The Royal Lifesaving Society UK (RLSS UK) National Lifesaving Academy awards are designed to teach knowledge about water safety, personal survival, first aid, rescue, and fitness skills. Throughout the awards, you will learn how to keep yourself and others safe around water and how to safely assist others who may have gotten into difficulty both in and out of the water.
Starting with the Bronze Lifesaving Certificate, you’ll build up lifelong skills and knowledge that will stay with you forever. These are skills that can change your own and others’ lives. As you work through the three levels of award, from Bronze Lifesaving Certificate to Bronze Medallion, your proficiency will improve and you will learn valuable skills for emergencies and everyday life.
Once you have completed the Bronze Lifesaving Certificate, the RLSS UK National Lifesaving Academy Awards are split into three different strands. You may choose to complete the Bronze Star and Bronze Medallion awards in one of three different environments – pool, open water, or beach.
Each strand offers its own challenge, and you can undertake more than one strand! To take the Bronze Medallion level award you must have completed the Bronze Star award in the previous 24 months.
On achieving a Bronze Medallion award, not only will you have completed the highest aquatic award that RLSS UK offers, but you will have also earned Recognition of Prior Learning hours (RPL). RPL hours can be used to count towards one of the RLSS UK vocational lifeguard courses (National Pool Lifeguard Qualification, Open Water Lifeguard Qualification, and National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification) as the first step into a career in the sport and leisure industry. RPL towards an RLSS UK vocational lifeguard course is valid for 24 months after you pass a Bronze Medallion award.