Take 3 to join Nippers in Vincentia as part of Surf Life Saving Clubs Program

Take 3 for the Sea will join youngsters from the Bay and Basin Community Nippers Club at Plantation Point Parade, Vincentia, for a clean-up as part of our ongoing Surf Life Saving Clubs (SLSC) program this Sunday.

Last year we were delighted to expand our in-person SLSC program by announcing a new online program that aims to empower SLSCs and their communities to be part of the solution to plastic pollution washing up on their local beaches.

The online program, which will launch for the 2021-22 surf life-saving season delivers education about plastic pollution and litter prevention to SLSCs around Australia, with a focus on how plastic affects coastal and marine environments and provide accessible actions SLSCs can take to make a positive impact.

This weekend we are proud to be joining the Nippers at Plantation Point for a clean-up as part of the ongoing program, which is supported by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) through the Round 5 Community Litter Grant program, and is a Waste Less Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.

As well as cleaning up the beach, the Nippers in attendance will also feature in training videos that will be uploaded to the Take 3 website for other Surf Clubs to access as part of the new online offering

Take 3 SLSC program manager Monica Mudge said: “I am so excited to be joining the Nippers and their families in person this weekend.

“The children in attendance for our clean ups are always so enthusiastic and find the whole thing very empowering.  So many young people have had a tough year, but this is something positive for them to be involved in for the ocean they love.

“Last year was difficult for so many people and it was a tough time for surf clubs with events like this having to be postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

“That was one of the reasons we decided to put together the online program but as it has evolved, we have realised the potential it gives us to reach so many more surf clubs and Nippers around the country.”

Take 3’s SLSC program has been delivered to more than 40 surf clubs around Australia, and has seen major positive impacts as a result. We’ve cleaned 1.7 million square metres of beach around Australia, and removed 9,700 tonnes of rubbish from those sites.

The new online platform will allow Take 3 to reach many more young people and will focus on five key areas:

• educating clubs on litter in the environment;
• litter prevention;
• litter enforcement, in conjunction with the local council and the Hey Tosser! campaign;
• teaching clubs how to run their own beach clean up;
• the importance of data collection.

The South Coast of NSW is the pilot region for the program and will see Shoal Heads SLSC, Sussex Inlet SLSC and Basin Community Nippers Clubs inducted, before state and national expansion. Take 3 hopes to demonstrate the benefits of collaboration between Shoalhaven City Council (who is an ongoing partner of Take 3), surf clubs and the NSW EPA through the pioneer program.

The new online program embodies the evolution of Take 3’s education programs and will allow the leading education on plastic pollution and litter prevention in communities to be accessed by more Aussie Nippers and communities than ever before.

For more information contact monica@take3.org