Latest news with #Nippers
BBC News
12-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Why nippers clubs in Devon and Cornwall are booming after lockdown
Flat as a pancake and with a long shoreline, Carlyon Bay on Cornwall's south coast seems well suited for a meandering walk or building sandcastles. However, thousands are expected to converge on the beach this weekend for the Cornish Nipper Championships, marking a huge feat for Carlyon Bay Surf Life Saving Club, which was only set up two years ago and still operates out of a shipping captain Harry Edwards said interest in joining the club had "really exploded" since its Life Saving GB said the growth of the club was a "huge achievement" and reflected a trend across Devon and Cornwall where there were now waiting lists to join nippers in all its clubs. Nippers is a junior activities programme run by surf lifesaving clubs for children aged five to aims to teach water safety skills but also improve children's physical fitness through activities such as beach flags, sprints, surf swims and board with the Cornish Nipper Championships, more than 300 children will also be competing in the Devon Nipper Championships at Saunton Sands this weekend. Mr Edwards said he and a few others decided to set up the club to address "a dearth" of them on the south coast."We might not have the big surf at places like Woolacombe and Fistral, but the sea is still ultimately dangerous and surf lifesaving is a worthwhile sport - it's something that was missing in the area," he said."Fast forward a couple of years we have just shy of 100 members now. "It's really exploded and we also have a waiting list nearly constantly." 'Getting children off screens' Surf Life Saving GB said its membership across the country had grown from 8,820 to 10,389 since 2022, an 18% increase is primarily being driven by nippers, particularly in Devon and Cornwall, said chief executive Anna Smee."We're seeing lots more children and young people want to get involved along with their families right across Devon and Cornwall," she said."I think after Covid people got really interested in spending time on the beach and in nature - they see the positive physical and mental health benefits. "It's getting children off screens, out of the house, down on the beach and out with their friends. "This means we're raising a generation of children who understand how to stay safe in the water." Ms Smee said the organisation was appealing for more volunteers to help support its growth."The simple reason why there are waiting lists is we just need more volunteers," she said."So we would love to be able to welcome all of the children and young people into our clubs [but] we need more adults who are prepared to come and be on the beaches with them."There isn't yet good enough knowledge [of the sea]. We're really keen to expand training to as many people as possible and make sure people know how to keep themselves safe." The Australian way Mr Edwards said interest in the ocean was "expanding on all fronts", particularly after Covid, making water awareness a vital skill."You used to have to pay £1,200 for a paddleboard but now you can go and get them from Tesco, rightly or wrongly, for much, much cheaper," he said."More and more people are seeing the opportunity to get out on the coast and see the beautiful environment we've got."People are starting to appreciate it in volumes... that means there's more people getting into trouble but that spurs on people like us to educate people."Surf lifesaving is massive in Australia - prime time newsworthy, and we're following that closely."
News.com.au
28-06-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Mum's ‘pimple' led to terrifying ordeal
A mum has revealed how what she thought was an innocent pimple led to her getting a chunk of her ear cut out. Rebecca Cook, 46, had always been vigilant about sun safety — particularly as a mum to two children. 'I've got two kids who are in Nippers, so we were always wearing hats, sunscreen and long sleeve shirts. I've been pretty regular with my skin checks,' she said. But two years ago she discovered what she thought was a small, white pimple when she was pulling her hair back. She asked a friend to have a look. Her friend was suspicious and so she went to the GP. Immediately, her doctor realised it was a basal cell carcinoma (BCC), which is a type of melanoma. Ms Cook was sent to a plastic surgeon, and it was surgically removed. Doctors used a skin graft, taken from behind her ear, to repair the chunk that was pulled out. It was described as a 'very nasty' form of BCC. It took a month to recover. 'I was freaking out because there was a chunk out of my ear, so I rang the surgeon freaking out,' she said. But it healed and barely left a scar. 'When I went back for the results, it turned out it wasn't an ordinary BCC but an infiltrative BCC,' she said. This meant every three months she needed to get checked because the possibility of needing radiotherapy was very real. This lasted for a year. Last week, she got the official all clear. A spot had appeared on her nose, but a biopsy labelled it all clear. 'I'm so vigilant now, I carry sunscreen in my car,' she said, pointing out the ear she'd found the cancer in was on her driver's side window. 'It got to the point where I was wondering if I should wear a hat in the car. I was so paranoid.' Australia is the number one country in the world for skin cancer — and Ms Cook is sharing her story as she believes sometimes Aussies can be a bit blasé about it. Around 2000 Australians die from skin cancer every year. She is advocating for everyone to be more vigilant about sun safety and skin checks — even in the midst of winter. She also called for more bulk billing skin check clinics to be available. Doctor Ludi Ge, a dermatologist at Moshy, said that all-year round skin protection is important. 'In winter UV levels can reach 3 or higher, which is sufficient to cause skin damage and photo ageing, while the cumulative effect of daily exposure, even in cooler months, increases the risk of skin cancer,' said Dr Ge. 'People often associate sunburn with heat, but UV rays penetrate clouds and can harm the skin regardless of temperature, even when driving in the car.' 'Skin cancers can appear in different forms including lesions like a mole or scab that won't heal, bleeding on light contact, changes in size and colour and flat moles that become raised or develop an irregular edge.'
