Surf Life Saving has been part of Australian culture since 1907 and is especially important on the Gold Coast where much of the lifestyle is focused on the beachfront.

Since its beginnings, more than 660,000 people have been rescued by volunteers with tens of thousands of rescues having to be carried out each year.

As the 2022-2023 volunteer Surf Life Saving season begins, Kollosche is proud to be supporting, through its Community Fund, the local clubs that help to deliver this vital community service. 

Already a major sponsor of Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) from 2021 to 2023, Kollosche is this season supporting two further clubs – Currumbin Beach Vikings and Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park SLSC – by providing sponsorship and donations to a combined total of $20,000.

Lifelong Connections

Kollosche Real Estate Agent Troy Dowker and his family have always had acute ties with Surf Life Saving, with Troy going through the nippers program from an eight year-old at Fingal Bay Port Stephens, New South Wales, where he grew up. 

Surf Life Saving is something very close to my heart. It is part of the very fabric of the community and provides the best mentoring program a kid can go through. You learn a duty of care and a level of responsibility that then becomes part of your DNA. 

“The comradeship and mateships you build as part of a surf club stays with you for life. Those friendships are irreplaceable.”

Michael Sullivan, CEO of Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club, says to come down to the beach on a Sunday morning and see 350 people training to be future lifesavers is an amazing experience.

“To make that happen, though, we have to rely heavily on financial support from local businesses and the community,” says Michael. 

“The partnership with Kollosche will help to support our 350 active volunteers, who spend 7000 hours patrolling and keeping our beach safe each year.

It will also allow us to bolster our competitions program and supply safety vests and rashies for our nippers.

“We also hope to launch a new youth pathways program that promotes a cradle to-grave experience in Surf Life Saving that will ensure the service continues well into the future.”

Next-generation Nippers 

Further north at Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park SLSC, Kollosche’s financial support will go directly to the nippers program.

Club President Michael Boyce says Kollosche’s support has enabled them to subsidise the purchase of hundreds of pink rash vests, which are instrumental in keeping nippers visible and safe during training.

“At Burleigh we have more than 400 nippers that have to be clothed, so being able to purchase the vests at cost price means the club can make the program more affordable for parents,” he says.

Kollosche Real Estate Agent Tony Velissariou has a long-standing association with Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park SLSC and knows how beneficial the nippers program can be.

“I have experienced through my own kids what the surf club does for children in terms of building their confidence, not only in the water but in competition, while teaching them the importance of giving back to the community,” says Tony

“Growing up on the Gold Coast, it is so important to be proficient in the ocean and the nippers program is a great way for kids to acquire those lifesaving skills.” 

Aligned Values 

The Kollosche Community Fund was established in 2021 as a way for Kollosche and its real estate agents to support charitable causes within their local communities.

A percentage of every property sold by Kollosche goes into the Fund with additional donations from the business contributing to a goal of $500,000 for the 2022-2023 financial year.

Michael Kollosche, Managing Director of Kollosche, says Surf Life Saving has values that align with the business, including a focus on support, education, health and safety, protecting the environment, and giving back to the community.

He says it is great to be supporting those who help to keep Gold Coast beaches safe, so the community can enjoy the coastline and what it has to offer.