Prestigious honour for local club

Smiths Beach Surf Life Saving Club has been recognised for its efforts in fulfilling the “four pillars” of surf lifesaving, with president Keith Warrick awarded a president’s medal of excellence at this year’s Surf Life Saving WA Awards of Excellence on June 9.

The prestigious accolade recognises behind-the-scenes members for their commitment to the ongoing development of surf lifesaving in Western Australia.

Mr Warrick said while the award came as a surprise, it was a reflection of the whole club and its members’ commitment to the region’s beaches. During the 2017-18 season, Smiths Beach SLSC spent in excess of 332 hours patrolling beaches compared to just six hours during the 2016-17 season.

Mr Warrick said the club was collaborating with other South West clubs, including those in Busselton and Margaret River, which he hoped would help drive a culture of surf sports within the region, as well as further improvements in education, member development and life-saving.

He said the club would use the “off season” to train and develop volunteers in delivering stronger and more focused programs when the season kicked off again in early November.