Surf Life Saving Great Britain was founded in 1955, inspired by the passion and determination of one man — Allan Kennedy.
An Australian by birth, Allan Kennedy is credited as the founding father of the Surf Lifesaving movement in Great Britain. His commitment to water safety and surf lifesaving ultimately led to the formation of Surf Life Saving Great Britain (SLSGB) in 1955.
This is the story of Surf Lifesaving Great Britain.
Allan Kennedy first volunteered as a lifesaver at Byron Bay Club in New South Wales before moving to Surfers’ Paradise in Queensland.
From 1941 to 1946, he held the position of State Superintendent for Queensland. During the Second World War, he instructed Australian and American troops recuperating on the Gold Coast in surf lifesaving techniques, awarding the prestigious Australian Bronze Medallion to those who passed.
In 1947, Kennedy spent time in Victoria and was instrumental in bringing the state’s lifesaving clubs into affiliation with the Australian Surf Lifesaving Association, helping to found the Victorian state centre.
In 1951, Kennedy’s job brought him to England. In May 1952, he travelled to Bude in Cornwall, having been told that the Atlantic surf would remind him of home.
Before leaving Australia, he had promised the President of the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia, Sir Adrian Curlewis, that he would continue to promote surf lifesaving wherever he could.
At that time in the UK, the only recognised qualification for beach lifesaving was awarded by the Royal Lifesaving Society and conducted in still water — not in surf conditions.
Kennedy believed that those responsible for beach safety should be better equipped to deal with emergencies in the surf.
Kennedy contacted the Australian Surf Life Saving Association to request equipment, a belt, reel and line and a surf ski, to begin surf lifesaving activity in Cornwall.
In August 1953, the equipment arrived. Kennedy led an intensive week of instruction with members of Bude Youth Club and others, and by the end of the course:
22 volunteers had qualified for the Australian Bronze Medallion
The first British surf lifesaving club was founded
Surf lifesaving had arrived in Great Britain.
The first Surf Lifesaving Club in Britain: Allan Kennedy with the 12 Bude men to whom he taught Australian methods in one week, 1953.
The first Surf Lifesaving Club in Britain: Allan Kennedy with the 12 Bude men to whom he taught Australian methods in one week, 1953.
In August 1954, a tragic incident at St Agnes on the north coast of Cornwall highlighted the limitations of traditional beach rescue equipment.
During a rescue attempt in heavy surf:
A local man, Jack Plowright, swam out with a lifebelt and rope
Joan Pugsley swam out with a second rope to assist
Both rescuers were pulled back to safety
The visitor, sadly, drowned
The incident made clear that more modern surf rescue equipment and structured training were urgently needed.
Inspired by Bude’s example, St Agnes established its own surf lifesaving club with guidance from the Bude lifesavers. Around the same time, a club was also formed at Brighton Beach in Sussex.
In spring 1955, with three clubs now in existence, a meeting was held at St Agnes Coastguard Station, and it was agreed that a national body should be formed.
The Surf Lifesaving Association of Great Britain came into being.
In May 1955, a deputation from St Agnes was invited to Australia House in London, where the High Commissioner of Australia presented them with a belt, line and reel — a gift from North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club.
In August 1955, an eight-strong squad of St Agnes lifesavers were awarded their Bronze Medallions. The movement was officially underway.
Great Britain becomes part of World Life Saving in 1971. A Congress is held in Sydney (Australia). Allan Kennedy is pictured second from the right at the back in this picture of the foundation Meeting of World Life Saving
Great Britain becomes part of World Life Saving in 1971. A Congress is held in Sydney (Australia). Allan Kennedy is pictured first from the right at the back in this picture of the foundation Meeting of World Life Saving
The 1960s and 1970s saw the growing popularity of surfing and board riding across the South West of England and Wales. Inspired by this culture, more communities formed surf lifesaving clubs at beaches around the UK.
What began with one club in Bude evolved into a national network of volunteer-led clubs dedicated to:
Water safety
Surf rescue training
Youth development
Community engagement
Lifesaving sport
Today, Surf Life Saving Great Britain:
Has approximately 11,800 members
Trains over 1,000 new lifeguards each year
Continues the proud tradition of volunteer lifeguards patrolling beaches
Operates under a new Patrol Framework
Works under an operating agreement with HM Coastguard
More than 70 years after its founding, the spirit that drove Allan Kennedy remains at the heart of the organisation:
Community. Skill. Service. Surf.