Community trainers (l-r) Leanne Coverly-Brandis, Don Smailes, Tanja Luck, Rebecca Ross and Sue Howard
Community trainers recognised at breakfast event in South Perth
As a not-for-profit community organization Royal Life Saving Society WA relies on a network of hundreds of community trainers across the WA community, to educate people on drowning prevention and the importance of first aid a CPR training. Recently we were able to thank a number of these community trainers during a special breakfast event at the beautiful riverside location of The Boat Shed in South Perth.
The focus of the event was to not only thank these trainers for the vital work they do, but to also highlight the key reasons why this work is so important. Research shows that toddlers under the age of five are at the greatest risk of drowning, Royal Life Saving is committed to working towards eliminating toddler drowning within the WA community.
Royal Life Saving Senior Manager Health Promotion and Research, Lauren Nimmo, says “Every year, on average 5 toddlers will fatally drown, in addition, around 50 toddlers will be hospitalised following a non-fatal drowning incident with 5-10% acquiring serious brain injury resulting in long term disability and health outcomes. A further 50 toddlers will present to the emergency department each year following a drowning incident. This means that each year 105 families are affected by toddler drowning in our community – that’s 2 per week!”
Our Keep Watch toddler drowning prevention program teaches parents and carers 4 key messages to reduce the incidence of drowning, including parental supervision, preventing access to water, teaching water familiarization skills, and ensuring parents and carers learn CPR skills to be able to respond in an emergency.
Cameron Eglington, Board Member on the Royal Life Saving Society National Board and Trainer for Royal Life Saving Society WA, spoke at the breakfast event, sharing about his experience as a trainer and the importance of work that Trainers are doing in the community.
Royal Life Saving’s network of community trainers plays a big part in sharing and implementing the Keep Watch messages, teaching swim instructors to educate children on swimming and water safety, running first aid courses, and teaching Heart Beat Clubs to provide parents with vital CPR and emergency response skills.
The community trainers recognized at the recent breakfast event include:
Rebecca Ross
Rebecca has been a trainer with Royal Life Saving Society WA for since the beginning of 2016. Bec delivers the Heart Beat Club Courses for us and has delivered 30 of these important first aid Courses to parents across WA. Rebecca received the WA Certificate of Thanks for her important work
Sue Howard
Sue has been a Trainer with Royal Life Saving WA since 2013, and has contributed significantly to delivering courses to a wide range of people in the community. She has trained an outstanding 279 people in first aid and CPR this year alone. Sue also received the WA Certificate of Thanks for her work.
Tanja Luck
Tanja first achieved her Aquatic Trainer qualification over 10 years ago, and in 2012 obtained Frist Aid Trainer Qualification to lead further training for Royal Life Saving Society WA. Tanja works at the Aqua Wellbeing Centre, performing hydrotherapy, as well as the Women’s Health and Family Services Centre delivering First Aid and CPR Courses. She received the WA Long Service Order for over 10 years work with us.
Leanne Coverly-Brandis
Leanne first came to Royal Life Saving Society WA in 2002 when she obtained her Aquatic Trainer Qualification. She was recognized for 15 years outstanding service as a Royal Life Saving aquatic trainer, First Aid Trainer and Pool Lifeguard Trainer. This year alone Leanne has delivered over 25 courses! She travelled down from Geraldton for the awards event, and received the WA Meritorious Service Order.
Donald Smailes
Donald has been a Community Trainer since 2002, and contributed significantly to the delivering courses to a wide range of people in the community. Donald has been delivering Aquatic courses for Royal Life Saving Society WA and today was awarded with the WA Meritorious Service Order, in recognition of the outstanding support given to Royal Life Saving WA for over 15 years. Donald recently announced he has decided to “hang up his togs”, and is retiring from his work as a community trainer. We wish him all the best in the future!
Our core belief at Royal Life Saving is that everyone can and should be a lifesaver, and our amazing team of community trainers works extremely hard to ensure this can become a reality.
