2019-20 Bermagui SLSC Annual Report

Annual Report 2019-20 | Bermagui Surf Life Saving Club
Same Wave
It was an incredibly successful year for Bermagui Surf Lifesaving Club’s all-abilities inclusion
program ‘Same Wave'. Despite the huge impact of fires and COVID-19, we were able to meet two of
the three goals presented to committee in November 2019.
First, we developed our water-based activities with the introduction of stand-up paddle boarding.
This activity had special significance with ASD kids who can find the sensory overload of water
immersion and waves overwhelming. And of course it was awesome fun.
Second was the encouragement of our junior memberships’
involvement in the program. As the season progressed in 2018-19,
we realised the incredible impact of having our junior members as
peer supporters for the program participants. Our goal was for
participants and junior surf lifesavers to feel like they are having a
fun day at the beach with great friends of a similar age. Adult
supervisors stay close, but not too close, as the structured and
supervised program evolved into fun beach and water activities with
able bodied mates of a similar age. Given the safe nature of our
beach, water-based activities continued to dominate as we adapted
to meet the needs of our participants.
Our challenge for this year is to improve accessibility for the
physically affected people who seek a beach/ocean experience.
The Bermagui all abilities community has been raising money for a
portable electric leg hoist to assist with the transfer of physically
impaired people from their vehicle into our beach/water access
wheelchair. Our members then assist carers in offering a safe and
enjoyable ocean swim experience.
A massive thank you to all of our volunteers. It is always a highly
rewarding experience and Same Wave 2021 promises to be
another fantastic opportunity to share our beach environment,
meeting the needs of our community in ever changing times.
Pomona, Tasman, Carlin and Euan
Same Wave Coordinators
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