Take 3 rolls out free surf life saving club program

Jenny-Lee Scharnboek, Sophie Thompson from North Bondi SLSC and Ben Angell

Leading international ocean conservation organisation Take 3 For the Sea has announced the launch of its 2024/25 Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) Program.

Available for free to SLSCs across Australia, the program empowers club members to help reduce plastic pollution and protect the country’s beautiful beaches and waterways.

This year the program is proudly supported by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).

“Take 3 For the Sea is delighted to be partnering with NCL for the third consecutive year,” Take 3 for the Sea CEO Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck said.

“We’ve gone from strength to strength with NCL’s cruise passengers participating in beach clean-ups in Eden NSW, Melbourne and Fiji.

“This year we’re looking forward to creating amazing impact with the SLSC community nationally.”

Take 3 for the Sea was founded on the Central Coast in 2009 and is a highly regarded charity dedicated addressing the crisis of plastic pollution entering oceans, waterways and the broader environment with a simple, empowering call to action: take three pieces of rubbish with you when you leave the beach, waterway or anywhere and you have made a difference.

NCL APAC vice-president and managing director Ben Angell said NCL was proud to strengthen its partnership with Take 3 for the Sea, by supporting the rollout of the Take 3 Surf Life Saving Program across Australia.

“As one of the cornerstones of our NCL Cares philosophy, this initiative aligns with our commitment to make a positive impact on the environment and the communities across the country,” Angell said.

“By bringing recognition to this valuable, grass roots initiative, we are empowering even more Australians with simple actions to help protect our oceans.”

The Take 3 for the Sea SLSC Program is designed to educate and inspire action within the surf lifesaving community by highlighting the critical issue of marine debris and its harmful effects on marine ecosystems.

Through the program, SLSCs are provided with the tools and knowledge needed to tackle plastic pollution and foster environmental awareness.

The program offers sustainability education by providing practical knowledge and resources to promote waste reduction and pollution prevention, equipping SLSCs with actionable steps for environmental protection.

“Kingston Beach SLSC participated in the Green Beaches weekend for the first time, and we found the program invaluable,” Bridget Fasnacht from Tasmania’s Kingston Beach SLSC said.

“Our 200 nippers learnt about Take 3 for the Sea’s mission and the key messages around waste reduction and sustainability aligned with our junior nipper’s education programs.

“We had fantastic feedback from our age manager educators, and the parents on the sidelines of the clean-ups were so impressed.

“Lots of conversations stemmed from the sessions and we had so many smiling faces on the beach when rubbish was picked up.”