

WHAT IS STARFISH
NIPPERS?
Starfish Nippers is a modified and structured Nippers program for all abilities that runs alongside the Fingal Beach Surf Life Saving Club’s Age Group Nippers program. It focuses on beach and water safety and awareness, promoting inclusion and diversity at our Club.
The modified beach and water activities include fun games, running (or any type of mobility!), beach flags, wading, swimming and boards, at times using modified equipment. In the past, group members have achieved their Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC) to become active patrolling members of our club and water safety volunteers for Starfish Nippers!
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Run entirely by volunteers at several Life Saving Clubs around Australia, the program ensures that students with special needs and their parents can be involved with learning surf skills and life saving like their siblings, friends and others on the beach.


WHO IS IT FOR?
The program is designed for young people aged 6 years and above with a disability, including physical and intellectual disabilities and learning difficulties, and is modified to suit an individual participant’s needs so everyone can be included.
Each year, the make-up of the group can be very different so the first few weeks are about developing a program that will work for the current members.
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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
​The Starfish Nippers Program has a profound and positive impact on everyone who gets involved. The benefits flow to not only our Starfish Nippers and their families, but also to our volunteers/trainers, our Age Group Nippers and the club overall.
Starfish
Our Starfish love being involved and included in the club and the overall Nippers program. They feel a real sense of belonging and wear their Nippers gear with great pride. They are learning life and surf sport skills and increasing their beach and water safety knowledge while having fun! They love the social side of the program too and are developing confidence socially – they love encouraging each other and participating actively in the community.
Parents/Guardians/Families
Our parents value that all children in the family can participate in the club’s Nippers program. They also find networking with other families who are raising a child with special needs valuable and support to each other.
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WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
The annual cost can be found on our website:
https://www.fingalbeachslsc.com/membership.
Each family needs to have one parent become an Associate Member of the Fingal Beach SLSC. This is for insurance reasons. You can register by contacting the Club Registrar:
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James Worrall
E: registrar@fingalbeachslsc.com
P: 0457 329 350
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All Starfish are required to purchase a pink rash vest and skull cap from the merchandise stall. These are very important so that we can identify all participants both in the water and on the beach! It is always safety first on our beach!
