Drowning Prevention Week is a week-long awareness-raising campaign run by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS) in partnership with the RNLI and Swim England.
In the UK and Ireland over 700 people drown each year and drowning is one of the main causes of accidental death in children. On top of these statistics, hundreds more people also have near-drowning incidents, some suffering life-changing injuries as a result. Drowning Prevention Week will aim to educate both adults and children about water safety, enabling the public to have fun safely near water and reducing the number of drowning and near-drowning incidents.
During Drowning Prevention Week, schools, clubs and other organisations are encouraged to host events to promote and educate about water safety. Leisure centres and swimming pools also have a calendar of events including lifeguarding skills and special lessons for both children and adults – check with your local centre for further information. There will also be special news features and educational programmes on the television and radio and a campaign on social media.
For further information about water safety and Drowning Prevention Week, including free resources such as lesson plans for outdoor and classroom-based workshops and social media resources visit www.watersafetyeducation.org
