ASA wins RNLI award for children’s Swim Safe programme
The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) will receive the Partnerships Award at the RNLIs Annual Presentation of Awards (APA) today for their part in the joint delivery of an innovative free programme to equip children with the skills to swim safely in open water.
The Swim Safe programme is designed to deliver hands-on open water swimming and safety advice to children through lessons with ASA-qualified swimming teachers, as well as water safety sessions with RNLI lifeguards.
While swimming in a pool is a great way of building confidence and technique, open water swimming comes with its own challenges and dangers. These free sessions for children aged 7-14 will equip them with the techniques and confidence to stay safe in the sea, in lakes and in rivers.
Over 6,000 children have learnt about safe swimming in open water in the last two years of the campaign, and the 2015 programme is expected to reach over 12,500 young people.
Pip Hare, Community Safety Product Manager, said: ‘The ASA and the RNLI share the same vision that every child should have access to a scheme like Swim Safe. ASA and RNLI teachers, lifeguards and volunteers have effectively worked alongside each other over the last two summers to deliver a fantastic programme to keep children safe in and around open water.
‘It would not have been possible to deliver Swim Safe without our partnership with the ASA, they have been an exemplary partner at every stage of the Swim Safe planning and delivery.’
The ASA also sits on the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) and is working closely with the RNLI to help align water safety programmes and safety messaging across the UK which will help the RNLI to achieve their target of reducing coastal drownings by 50%.
Adam Paker, ASA Chief Executive, said: ‘We are immensely proud of our ongoing work with the RNLI, and to have received this Partnership Award today.
‘Swim Safe is an incredibly important campaign that each year teaches thousands of young people how to be safe in and around open water. Our work with the NWSF underlines our shared desire to prevent unnecessary deaths by stressing the importance of essential water safety awareness in young people and their parents.
‘This Award is testament to the hard work and commitment of both organisations and we look forward to continuing our work together.’
