Children get open water safety skills
STOCKPORT’S Life Leisure has teamed up with the The Royal National Lifeboat Institution to launch a youth water safety scheme.
The scheme aims to give children the skills to keep themselves safe in open water. All children attending Life Leisure’s school swim classes and afterschool lessons will receive special water safety training as part of their session.
It will ensure children know where it is safe to swim, why an adult should always be present and how to avoid danger and call for help in an emergency.
Life Leisure is also offering a free taster swimming lesson for children not currently on a programme, at either its Grand Central pool in Stockport or Avondale in Cheadle.
Fiona Pearson from the RNLI said: “The RNLI rescues thousands of people every year around the coasts of the UK and Ireland, but aims to help people, especially children, not to get into danger in the first place. In partnership, the charity developed a Swim Safe programme for young people, which initially was delivered on beaches.
“This year we offered the programme for schools and now, with the help of Life Leisure, we’re able to trial delivering the safety programme within children’s swimming pool lessons.
“Working together to build a water safety education programme into sessions the children are already signed up for seems the perfect way to help young people develop skills and knowledge that will help them stay safe in and around water throughout their lives. The pilot will also serve as the perfect test-bed for us to see if the scheme could work with similar organisations and local authorities around the UK.”
Julie Bennett, swimming development manager at Life Leisure, added: “Raising awareness of water safety and drowning prevention is crucial and something we are incredibly passionate about. If our partnership saves just one life we have helped make a difference.
“Our ultimate goal is to help young people gain the skills and experience they need to help and encourage them to swim safe”
For details email swimming@lifeleisure.net.