At a reception at St Jamesâ„¢s Palace on 28th November HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and Lord Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, congratulated Britainâ„¢s lifesaving m
At a reception at St James’s Palace on 28th November HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and Lord Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, congratulated Britain’s lifesaving movement and its supporters on winning the bid to host Rescue 2010 ” the World Lifesaving Championships to be held in Cornwall in three years time.
The reception was hosted by Surf Lifesaving Great Britain, the association of volunteer lifesaving clubs that submitted Britain’s bid for the Games in partnership with the RNLI. The two organisations have formed a strategic alliance to develop volunteer lifeguarding on the beaches of Britain as part of the campaign to establish stronger clubs and safer beaches. The Championships will make a major contribution to raising awareness and the profile of lifeguarding which does not yet have the recognition in Britain that it has in Australia and other countries.
His Royal Highness formally accepted the role of Patron of Rescue 2010 and stressed the need to strengthen beach lifeguarding and prevention measures. His Royal Highness has been Patron of Surf Lifesaving Great Britain since its foundation in 1955 and also of Surf Lifesaving Australia.
The World Lifesaving Championships are held every two years and attract over 6,000 competitors from more than 55 countries ” bigger team numbers than the Commonwealth Games. Yet they are little known in Britain.
Jonathan Ball, President of Surf Lifesaving Great Britain, Chairman of Rescue 2010 and co-founder of the Eden Project, described the Championships as “sport with a purpose which distinguishes them from other world sporting events. They are more than a test of physical and mental strength, skills and determination which all successful athletes need but also a recognition and demonstration of the courage and selflessness of the men and women who risk their lives at any time to save others. Mr Ball said that it is a unique opportunity for charitable and commercial organisations – international, national and regional – to contribute through funding and sponsorship to an ethical mission.
Lord Coe, who has supported the bid from its inception, applauded the success as another example of the UK’s ability to win major events like the recently announced 2014 Commonwealth Games following the success of the Olympic bid in Singapore. The timing of the World Lifesaving Championships will be a valuable part of the build up to London 2012 and will leave similar legacies within communities ” the encouragement of sport, a healthy life style and volunteering – and a more humanitarian and selfless society.