Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) has launched a campaign to recruit older people to help tackle the national shortage of lifeguards.

With up to 20 per cent of its lifeguarding roles unfilled and around 90 vacancies, the charitable social enterprise hopes the initiative will counter misconceptions around lifeguarding and encourage a wider demographic to apply.

Gerry Kendrick, head of HR operational services at GLL, said: “You don’t need to be body beautiful to save lives, nor do you need to be in your teens or twenties. Of course a good level of fitness and swimming ability is key, but we currently employ around 40 lifeguards who are in their 50s, 60s and 70s and they are all valued and well respected members of our business.”

The national lifeguard shortage can be attributed to a number of factors, according to Kendrick: “A decline in school swimming means there are less people with the necessary skills to take on the roles. Secondly, these are jobs that are often not considered long-term career options. Thirdly, with the closure of public swimming pools across the UK over recent decades, aquatics-related jobs are often less visible.”

The Royal Life Saving Society UK launched a campaign last year to recruit more lifeguards. Martin Symcox, director of IQL UK, the society’s trading subsidiary, said: “Lifeguarding is accessible to all ages and backgrounds and we support GLL in their drive to recruit a wider demographic of employees into their workforce.”

GLL will be hosting two national lifeguard recruitment days on 3 June 2017 at the London Aquatics Centre in Stratford, East London, and at the Windrush Leisure Centre, in Witney, West Oxfordshire.