A swimming pool and leisure centre in the Tyne Valley hopes to appeal to new lifeguards thanks to a heavily subsidised training course being offered ahead of a busy summer of trade.

Haltwhistle Swimming & Leisure Centre are hoping to build a team of at least 14 lifeguards who will ensure people are kept safe while visiting the outdoor pools between April and September.

To ensure lifeguards are fully qualified before they take up a role, usually they have to complete a Royal Life Saving Society UK qualification costing approximately £350.

However thanks to a £2,500 grant from Newcastle Building Society, this cost will be heavily reduced for anyone completing the week long course, ensuring as many potential lifeguards are able to apply for the roles as a result. 

“Many of our former lifeguards have either had to find alternative work over the last year or are students who are either elsewhere or unavailable, so we’re looking to put a new team in place as quickly as we can,” said manager of the centre Maxine Wilson. 

“We need up to five lifeguards on duty at our busiest times of the year and having a fully qualified team of at least 14 people means we’ll always have enough lifeguards available to fulfil our responsibilities.”

The grant is part of the Building Society’s Community Fund that since 2016 has contributed over £2.1 million to organisations and charities around it’s society branch network.

The community fund has also helped more than an estimated 151,000 people so far and has previously worked with both the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and the Prince’s Trust.

“Haltwhistle Swimming & Leisure Centre is a real community asset and will have been greatly missed by the many hundreds of local people who usually use it every week,” added Hannah Samuel, manager at Newcastle Building Society’s Hexham branch.

The course will cover subjects, including first aid skills, water rescue, delivering CPR, health & safety regulations and also site-specific pool information. 

A job is guaranteed for the people who complete the course, with anyone wanting to apply needing to be at least 16 years old and also able to take a swimming competency test.