Sydney Morning Herald
21-06-2025
- Climate
- Sydney Morning Herald
The pipe that could clean up ‘Poogee' for good
A tunnel located deep under Sydney's eastern suburbs has been touted as a solution to Coogee Beach's long-running stormwater woes, following years of complaints about pollution at the popular coastal strip. In a major win for a community campaign to stop polluted stormwater flushing onto the beach after major rain events, the NSW government has revealed $7 million will be spent on a plan to divert stormwater to a new outlet, located north of the beach. The pre-budget commitment follows decades of calls from residents for an overhaul of the century-old stormwater infrastructure, which discharges water via a main at the northern end of the beach. Coogee Surf Life Saving Club governor Tony Waller said the beach can become so polluted that the usually pristine water is turned into a contaminated slurry. 'I've been a surf lifesaver for 50 years and during that entire time when it rains the bay fills up with stormwater with petrochemicals, faeces, pollutants and anything that's in gutters washes into the beach,' he said. 'We have gross pollutant traps but that doesn't stop all the pollution getting into the bay, and it's a big frustration for the community.' Waller said the beach was often closed for at least 24 hours after major rain, meaning locals cannot swim and Nippers and other events are cancelled. 'Most swimmers stay away, but there are always some people who decide to go into the water either out of stupidity or just naivety and if we have to go into water for a rescue we have to worry about getting sick with stomach upsets,' he added.
The Age
21-06-2025
- Climate
- The Age
The pipe that could clean up ‘Poogee' for good
A tunnel located deep under Sydney's eastern suburbs has been touted as a solution to Coogee Beach's long-running stormwater woes, following years of complaints about pollution at the popular coastal strip. In a major win for a community campaign to stop polluted stormwater flushing onto the beach after major rain events, the NSW government has revealed $7 million will be spent on a plan to divert stormwater to a new outlet, located north of the beach. The pre-budget commitment follows decades of calls from residents for an overhaul of the century-old stormwater infrastructure, which discharges water via a main at the northern end of the beach. Coogee Surf Life Saving Club governor Tony Waller said the beach can become so polluted that the usually pristine water is turned into a contaminated slurry. 'I've been a surf lifesaver for 50 years and during that entire time when it rains the bay fills up with stormwater with petrochemicals, faeces, pollutants and anything that's in gutters washes into the beach,' he said. 'We have gross pollutant traps but that doesn't stop all the pollution getting into the bay, and it's a big frustration for the community.' Waller said the beach was often closed for at least 24 hours after major rain, meaning locals cannot swim and Nippers and other events are cancelled. 'Most swimmers stay away, but there are always some people who decide to go into the water either out of stupidity or just naivety and if we have to go into water for a rescue we have to worry about getting sick with stomach upsets,' he added.
Perth Now
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Young Nipper makes history for North Cott SLSC
A 13-year-old champion surf lifesaver from North Cottesloe is making waves across the country after taking home multiple medals from this year's Australian championships — something his coach said is 'unheard of'. Edward Wallis made a big splash at his first 'Aussies' in Queensland earlier this year, where he claimed two individual silver medals in sprints and flags events, was part of North Cott's triumphant U13 beach relay team and landed a bronze as part of his club's U13 mixed beach relay team. He backed up all that success on the Queensland sand by being named Nipper of the Year at Surf Life Saving WA's annual awards last month. Your local paper, whenever you want it. His coach for the past four summers, Renee Gibbs, said Edward's national achievements in his final year as a nippers competitor were a huge moment for the club. 'The Aussies are a lot more competitive than the State comp ... there's something like 5000 competitors in the Australian titles every year over in Queensland,' Mrs Gibbs said. Edward Wallis made a big splash at his first 'Aussies' in Queensland earlier this year. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper / Perth Now 'Edward got four medals at Aussies, which is unheard of really. It's an unbelievable result. 'And the team also won gold in the rally, which was one of the very first gold we've had, so it was a really amazing moment.' Edward praised his teammates for their success in the challenging conditions that Queensland threw up, which included event delays. 'It was in pretty difficult weather conditions and there were a lot of strong competitors from other States,' Edward said. 'WA has some strong runners and our North Cott relay team got gold, which was really fun to race in.' Edward is just five years into surf lifesaving, having first joined the North Cott SLSC after his parents thought it would be a good idea to build some water sense. I love competing. I do get nervous, but it is heaps of fun racing so I always look forward to the carnivals 'Nippers is such a great way for them to gain more experience in the water and have fun at the same time,' Edwards' father Jayden Wallis said. 'It's been an enjoyable outlet for Ed and he is keen to keep pursuing the sport into the senior ranks.' Next summer Edward moves up from Nippers to the cadet program at North Cottesloe, where he will look to attain his surf rescue certificate and compete in more carnivals. 'I love competing. I do get nervous, but it is heaps of fun racing so I always look forward to the carnivals,' he said. 'I'm really looking forward to being able to do patrols, train and compete again next year.' Mrs Gibbs and her husband have coached North Cottesloe nippers for several years to help youngsters with their beach safety and to foster WA's surf life saving community. 'Joining a surf club is all about being part of a team ... it's really nurturing, really supportive and just a fun kind of environment,' she said. 'And that's something Edward really understands ... I think he loves that it's not all about him, you know, it's actually about the club and the team.'
