The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) and Leisure Media have announced a partnership, as they aim to bridge employment gaps in the lifesaving sector.

RLSS UK, the Drowning Prevention Charity founded in 1891, is a leading provider of training and education in lifesaving and is also the governing body for the sport of lifesaving.

Leisure Media – publisher of Leisure Opportunities magazine – will become an RLSS UK strategic media partner and will work with the charity to raise its profile across the wider leisure sector.

As well as highlighting RLSS UK's work and campaigns, Leisure Opportunities will showcase career opportunities in lifeguarding, as part of a drive to tackle the well-documented shortage of lifeguards in parts of the UK.

Liz Terry, CEO of Leisure Media said: "RLSS UK is rallying lifesavers everywhere to ensure that – whatever occurs – responders are trained to handle challenging situations and save lives.

"As media partner to RLSS UK, Leisure Media is committed to using its industry platforms to support the RLSS UK team in spreading the word about the importance and positive impact of its work.

"We'll also be championing lifesaving, both as a life skill and as a gateway for anyone who is keen to build a career in the fast-growing leisure industry."

Jo Talbot, interim director of IQL UK - the awarding body of RLSS UK and leading provider of lifeguard training in the UK - said: “We’re delighted to have created this powerful partnership with Leisure Media. This mutually beneficial arrangement provides us with an ideal platform for further promotion of our lifesaving and lifeguard qualifications.

“Being a lifeguard can be the start of a career, a flexible job that fits around life as a parent or grandparent and a way of earning money, whilst studying or travelling.

“We see lifeguards as representatives of our wider society and the lifeguard workplace as welcoming, inclusive and free from discrimination.

“Through our partnership with Leisure Media, we don’t just want to talk to our core market of 16- to 25-year-olds; IQL UK aims to attract a more diverse audience from different backgrounds to join our lifeguard community.

“We believe that lifeguarding offers two prized employment assets: the flexibility to fit everyday life and the sociability of cross-generational teamwork.”

Click here to browse lifeguard job opportunities

Looking to advertise a lifeguard vacancy? Contact the Leisure Opportunities recruitment team on 01462 431385 or click here to chat with the team now.

For more information on the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) call IQL UK on 0300 323 0096 (option 7) or email [email protected]