A safety campaign is set to make a splash with Lanarkshire youngsters by offering life-saving swimming lessons this summer in a bid to teach water awareness skills.
Around 70,000 children across Scotland will be offered the lessons during this year’s Drowning Prevention Week, organised by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), between July 18 and 25 as part of the acclaimed Learn to Swim programme - a partnership between Scottish Water and Scottish Swimming.
Coming after day-to-day lessons were interrupted for almost two years due to the pandemic, it reflects an urgent ongoing commitment to help children to become confident and competent swimmers while improving water safety for a new generation of swimmers.
Brian Lironi, director of corporate affairs with Scottish Water, told Lanarkshire Live : “Given the disruption suffered to the provision of traditional lessons during the pandemic, it really is such a vital opportunity to develop generations of confident, safer, competent children and ensure they do not miss out on such an important life skill.
“With the lifting of lockdown and other challenges facing households, it is likely many people will choose to staycation here in Scotland again this year, complete with the attraction of swimming at beauty spots and popular locations.
“By improving water safety and working with coaches across the country, our partnership with Scottish Swimming really can make a life changing difference for so many.”
The RLSS’s Drowning Prevention Week itself is one of the UK and Ireland’s largest summer water safety campaigns aimed to equip people with skills and knowledge to make the right decisions about water safety, particularly during the summer months.
Euan Lowe, Scottish Swimming chief Executive officer, said: “Ensuring children can learn to swim will provide essential life skills to keep them safe in around water following a period when they may have risked missing out on the learning and fun that goes with it.
“As part of the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s Drowning Prevention week, coaches will be delivering lessons specially adapted to include key water safety guidance including the Water Safety Code and basic skills such as floating which are needed to survive in cold water.
"Coming ahead of the summer holidays, our team are very much looking forward to engaging with our communities and building on every level of experience to ensure safe swimming for generations to come.”
More information on the Learn to Swim Framework can be found online.
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