Deserving Surf Life Saving clubs win Ampol IRB Hull giveaway

July 23, 2024 -- New South Wales-based Surf Life Saving Clubs Evans Head-Casino and Batemans Bay have been named the 2024 winners of Ampol's Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) Hull giveaway.  This is the third time the Ampol IRB Competition has run since Ampol’s sponsorship of Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) began in 2020. Over 620 responses were received, highlighting the need for clubs to receive this critical piece of equipment.  IRBs are used by surf lifesavers to save lives around the country and were involved in 949 rescues last year. The IRB allows for multiple volunteer surf lifesavers to quickly attend to a rescue in challenging conditions, allowing one of the crew to enter the water to retrieve patients and make a rapid return to shore.  The lifesaving capabilities of the IRB were on full display over the weekend (19-21 July) at the SHARKSKIN IRB Championships on the Gold Coast. The IRB Championships has attracted over 800 competitors from 42 surf clubs across three categories: Under-23s, Masters and Opens.  Evans Heads-Casino SLSC were nominated for the Ampol IRB Hull Giveaway by several volunteer patrolling members who helped rescue efforts during the 2022 floods. The club's IRBs were critical in the rescue efforts as flood waters reached unprecedented heights. IRBs allowed the club to navigate through the water, which devastated up to 95% of households in Woodburn, 10 kilometres from Evans Heads, to rescue up to 100 people from the roofs of their homes.  Michael Pontefract, Evans Head-Casino SLSC club captain Michael Pontefract said the IRB will make a huge difference to the club: "Evans Heads-Casino Surf Life Saving Club are so thankful for Ampol's support of Surf Life Saving Australia and clubs all around Australia," Pontefract said.  "We are privileged to be one of the recipients of the Ampol branded IRB, which will ensure that our club and volunteers can continue to support the local community and help train our young members.  "In the 2022 floods, our IRB was essential in the rescue efforts, and this new IRB will help protect our community on the beaches and also in times of natural disaster." The other winning club was Batemans Bay Surf Life Saving Club, which covers 82 beaches and over 72 kilometres of water. With a visitor population of 60,000 visitors over the summer period, the club will use the IRB to protect holiday goers and the community long into the future. Ampol Chief Brand Officer, Jenny O’Regan said: "Our partnership with SLSA continues to place an important spotlight on Ampol Foundation’s focus of safety and wellbeing within the communities in which we operate," O'Regan said.  "We are proud to oversee the delivery of new IRBs to two deserving Surf Life Saving Clubs in Evans Head and Batemans Bay and wish them all the best for the beach patrol season ahead." In addition to the IRB giveaway, Ampol, through its retail convenience Foodary network, is proudly raising donations for Surf Life Saving throughout July and November.

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