BayTrust will provide multi-year funding for Surf Lifesaving NZ's Eastern Region which will see $360,000 distributed between local surf clubs over the next three years – helping to keep the doors open and volunteer lifeguards on patrol.

It is the first time BayTrust has approved a multi-year grant for the organisation and the ongoing stability it provides is a godsend according to Avan Polo, Regional Manager for Eastern Region, Surf Lifesaving NZ.

'It will enable the doors to stay open fundamentally,” he explains.

'To have a multi-year grant is fantastic because clubs can plan their activities with more surety and confidence. They're now not thinking ‘what if' or ‘maybe'. It's a significant contribution. I've had phone conversations with the respective club chairpersons and they're simply ecstatic.”

The funding amounts to $120,000 each year from now until 2023. It will cover operational costs such as power, rates and building maintenance, and fill whatever other ‘holes' exist in each club's budget to run their volunteer lifeguard service and Junior Surf programme for children.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Tauranga City Council help fund the Monday to Friday paid lifeguard service that runs in the Bay of Plenty over the summer school holiday period.

But annual fundraising is still needed to fully fund the training, infrastructure and equipment for weekend services provided by volunteer lifeguards from Labour Weekend through until Easter, and the Junior Surf programme (7-14 year-olds) which is essential to provide the next generation of lifeguards.

This summer, Covid poses an extra layer of challenge for surf lifeguards to contend with. While it's not possible to enforce vaccine passports at the beach, safety protocol is being developed to keep club members safe and ensure surf events can still go ahead.

'The biggest thing is providing information and guidance for our clubs to be ready and capable. We have been working through how clubs will operate under the new traffic light system and how we can patrol safely,” Polo says.

Last season, Bay of Plenty volunteer lifeguards carried out 22,506 volunteer patrol hours, rescuing 15 people who may otherwise not have made it home that day and assisting another 86 people back to shore. A total of 4718 preventative actions were carried out to keep the public safe.

BayTrust CEO Alastair Rhodes says activities at the beach is a fundamental part of our region's lifestyle so ensuring we have trained and qualified lifeguards on patrol is a top priority.

'Promoting safe and active communities is one of BayTrust's key funding priorities and we're delighted to support Surf Lifesaving NZ over a three year period rather than just providing a one-off annual grant. This funding will allow clubs to plan their budgets with confidence, knowing they don't have to re-apply for several years to come.”

BayTrust's purpose is to provide charitable, cultural, philanthropic, recreational, and other benefits to Bay of Plenty communities through accelerating bold meaningful change, assisting local communities and the environment to flourish.