national association representing 74 Surf Life Saving Clubs in New Zealand. Around 19,000 people are members of SLSNZ. The 74 clubs are grouped for consultation and programme delivery purposes into local regions, and are supported by Surf Life Saving New Zealand staff. These new groupings were an outcome of the membership voting in a new and bold constitution in September 2009, known as "Project Groundswell". About surf lifesaving In New Zealand, surf lifesaving is both a sport and a community service. To participate in either facet it is necessary to be a member of a club, and to have the ‘entry level’ qualification - the Surf Lifeguard Award, formerly the Bronze Medallion. There are a range of other surf lifeguard and surf related qualifications available through the SLSNZ structure, including more advanced lifesaving certificates, Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) qualifications, VHF radio and first aid qualifications. Volunteer lifeguards patrol beaches and work with the public to prevent people getting in trouble. In the summer of 2018/19 volunteers performed over 118,000 preventative actions during 237,000 hours of beach patrols. Sport events are held at club, regional and national level, and in the age categories of Under 16, Under 19 and Open. Events span the range of rescue skills and test competitors’ strength, fitness and agility in swimming, running, paddling a surf ski, board or canoe or rowing a surf boat. Racing Inflatable Rescue Boats is an increasingly popular part of the sport. Funding SLSNZ's income is $6m a year derived from sponsorship, gaming machine grants and The NZ Lottery Grants Board. The organisation's total income is approximately $11m. SLSNZ does not charge a national membership levy, instead providing programmes and distributing over $2m each year to clubs. In 2020, it was announced that SLSNZ would receive $9.4m per year in government funding to support club operational expenses, club capital projects and replace high risk revenue streams. However, the full cost of running Surf Life Saving clubs is over $12 per annum and this contribution is expected to only cover around 15% of SLSNZ costs. Therefore, financial support from valued partners including sponsors, councils, grant funders and donations are still required. Patrol statistics For the 2018/19 Season (last reported season), Surf Lifeguards attended the following incidents (as per annual report): Surf Life Saving New Zealand Totals Hours worked: 237,721 Lives saved (rescues): 702 People assisted to safety: 1,622 First aid actions: 2,578 Searches