Stockton water safety roadshows return to primary schools
A primary school's pupils are learning vital life-saving skills as water safety roadshows return to classrooms across a North East town.
Tees Active has relaunched its water safety roadshows, now in their fourth year, to mark National Drowning Prevention Week from June 13 to June 20.
Hannah Young, a teacher at Oxbridge Primary School, said:
"The children really enjoyed the Water Safety Roadshow. They were delivered in an interactive way that kept the children engaged throughout. It’s a great way to bring important water safety messages to life which is something that isn’t always easy to teach in the classroom and it and helps ensure those lessons stay with them long after the session."
The sessions aim to reduce drowning and water-related accidents across the North East, especially as children spend more time outdoors over the summer holidays.
Helen Eyeington, aquatics manager at Tees Active, said:
"Educating young people about water safety is incredibly important, particularly in an area like ours where there are so many open water environments. These sessions are designed to be fun and engaging, but they also deliver life-saving messages that children can remember and share with their families."
The roadshows, delivered by Tees Active’s aquatics team, will visit 20 schools in Stockton-on-Tees, offering 40 free sessions over two weeks.
Pupils learn the basics of CPR and how to respond in an emergency, as well as how to stay safe near water.
National data from the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) shows that more than 300 people across the UK and Ireland die each year from accidental drowning, with many more experiencing life-changing, non-fatal incidents.
Tees Active runs the sessions in partnership with the RLSS UK.
With the River Tees running through the borough and more than 30 publicly accessible bodies of water nearby, the campaign reinforces the message that the safest place to swim is in a supervised pool with trained lifeguards.
Leon Jones, managing director of Tees Active, said:
"We’re really pleased to see our water safety roadshows return to schools across the borough. Our dedicated team will be engaging with approximately 1,200 children, helping them to understand the risks of open water and giving them the confidence to act in an emergency. Sadly at least 17 people have died across the UK after getting into trouble in open water during the recent heatwave, so it is vital that we continue to help educate children from an early age."
