Venus Bay Surf Life Saving Club is a proud member of Life Saving Victoria and Surf Life Saving Australia. Notorious for its rough waves and undertow, Venus Bay is also home to a charming beachside community in which the VBSLSC plays an integral role, keeping beaches patrolled and safe while providing a number of unique water safety programs.
As a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organisation, VBSLSC’s primary sources of income are from generous sponsors and community fundraising activities. These funds have a vital impact and directly help fund the wide range of activities and opportunities offered to the local community. Venus Bay has a special place in our heart here at Businessary, so the opportunity to get involved in supporting the community and ensuring the club remains financially strong is an honour.
About the club
Since its formation in 1961, the Venus Bay Surf Life Saving Club has performed over 1,200 rescues, 25,000 preventative actions and over 125,000 volunteer patrol hours. Members of the club have received meritorious commendations for bravery in 2009-2010, 2015-16 and 2018.
Back in the late 1950’s the land of Anderson’s Peninsula was being developed as a holiday resort by the Roet family, with the proceeds from the sale of blocks of land going to the building of the Neurological Institute by the Van Cleef Foundation, on the grounds of the Alfred Hospital. It was decided that to assist in the development of the community of Venus Bay a Surf Lifesaving Club would be needed to ensure new residents and visitors would have a safe swimming environment.
On the 24 September 1961 the inaugural meeting was held at the Tarwin Lower Hotel and from there Venus Bay SLSC was officially formed.
From its early days of a ramshackle shed on the beach with basic lifesaving equipment, the VBSLSC has now become an integral part of the community. The clubhouse is now situated at the top of Surf Drive and provides equipment storage and maintenance, first aid facilities, bunkhouse facilities, a training area/function room (200 people seated), a radio room with communication links to Life Saving Victoria and Police Marine Rescue.
How the club helps the community
Throughout the season Venus Bay SLSC runs many training courses and requalification’s to ensure that both its current and prospective members have all the knowledge and preparation they need to fulfil the duties of a lifesaver.
Nippers is a program designed to teach children between the ages of 5 and 13 years of age, the fundamentals of surf beach and open water safety. The aim is to develop surf awareness, surf skills and water safety in an environment that is fun, encouraging, and SAFE.
Starfish Nippers is a modified Nipper program for children and young adults with special needs which is run alongside our traditional Nippers program and caters for children from 6 years of age to young adults.
Through a variety of social events and fundraising, the VBSLSC provide family fun and community gathering in support of a great cause. Funds raised from community fundraising activities play a vital role in helping fund the wide range of activities and opportunities offered to the community including lifesaving patrol to Beach #1.
Our role
In December last year, we kicked off our sponsorship with the annual VBSLSC Barefoot Bowls Night as the first-ever event sponsor. The showdown is designed to keep the local Tarwin Bowls Club financially afloat and able to provide services to the wider community.
We are also sponsoring the upcoming annual Surf2Cinq fun run, on Easter Sunday 17 April. The Surf2Cinq Family Fun Run/Walk is a fundraiser for the VBSLSC and proceeds from this event will directly support the Starfish Nippers in 2023 – the program provided to give young people living with disabilities beach safety and water awareness skills. Registration for the fun run is still open via Trybooking for anyone wanting to stretch their legs for a great cause — everyone is welcome!
Through the sponsorship, Businessary helps to fund these community events that play a key role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Venus Bay Surf Life Saving Club.
