You should expect to encounter opportunities and barriers at different times and in different ways.
- Benefits
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Improved community awareness of aquatic safety through structured community education programs tailored to a community group’s age, economic and cultural background has many potential benefits for SLS, such as:
- Adding value to SLSCs and branches beyond the flags
- Creating a safer patrolling environment for our lifesavers and lifeguards
- Engaging local business to attract new and foster existing partners and sponsors
- Engaging local communities to attract new members
- Keeping safety messages relevant to your local community
- Offering opportunities for brand growth
- Providing engagement opportunities for existing members to develop new skills and gain employment
- Providing members of the public with the essential knowledge and skills they need to safely enjoy the beach and coastal environment.
- Challenges
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For SLSNSW, SLSCs or branches (as volunteer-based organisations), community education programs can be a challenging component of an to engage in and derive its many benefits. The most identified challenges include:
- Funding
- People
- Resources
- Support
- Time.
You should acknowledge both the benefits and challenges, and work with your SLSNSW branch and SLSNSW towards maximising potential and minimising any associated barriers. To address this, the Club Guide offers the following advice on developing and delivering community education.
- Identify community needs for community education.
- Develop capability through developing a team.
- Identify skills and engaging members for support.
- Engage and deliver different programs for the different community audiences in your local region.
- Review, report and build your presence in the community education space.