Blyth Lifeguard & Swimming Club

The Mission Statement of BLSC

Our Mission Aims are

• To encourage swimmers to develop a wide range of aquatic skills.
• Emphasis the importance of water confidence and safety at an early age.
• Encourage the development of performance swimming techniques through repetition, revision and consolidation
• To identify the correct standard of water skills and performance.
• To provide ongoing assessment with clearly defined outcomes.

The History of BLSC

Originally founded in 1932 as the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Swimming Club, it was dedicated to promoting swimming as a sport and life saving skills.

Mattie Atkinson was a founder member of the club but when the LNER decided to fold it. Mattie, already involved in training people in lifesaving through the Royal Life-Saving Society, took it over and renamed it Blyth Lifeguard Club.

The original headquarters of the club was a wooden beach hut positioned on the end of the short stone pier, near to the harbour mouth, and adjacent to the beach. During the winter months before Blyth’s own pool was built, club members used to attend for training sessions at swimming pools such as. Ashington, Montague, Northumberland Road and Fenham.

In 1962 the club entered into an agreement with the then Blyth Council to use the First World War sea defence look-out tower sited almost opposite to the Links Cemetery as a lifeguard Headquarters, and, as payment in kind, gave a voluntary service to the community in the form of a watching lifeguard brief. In those days club members were involved with the work of the Royal Naval Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).

Between 1962 and 1967 the lifeguard duties increased to include beach patrols from Easter to September. In 1967 the club was asked to offer a service in teaching the public to swim. As a consequence, the club changed its name to Blyth Lifeguard & Swimming Club.

In 1968 Tony Haggerty, who was a lifeguard at the pool and also the club social officer, was keen to further promote swimming. He gained his Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) swimming teaching qualification. With the assistance of Maureen Harrison they introduced a competitive section to the club. The club has grown from a social meeting club to one of the largest voluntary club’s in the North East of England dedicated to teaching and coaching aquatic skills.