South Norfolk: Children to learn life-saving lessons

Young boy swimming

Over 1,000 local children will be taught vital water safety skills next week at South Norfolk Council’s Diss Leisure Centre.

Children from the centre’s popular Swim School and numerous school groups will be taking part in the Royal Life Saving Society’s Drowning Prevention week which runs from 18 to 25 June.

South Norfolk Cabinet Member for Leisure, Councillor Richard Elliott said:

“I cannot emphasise enough how crucial it is for children to learn the basics of water safety. These skills could one day safe their lives, or those of others.”

The centre takes part in Drowning Prevention Week every year, educating children through fun and engaging lessons, while improving their confidence in the water.

Lessons include advice about beach safety and what the flags mean, riptides and how to identify hazards and focus on the different types of open water that they may come across and the dangers they present.

The centre’s qualified instructors will also teach in the water, re-enforcing the RNLI’s key message of “Float to Live” and will demonstrate different types of self-rescue.

School children will also get the chance to win goodies from the RNLI, by taking part in a “Hazzard sign” competition and all Swim School participants will receive activity sheets to complete and information for the parents and carers.

Find out more about Drowning Prevention Week.

For more information about Swim School visit our leisure website

Published: 14 June 2022