First all-female beach lifeguard training camp

Dozens of women are taking part in the the RNLI's first all-female lifeguard training camp.

The camp in Newquay, Cornwall, comes as women make up 31% of RNLI lifeguards, a figure the charity is hoping to grow.

Millie Coates from Bude is one of those spending the week learning new rescue skills and honing existing ones. Others have travelled hundreds of miles to take part.

For Coates, one of the biggest benefits has been meeting women who understand the job and the challenges that can come with it.

"It's been insane to meet some girls from all over the UK involved in lifeguarding," she said.

She explained there were only three female lifeguards across the seven beaches covered by her team in north Cornwall, but said those women were "incredible" and did "an amazing job".

She added: "We would love to get more girls for our area."

The training camp has also given participants access to specialist equipment and qualifications that are not always available in their home areas.

"It's so good that we're able to come to a beach like this which has so many craft opportunities, so we can move up our qualifications," Coates said.

For Leigh Anderson-Sheard, believed to be the RNLI's longest-serving female lifeguard after starting in Cornwall in 2004, the changes over the past two decades have been striking.

Anderson-Sheard explained that there had only been a handful of female lifeguards when she started in Polzeath, but said growing numbers meant young women could now see role models on the beach.

"Now we're up to about 31% of the lifeguard service being females, which is amazing," she said.

"And obviously that's going to hopefully progress over the years as the service grows.

"I think you very much have to see it to be it. So I think now with more girls you get across all the different areas, young girls going to the beach can actually see female lifeguards and they know that there is a career opportunity for them."

And for anyone wondering whether the early starts, tough conditions and long days are worth it, Anderson-Sheard's verdict was simple: "I absolutely love it, it's the best job in the world."

That progress is already being felt by 21-year-old Amber Matthews, from East Sussex, who is now a lifeguard supervisor after joining the service five years ago.

She said: "I'm very lucky in my area where 40% of lifeguards are women.

"Our supervisor team, so myself and two others, we are all women.

"Unfortunately especially down west it is a lot more male-dominated.

"These weeks are really important so we can all get together, brainstorm, build off each other's experience and hopefully increase recruitment for women."

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