WEYMOUTH has been chosen to host the National Surf Life Saving Championships in 2025 thanks to the work of a local club.

The Weymouth Surf Life Saving Club was set up in 2018 by Alice Higgins and now has more than 100 members.

The club acts as a training scheme for children to become lifeguards when they turn 16.

The club meets every Thursday evening during the summer on Weymouth Beach and usually has around 80 children between the ages of seven and 18 attending.

Over the winter months, the group meets regularly to improve on water confidence and to work on swimming fitness and technique.

During the club's beach sessions, they teach general beach safety, vital life saving and rescue skills, and improve fitness.

Upon reaching 16 years old, members should have the necessary skills to complete the Surf Life Saving Great Britain (SLSGB) surf life saving qualification which enables them to apply for a job as a beach lifeguard.

Last summer, the club proudly had its first members join the RNLI lifeguard team on beaches across Dorset.

The club has been picked by SLSGB to host the 2025 Surf Life Saving National Beach Championships in August next year. 

This week-long event sees more than 1,200 competitors and their families from all over the country compete in a variety of surf life-saving sports, both on the beach and in the water.

Competitors range from seven to over 70 years old.

In 2022, the club was awarded the use of a unit on the beachfront to use as a clubhouse, after being chosen by the council as the best candidate following a competition for a community group to make use of what was formally the lost children unit.

The club uses the unit as a base to store equipment, and as a place to provide hot chocolate at the end of each session.

A spokesperson for the club said: "We are delighted to be picked to host the 2025 Surf Life Saving National Beach Championships next year.

"We were very proud to have our first members join the lifeguard team on Weymouth and West Dorset beaches last summer.

"We are very proud to be hosting this event and the boost it should have on the local economy."