. This fact highlights the great interest of the youth to get involved in the club’s work for the Southbourne community.

Many of us may think that such a task as lifesaving is relegated only to individuals who have trained and built a career in that particular field as a profession or livelihood. But Southbourne Surf Life Saving Club is a unique group in that it is made up of volunteers whose passion for helping others is founded on creating a healthier and safer community. Members of the club give of their time and effort liberally to learn lifesaving skills and compete in Life Saving Sport events, hoping to apply such skills in any emergency situation. Preparedness is the key in this volunteer work. We can appreciate the fact that club members have the envious task of spending an enjoyable time while training and preparing for their real mission as a group.

Southbourne Surf Life Saving Club is a member of Surf Life Saving GB which serves as an awarding body for the highest standard of Beach Lifeguard Qualification in the country as well as the National Governing Body for Life Saving as a competitive Sport. All in all, there are over 80 Surf Life Saving Clubs and 5,000 individuals who are affiliated to SLSGB and the number grows continuously each year.

What can we say? The heart of volunteerism is so well and so alive!