Teachers and pupils in all schools across the county will become open water safety champions, thanks to funding being provided by Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Dan Price.
In what is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, the year-long Cheshire Water Safety Champions programme, will see at least one member of staff and two students from each state high school receive specialist water safety training.
The sessions being delivered through a mix of open water, swimming pools and classrooms, will enable teachers to confidently deliver assemblies and students to pass on their knowledge to friends and family.
The training comes at a time when curriculum changes in September mean the Water Safety Code will be a statutory part of Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) in schools.
The programme will be developed and delivered by Water Safety Matters, in consultation with the Cheshire Water Safety Forum.
In addition, Cheshire-based River and Sea Sense has been awarded money through the PCC’s Summer SWAP community fund to deliver open water safety sessions to young people over this summer in community settings. This money will provide further focus and training to keep kids safe in the water.
Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death amongst children and young people. Whilst significant progress has been made in raising awareness, there still remains a need to strengthen water safety education amongst secondary school-aged young people.
As they gain independence, pre-teens and teens are more likely to access open water such as rivers, reservoirs and beaches without direct supervision. At the same time, factors such as,
- Peer pressure
- Social media influences
- Risk-taking behaviours
- Lack of awareness of hidden dangers can increase the likelihood of water-related incidents.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that being a strong swimmer automatically means you are safe in open water. The reality is that sudden cold-water immersion can trigger an immediate physiological shock response, affecting breathing, movement and decision-making, regardless of swimming ability.
Whilst swimming ability plays an important role, knowledge, awareness and decision-making are equally critical in helping young people recognise hazards and make safer choices. The Cheshire Water Safety Champions Programme has been developed in response to this.
“Keeping young people safe is at the heart of my role as PCC. Tragically, Cheshire has already seen the devastating consequences of the dangers posed by open water and I am determined to do everything I can to prevent further loss of life.
“As the summer holidays begin and temperatures rise, it’s vital that young people have the knowledge they need to stay safe. That’s why I’m using money from my community safety fund to help ensure that, if they choose to swim in open water, they can do so as safely as possible.”
Dan Price, Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner
“This programme couldn’t come at a better time. Too often, water safety is something young people only think about after hearing about a tragedy.
“With schools preparing for the strengthened focus on water safety within the RSHE curriculum from September, we have a unique opportunity to equip both teachers and young people with the knowledge, confidence and practical understanding to make safer decisions around water.
“Our aim is not simply to raise awareness, but to build a lasting culture of water safety across Cheshire that helps protect young people and gives schools the support they need to make water safety an integral part of education for years to come.”
Louise Johnson, Director of Water Safety Matters
Schools – register your interest
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