THE very best lifeguards from across NI and Great Britain came together at Templemore Baths on Thursday 18 June for the ninth annual Northern Ireland Top Team Lifeguard Championship.
Hosted by the charitable social enterprise GLL, which operates Better leisure centres across Belfast in partnership with Belfast City Council, the competition forms part of this year’s Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) Drowning Prevention Week campaign, which takes place from June 13th-20th.
The championship saw 16 teams of highly trained lifeguards compete in a series of realistic rescue, first aid and emergency response scenarios designed to test their skills, teamwork, knowledge and decision-making under pressure.
GLL hosted the Lifeguard Championships
Teams from across the Better Belfast partnership competed alongside visiting teams from GLL-operated facilities in Manchester, Cardiff, Gateshead and Newcastle, as well as representatives from local authority leisure centres across Northern Ireland.
Better Belfast teams represented Andersonstown, Lisnasharragh, Olympia, Templemore Baths, Falls, Brook and Whiterock, with Grove and Shankill leisure centres also having participants.
Other participating NI teams included:
Antrim Forum, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
Sixmile Leisure Centre, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council;
Valley Leisure Centre, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council;
Greenvale Leisure Centre, Mid Ulster District Council;
Blair Mayne Wellness Leisure Complex, Ards and North Down Borough Council.
The competition followed the successful format used at previous UK-wide events, with teams taking part in a range of pool-based rescue scenarios and an interactive online knowledge quiz. Independent assessors scored teams on their technical ability, communication, teamwork and adherence to lifesaving protocols.
Prizes were awarded to the top three teams: Lisnasharragh, Blair Mayne Wellness Leisure Complex, and Antrim Forum alongside individual Most Valuable Person awards, awarded to Connor Meagh, Whiterock Leisure Centre (Belfast MVP) and Jacquie Fagan, Manchester (External MVP).
Members of the first-placed Lisnasharragh team with the Lord Mayor and Gareth Kirk. (L-R): Séamus Carroll; John Jeffery; Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Róis-Máire Donnelly; Daniel Stafford; Gareth Kirk; and Ethan McAllister
Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly attended the event to present the prizes, while RLSS UK supported the championship through the provision of prizes and promotional materials.
This year’s event has a particular focus on promoting water safety and raising awareness during Drowning Prevention Week, which aims to reduce preventable drowning incidents and encourage everyone to follow the Water Safety Code.
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly, spoke about the event and believes that lifeguards are essential to our communities.
“I am incredibly honoured to support the Top Team Lifeguard Championship during Drowning Prevention Week.
“Our local lifeguards keep our communities safe every single day with their precision, quick thinking, and lifesaving abilities in the water.
“Seeing their world-class skills on display at historic venues like Templemore Baths reminds us how vital water safety education is for everyone in Belfast, and I want to thank all the competitors for their dedication to keeping our communities safe."
Gareth Kirk, Senior Regional Director, GLL, said: “The Top Team Lifeguard Championship is a fantastic opportunity to recognise the exceptional skills, professionalism and dedication of our lifeguards, who play a vital role in keeping our communities safe every day.
“This year’s event is particularly significant as it takes place during Drowning Prevention Week. While the competition celebrates excellence in lifeguarding, it also provides an important platform to highlight a simple but powerful message: drowning is preventable and everyone has a role to play in staying safe around water.
“We are delighted to welcome teams from across Northern Ireland and Great Britain to Templemore Baths and look forward to a day of friendly competition, learning and collaboration.
"Events like this help ensure our lifeguards continue to develop their lifesaving skills while promoting greater awareness of water safety among the wider public.”
