COMMUNITY UPDATE JUNE 2021.
I am pleased to announce an important milestone in the project to re-establish an independent, community-based Surf Lifesaving Club at Peregian Beach (PBSLSC) with the appointment of John Roderick as the inaugural President of the new Club, once incorporated.
John is a highly experienced surf lifesaver from the local area, having spent 4 years as President of Coolum Beach SLSC. He is also a former Director of the Coolum Surf Lifesaving Supporters Club as well as a Chief Training Officer at the Coolum Club and has extensive experience on many Club and Branch
Committees.
John remains an active member of Coolum, is a Patrol Captain and a highly respected Trainer/Assessor in the Sunshine Coast Branch. John is a solicitor by trade and has also enjoyed a wide-ranging business career.
He also has a strong background in managing sporting/community organisations through a period of transition, having overseen the integration of the Teachers Norths and Redcliffe Rugby Union Clubs in the 1990' s. John has a passion for the ideals of surf lifesaving and sees a great opportunity to help the Peregian Beach community to build a Club of which it can be proud, based on clear and simple governance processes.
Importantly, this is intended to be a short-term appointment for a maximum term of two years to oversee the establishment of the governance processes and management structures at the new Club. Assuming the Club is off and running at the end of this period and is financially sustainable, then the normal election processes within the Club will be initiated.
While John's appointment is a fillip for the new Club, we are also keen to congratulate Leigh Mccready who has led the revival of surf lifesaving at Peregian Beach for the past three plus years, working within the Noosa Heads SLSC. During this time, the new Peregian Nippers program has grown from zero to 160 participants, an additional 30 new volunteer patrolling members have joined Peregian patrols and a Working Group of local Peregian surf lifesavers has be.en formed to drive the growth of the new Club .
As we move towards formal incorporation of the new Peregian Beach entities (see below), it is fundamentally important that the movement (and its Clubs) stays true to its apolitical ideals. We are a community service provider and the beneficiary of government funding. Leigh has recently taken on a formal appointment with a political party that makes her appointment to a formal leadership role untenable at this time.
Following a short handover period to John, Leigh will take a well -deserved break from lifesaving over the off-season, while continuing in her role in providing a linkage between the Noosa Heads and Peregian Beach Clubs and, hopefully, taking an active role in the fundraising side of the new Club through the new Supporters Club entity.
The Advisory Board would like to thank Leigh for the outstanding job she has done in getting Peregian Beach surf lifesaving to this point. The appointment of John Roderick will add further impetus to the project as we enter the critical final year of support from the Noosa Heads SLSC.
I would strongly encourage local community-members to not engage in unhealthy and unproductive social media commentary in regard these changes.
The Advisory Board will continue to issue regular updates to the community.
The Current Plan
The plan, which has the support of Surf Lifesaving Sunshine Coast (SLSSC), Surf Lifesaving Queensland (SLSQ), Noosa Council (Council) and the Noosa Heads Surf Lifesaving Club (NHSLSC), is expected to see the formal establishment of two new Peregian Beach-based legal entities prior to the start of the 2021/22 surf lifesaving season in September 2021.
These entities are: Peregian Beach SLSC (a DGR-designated charity that will eventually oversee all lifesaving activities, including volunteer patrols, Nippers and training); and the Peregian Beach Surf Lifesaving Supporters Club (a commercial entity specifically established to raise funds to support the PBSLSC).
It is important to note that the key stakeholders will continue to monitor committed patrolling member numbers and capability which will berequired to meet the minimum patrol standards expected of a SLSC. Much progress has been made in this regard, however, there is much more to do.
We urgently need community support in the form of further volunteers to join the fledgling Club, undertake a Bronze Medallion and give time as a surf lifesaver at your local beach. To this end, NHSLSC has agreed to conduct an additional Bronze Medallion course at Peregian Beach in the coming months. Subject to numbers and ocean conditions, details are:
• Start Date: Saturday 7 August 2021
• Assessment Date: 5aturday 11 September 2021
• Venue: Peregian Beach and Clubhouse
• Training Times: Saturdays 7.00am to 1.00pm and Tuesdays
6.00pm to 9.00pm
Register at: https://www.noosasurfclub.com.au/register-for-courses/
It is also important to note that while NHSLSC will continue to support and underpin surf lifesaving services at Peregian Beach for 2021/22 (as the signatory of the Patrol Services Agreement (PSA): a tripartite agreement with Council and SLSSC/SLSQ), it is absolutely essential that the new PBSLSC uses this one-year, crossover season to build its patrol capability, ready to take on the responsibility for the PSA in full and independently from 2022/23.
It is fair to say that the primary and over-riding objective for all involved in the project is to build lifesaving patrol numbers and capability at Pereglan Beach, now and ongoing.
In support of the patrol capability objective, much attention has been directed to securing the financial sustainability of the new Club. It is clear from the current financial projections that the new Club will require an increase in its revenue base in order to survive, particularly in the early years.
To this end, the Advisory Board is currently preparing an integrated proposal to be put to Noosa Council to obtain support and assistance on various options, including : growing the Peregian Markets revenue; introducing a new commercial kiosk into the building; and commercial options for the upstairs level. These initiatives are outlined in further detail in the Advisory Board Minutes which are available at https://slsgsu nshinecoast.com.au/about-us /
Social Activities
The new Club is planning a rejuvenation of the social aspect of Surf Club life with Club Nights and other Social gatherings over the coming months/ years. We strongly encourage local community members to support these events as the task of building a new Club in such a short timeframe is large and ambitious.
How you can help to make the PBSLSC a success now :
a) become a volunteer surf life saver
b) become a volunteer radio operator or other supporting Award holder (which doesn't involve the full physical requirement of a bronze medallion)
c) help with the Nipper program, including volunteering for the BBQ roster
d) help with fundraising
e) support social events
Best contact details for any of these opportunities (including registering for the upcoming Bronze course are via the Facebook page (Peregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club) or via email on hello@peregiansurfclub.com. Contact can also be made direct to NHSLSC on 5448 0900 and in the future:
a) become a "Community Member" of the Supporters Club
b) if you have a specialist skillset or background (eg fundraising, hospitality, sponsorship or club operations), consider nominating for the Community-based Director positions on the Supporters Club Board when these are called.