“Today is all about leadership: the kind that rolls up its sleeves, jumps into the surf, and makes waves both on and off the beach.”

These were the words of Belinda Slement, National Education Manager at Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ), setting the tone for the latest cohort of graduates at their final session in the bp Leaders for Life programme at Papamoa beach this month.

SLSNZ believes great leadership doesn’t just happen, she stressed: it’s developed, nurtured, and given the right environment to thrive. That is the fundamental premise for the bp Leaders for Life programme, which has been supporting emerging leaders within surf lifesaving for the past decade.

bp Leaders for Life is SLSNZ’s premiere leadership development programme for current and emerging surf lifesaving leaders. It is run over 10 months, with five milestone workshops spread across the programme, each running for two to three days. Designed to inspire and empower, it equips participants with vital leadership skills, enhances their understanding of governance and operations, and fosters lasting relationships across clubs and regions.

Now in its 11th intake, the programme has seen 219 graduates to date, many of whom have gone on to take up senior leadership and governance roles across the Surf Life Saving movement. The impact of the programme extends far beyond individual development, contributing to stronger, more resilient clubs and more connected communities.

For the 2024-2025 programme year, a record 18 emerging leaders, aged between 20 and 35, including one participant from Surf Life Saving Australia, have graduated from the programme. Among the group, female representation stands at a strong 50%, continuing the programme’s commitment to inclusive, diverse leadership. The participants were selected from a record 77 applications.

“Leadership is about creating the environment for others to succeed,” says Belinda.

“bp Leaders for Life provides the platform for our members to gain the confidence, tools and experience to lead within their clubs and communities, and ultimately help shape the future of our organisation.”

The cohort were supported by a team of dedicated mentors and facilitators, many of whom are past programme graduates themselves. Their guidance and shared experience play a key role in the programme’s success.

Claire Adams a participant hailing from Piha Surf Life Saving Club, found the opportunity for self-reflection to be particularly useful.

“Because it was spread out over nearly a year, at regular intervals we had space to meaningfully reflect on our progress between workshops. A big focus of the program was crafting a leadership development plan for the future, so it felt holistic in that we were refining our self-reflection skills, looking back, as well as looking forward and mapping out how we will achieve our leadership aspirations."

“I came into surf lifesaving later than most and without any ties to a club, so it was also an amazing way to meet other guards, facilitators, guest speakers, SLSNZ staff and Board members. It helped me feel a stronger sense of connection to the surf community” she says.

Aaron Coe of Nelson Surf Life Saving Club, a fourth-generation surf lifeguard originally hailing from Kariaotahi, says that the bp Leaders for Life programme helped to fine tune some of the leadership skills he’d been taught elsewhere.

“One of the biggest things was learning how to create safe environments for idea generation and leadership growth. So many strong ideas came out through our sessions, and through using newly taught techniques, we learnt how to define and develop them – which we will benefit all of us not just in surf, but also in our careers. It also gave me a deeper perspective of surf lifesaving as an entity, through meeting the Board members and understanding how its governance works,” he says.

Aaron is also keen to apply some of his learnings at his club.

“It was important to understand how some of the other regions operate, and how they each define their limits and how to build capability beyond those limits. I’ll be working through each of the pillars we learned during the programme and applying them at my club. It’s about shared learnings, so understanding what other clubs are doing is critical to building our capabilities in Nelson,” he says.

The programme’s lead facilitator, Kate Suter of Sumner Surf Life Saving Club, believes that the programme has been going from strength to strength.

“In our current list of candidates, we have people in Club Captain roles, Club Committee and Board roles, instructing future generations, SLSNZ staff, SAR Coordinators, as well as active leaders in their own clubs. It highlights the strength of diversity in our organisational leadership, and the bright future our organisation has,” she says.

SLSNZ Member Development & Engagement Officer, Poppy Crouch, says that the 2024-2025 programme has once again had a strong group of candidates.

“It’s inspiring to see such a diverse cohort of passionate, driven individuals who are committed to developing their leadership skills and giving back to their clubs and communities. The energy and enthusiasm they bring to each session is a testament to the strength and future of our movement,” she says.

The enduring success of bp Leaders for Life would not be possible without the generous support of programme sponsor bp, which has stood beside Surf Life Saving New Zealand since 1968.

Haley Mahoney, Head of Country for bp New Zealand says that in addition to sponsoring the programme, bp is involved in its delivery, with bp team members often supporting workshops by participating on panels.

“bp takes great pride in championing our next generation of leaders within the surf lifesaving community,” she says.

“It is a remarkable initiative, fostering essential skills and experiences that not only enrich the lives of its participants but also reverberate positively within their clubs and local communities.”

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