Fistral Surf rangers team up after their surf session with head coach Karl Fice-Thomson
Newquay Children’s Club Team UP with RNLI
Newquay Activity Centre children’s club ‘Fistral Rangers’ forms a new UK educational partnership with the RNLI. Newquay Activity Centre’s Fistral Rangers club is an adventurous, educational coastal and ocean based activity centre for children and has recently become an educational partner with the RNLI. It is currently the only centre in the UK that has partnered with the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea.
Karl Fice-Thomson lead his group of Rangers to the Gazzle to explore the area.
Children’s Educational Activities
Newquay Activity Centre creates and provides a variety of educational water-sporting activities for children all organised and implemented to a high level of health and safety. Newquay Activity Centre’s Fistral Rangers club offers educational courses lead by head ranger and school liaison officer Karl Fice-Thomson and are designed to introduce children to the their local environment in a safe, educational and engaging way. Various water-sporting activities such as lifeguarding, rock pooling, surfing and bodyboarding are not only to teach children new skills and techniques but also scientific and intriguing knowledge on the local wildlife and natural minerals whilst also equipping them with essential beach safety and awareness skills.
Karl Fice Thomson giving a lesson on beach and ocean safety.
Teaching Children about the Environment and Ocean Safety
Expert head Ranger and wildlife enthusiast Karl Fice-Thomson is passionate about teaching and leads the children on investigative beach safari’s encouraging children to appreciate their environment, being conscious of their ever-changing coastal surroundings and to enjoy the beach and the ocean.
RNLI’ s James Millidge Youth Education Manager comments, ‘The RNLI are very excited to be working in this trial partnership with Newquay Activity Centre. As a leading centre within the commercial world for the water safety education of children the Newquay Activity Centre will be an ideal partner. Working together we will be able to speak to many more children and enable those children to have a greater understanding of the coastal environment and make safer choices in and around water. In the meantime, the RNLI will be continuing to run its own ‘Hit the Surf’ program throughout Cornwall. 6,973 children were involved in this program nationally and had the chance to work with our Lifeguards out on the beach learning rookie lifeguard skills both in and out of the water.’
Newquay Activity Centre’s Karl Fice-Thomson says ‘We are thrilled to be partnering with the RNLI and working with the team to ensure that all water sporting activities available to children are not only fun and educational but we can ensure parents and organisations that Newquay Activity Centre activities are always conducted in a safe environment, in healthy conditions and always with expertly trained coaches’. As a volunteer for the RNLI, Karl also visits local schools and youth groups to present Fistral Rangers, beach safety and coastal environment educational programs to children and teachers. Any schools or groups interested in one of these presentations can contact Karl at Newquay Activity Centre. Newquay Activity Centre also provides training programs in health and safety at sea to individual coaches and organisations, nationwide.
