Founded in 1933
Portsmouth and Southsea Voluntary Lifeguards is a beach lifeguard club based on Southsea seafront in Portsmouth, Hampshire.
We are proud to be the oldest Lifeguard Club in the UK and are independent of the RNLI.
Southsea is a popular beach, stretching from Old Portsmouth to Eastney.
The beach is mostly shingle and slopes quite rapidly into the sea.
It’s lined by a seafront promenade and has two piers, a lake, D-Day Museum, Southsea castle, Blue Reef Aquarium, amusements, funfair and much more. See here for more.
Funded by your donations
We rely on public donations and grant funding in order for the club to stay open and provide our rescue service along Southsea Seafront and the Solent.
Like many other lifeguard clubs and lifeboat stations around the UK, we are independent of the RNLI and receive no funding from them.
Providing safety cover on Southsea Seafront and the Solent
We not only provide a weekend lifeguard service for Southsea Seafront,
but also an inshore rescue boat and rescue water craft for the rest of the Solent.
Covering various events in the area.
A special thanks to some of our supporters, that is all the wonderful businesses and public bodies that have helped support our club. Without their generous support, our vital work would not be possible. Please take a moment to view them all, we endorse their services.
Our Mission
Our main goal is to save lives at sea
The organisation operates 1 lifeboat, 2 rescue water craft (RWC), 2 Portsea rescue vehicles and 1 rescue quad bike (ATV).
The service is not part of the RNLI, however we work in collaboration with multi agencies.
Our operations are entirely funded by the local community via a mix of donations, local business sponsorship and community grants.
Our regular operations often involve helping casualty vessels in need, performing emergency medical aid, searches for people or animals in distress and providing safety observation from water and land.
Our crew volunteers and lifeguards generously give their time to promote beach/water safety and save lives at sea in the most hazardous of sea conditions and on land.
We are committed to creating a safe working environment that embraces respect, diversity and equality for all its volunteers.
WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN US?
Saves lives, learn new skills and build confidence!
Search and rescue teams have been around since the dawn of human existence.
The need to find and save lives is a primal, deeply-set drive within all of us.
Find out the difference it makes in your life to be a helper in your community as a member of a dedicated search and rescue organisation.
When it comes to the development of our skills and fitness, people typically rely on self-imposed challenges to stay motivated.
Yet many people frequently find that they will still yearn not only to possess such capacities for personal pleasure, but to test and utilise them in the real world.
When we know that our mental and physical skills might be put to real use, we’re more driven to keep them sharp.
If you’re selected as a lifeguard volunteer, you’ll be given training and it may include:
- Search and rescue skills
- RLSS lifesaving techniques
- Casualty and stretcher handling
- Driver trailer driving
- In-house rescue boat crewing and helming skills
- Navigation, GPS and VHF radio communications
- RYA powerboat level 2 and advanced powerboat (external)
Did you know that you can now support us by purchasing our lifeguard souvenirs using our online store
