Classic Cottages donates defibrillator and windbreaks to Mawgan Porth Surf Club

A defibrillator sits on the wall outside the Merrymoor Inn at Mawgan Porth, ready for anyone who needs it. But the problem with any defib is the same one. In an emergency, would you actually know how to use it? Mawgan Porth Surf Life Saving Club wants more people to be able to answer yes, and a donation from Classic Cottages has just made that possible.

A practical gift worth nearly £700

Holiday letting company Classic Cottages has given the club a training defibrillator and a set of liveried windbreaks, at a cost of just under £700. The training defib is the key piece. It lets volunteers show people how to operate the real one, the fully working unit fixed to the wall outside the Merrymoor Inn nearby.

The windbreaks earn their place too. The club plans to use them to mark out a space on the beach for defib and first aid sessions through the summer, which should raise its visibility and help bring in funds at the same time.

📷Peter Abell from the Mawgan Porth Surf Life Saving Club and Louise Dale from Classic Cottages with the training defibrillator.

One of Cornwall’s newest clubs

Mawgan Porth SLSC is a registered charity and an affiliated club of Surf Life Saving GB. It has signed up 80 members in three years, which makes it one of the youngest surf life saving clubs in Cornwall. Its work covers saving lives, beach safety, lifeguard training and building a safe, welcoming space for locals and visitors alike.

The club also has qualified Helicopter Emergency Medical Services and paramedic staff among its members, which is part of why it wants to open training up beyond its own ranks.

“Mawgan Porth is a stunning location but like any beach it comes with its potential dangers, including tides and currents. The club’s mission is to spread awareness and educate visitors on ways to improve their water safety,” said founder member Ian Greaves.

“As we have qualified Helicopter Emergency Medical Services and paramedic staff in the club, we want to offer training not only to club members but also to the local community, so they will have more confidence if they need to use a defibrillator. Thanks to the generosity of Classic Cottages, this is now possible.”

A clubhouse on the way

The timing matters because plans for a beach clubhouse have now been approved. The club hopes the extra attention will push along its ongoing £40,000 crowdfunding campaign. The clubhouse would give it a permanent, safe base for surf lifesaving and lifeguard training, plus storage for rescue and safety equipment.

For Classic Cottages, the donation is about the people who use Cornwall’s beaches.

“We are deeply grateful for the vital work of volunteers in surf life saving clubs across Cornwall, and we know our guests are too. That’s why we’re delighted to make a practical contribution to enhance the services Mawgan Porth SLSC is able to offer the community and visitors,” said Louise Dale, Area Manager for South Cornwall at Classic Cottages.

Classic Cottages is part of Sapphire Holidays, the Cornwall-based group of self-catering letting agencies that also takes in Aspects Holidays, Boutique Retreats, Unique Hideaways and Island Escapes. The crowdfunding total, for now, still has some way to go.

📷Louise Dale from Classic Cottages (front centre right) presents the training defibrillator to members of the Mawgan Porth Surf Life Saving Club.