WHAT IS STARFISH
NIPPERS?
Starfish Nippers is a modified and structured Nippers program for all abilities that runs alongside the Fingal Beach Surf Life Saving Club’s Age Group Nippers program. It focuses on beach and water safety and awareness, promoting inclusion and diversity at our Club.
The modified beach and water activities include fun games, running (or any type of mobility!), beach flags, wading, swimming and boards, at times using modified equipment. In the past, group members have achieved their Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC) to become active patrolling members of our club and water safety volunteers for Starfish Nippers!
Run entirely by volunteers at several Life Saving Clubs around Australia, the program ensures that students with special needs and their parents can be involved with learning surf skills and life saving like their siblings, friends and others on the beach.
WHO IS IT FOR?
The program is designed for young people aged 6 years and above with a disability, including physical and intellectual disabilities and learning difficulties, and is modified to suit an individual participant’s needs so everyone can be included.
Each year, the make-up of the group can be very different so the first few weeks are about developing a program that will work for the current members.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
The Starfish Nippers Program has a profound and positive impact on everyone who gets involved. The benefits flow to not only our Starfish Nippers and their families, but also to our volunteers/trainers, our Age Group Nippers and the club overall.
Starfish
Our Starfish love being involved and included in the club and the overall Nippers program. They feel a real sense of belonging and wear their Nippers gear with great pride. They are learning life and surf sport skills and increasing their beach and water safety knowledge while having fun! They love the social side of the program too and are developing confidence socially – they love encouraging each other and participating actively in the community.
Parents/Guardians/Families
Our parents value that all children in the family can participate in the club’s Nippers program. They also find networking with other families who are raising a child with special needs valuable and support to each other.
WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
The annual cost can be found on our website:
https://www.fingalbeachslsc.com/membership.
Each family needs to have one parent become an Associate Member of the Fingal Beach SLSC. This is for insurance reasons. You can register by contacting the Club Registrar:
James Worrall
E: registrar@fingalbeachslsc.com
P: 0457 329 350
All Starfish are required to purchase a pink rash vest and skull cap from the merchandise stall. These are very important so that we can identify all participants both in the water and on the beach! It is always safety first on our beach!
ON THE DAY !
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We start at the Starfish Nippers Flag at 9.30am and will run until approximately 10.45am
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We always appreciate any help to set-up (Our senior members are always excellent at lending a hand 😊). We have lots of equipment to take down to the beach such as boards, lifesaving tubes, balls, bats, obstacle courses and more!
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A parent needs to be on the beach with their child at all times- this is a rule for all nipper participants across Australia. Whilst it is very important for safety reasons, the parents of our participants find this a great time for chatting with other parents whilst sipping a well-deserved coffee!
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Each session we will hold beach and water activities, following the national Starfish Nippers program.
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We really appreciate a hand to pack-up- many hands make light work!
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We have a private Starfish Facebook page- “Fingal Starfish Nippers” -search for us and ask to join! We will use this to let you know if our plans need to change because of conditions or it’s time to have an excursion elsewhere!
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At times we may conduct activities elsewhere such as Shoal Bay, Fly Point or sometimes the pool- especially if there is a carnival on or the weather is not great.
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Wear your swimmers, starfish nippers cap and pink rash vest.
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Please ring me at any time if you need to chat about your child’s needs- this is best conducted in private as it’s not always the best location to chat around the club.
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Remember you are Fingal Beach Surf Lifesaving Club members so you are entitled to use all facilities during the season 7 days a week! (Gym is additional).
SAVE THE DATE!
2024 - 2025
October 20th - Starfish Nippers - lets go!
October 27th - Starfish Nippers
November 3rd - Starfish Nippers
November 10th - NO Starfish Nippers
November 17th - Starfish Nippers
November 24th - Starfish Nippers
December 1st- Starfish Nippers
December 8th- Starfish Nippers (TBC)
December 15th- Starfish Christmas Party!!!!
CHRISTMAS BREAK
February - Starfish returns!
There will be a further 3 - 4 sessions scheduled for after the summer break
March - Presentation Day
ABOUT ME
My name is Marguerite White and I have been a patrolling member at Fingal Beach SLSC and Starfish Coordinator for many years now after helping Mitch and Jackie Fraser, the founding members of Starfish at our club.
I love the water! And so does my big brother Mick who has Down’s Syndrome. As kids, my mum was a huge advocate for Mick’s rights, and he was the first child with Down’s Syndrome to go to a mainstream school in Victoria. However, whilst my other brother and I participated in endless sports, Mick was not offered the same opportunities back then and missed out on the surf life saving experience we had.
Today, I am his guardian and I try to continue our mum’s legacy by advocating for him in all ways possible. He loves to join in on Patrol whenever he can, proudly wears his club t-shirt and has been embraced by everyone around the club. He is my inspiration in life and he drives me to make sure all kids in our region have access to Starfish and go on to contribute as young adults to the surf life saving movement!
