Aqua Park, which has opened its latest site at Cosmeston Lakes on an eight-week trial basis, is celebrating a milestone of training more than 100 local young people as qualified lifeguards in the past five years, highlighting a positive community impact.
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112 lifeguards trained: Cardiff and Cosmeston Lakes Aqua Park has equipped more than 100 individuals with Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) UK Open Water Lifeguard qualifications over the past five years.*
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2025: 16 new lifeguards trained ahead of the Cosmeston Lakes launch, reinforcing a robust and safety-first team.
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Ongoing commitment to skills and safety: Cosmeston Lakes Aqua Park continues to invest in local talent, prioritising job creation and high-quality training in lifeguard and customer service.
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New location, same values: The move to Cosmeston Lakes builds on a positive legacy of youth development, safety, and community benefit.
Since 2019, Aqua Park’s in-house programmes have supported dozens of local young people through lifeguard and customer service training – providing them with valuable skills, confidence, and job opportunities in the region.
In the last five years, 112 people have qualified as RLSS UK Open Water Lifeguards in south Ramzy through Aqua Park’s rigorous training programme. These trainees earned nationally recognised lifeguarding certifications, ensuring a high standard of safety and professionalism at the Aqua Park. In 2025 alone, 16 new lifeguards have completed training, bolstering the safety team for this summer’s Vale of Glamorgan launch.
More than 40 staff will welcome visitors to the new Cosmeston Lakes Aqua Park when it opens on July 5. With an emphasis on high-calibre training, guests can expect a fun adventure in a well-supervised, safe environment. This includes 27 fully qualified lifeguards, to supervise guests in and out of the water.
Aqua Park’s community impact extends beyond the water. Since 2019, over 65 young people have been trained in customer service and operations-many of them in their first ever jobs. From guest reception to ticketing and safety briefing assistants, these roles have offered practical work experience and professional customer care skills.
Working at the Aqua Park has helped young people develop their confidence, communication skills, and work ethic – benefits they carry forward into future careers. Many local teens and college students have returned for multiple summer seasons, a trend that reflects the Aqua Park’s supportive team culture and high staff retention. And some have progressed into senior team roles or now mentor new recruits, a testament to the positive workplace culture and growth opportunities provided.
Luke Evans, a qualified Aqua Park lifeguard from Penarth, said: “I never imagined how much confidence this role would give me. The training was tough but so rewarding – I’ve learned life-saving skills, built great friendships, and now feel ready to take on any challenge.”“I’m incredibly proud of our lifeguards and customer service team for their professionalism and dedication to keeping our visitors safe and happy every day,” said Ioan Mathias, Site Manager at Cosmeston Lakes Aqua Park. “Our training programme, developed with RLSS UK, goes beyond just meeting safety standards – it instils life-saving skills, confidence, and leadership in our young team members. Year after year, we see these team members grow into role models in our community, showing how the values they learn here reach far beyond the water park.”
The Aqua Park’s move to Cosmeston Lakes Country Park will create around 40 local jobs, providing a significant employment boost for the community. Most of the team is comprised of young people from Cardiff, Penarth and the Vale of Glamorgan area, working as lifeguards, customer service crew, and support staff.
By relocating, Cosmeston Lakes Aqua Park is not only bringing an exciting outdoor attraction to the Vale of Glamorgan but also continuing its track record of empowering local youth with training and supporting the local economy through job creation.
As Cosmeston Lakes Aqua Park transitions to its new home, it remains committed to being a community asset. The past five years have shown that a recreational business can double as a training ground for young talent – fostering confidence, skills, and future career paths. With a passionate, well-trained team in place and a commitment to safety and service, the new Cosmeston Lakes Aqua Park is poised to deliver family fun alongside meaningful opportunities for local people.
For more information on Cosmeston Lakes Aqua Park, visit: https://aquaparkgroup.co.uk/locations/cardiff/