Doncaster schoolchildren learn how to 'Swim Safe' at new sessions

The sessions, which were run by Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust over the summer, aimed to educate children on outdoor water safety, equipping them with essential lfiesaving skills and knowledge.

Nearly 800 children children took part in DCLT’s first ever Summer of Swim Safe sessions at Hatfield Outdoor Activity Centre in recent weeks.

Ryan Scott, aquatics development manager at DCLT, said: “We were really pleased that so many children from Doncaster have benefited from this free training.

“Some 778 children from our area took part in school and public sessions about water safety with children, aged between seven and 14, getting free access to practical water safety sessions during the school holidays.

“Being safe in the water is an extremely important skill for young people to have and we are pleased to have been able to offer this in Doncaster.

“Our partnership with Swim England and the RNLI has enabled us to run these sessions giving children from across the borough a chance to take up this opportunity. We will now look to build on this success next summer.”

The Swim Safe sessions were made available thanks to a growing partnership between DCLT, Swim England, and the National Lifeboat Institute, using qualified instructors and lifeguards at open water locations around the UK. The programme was created to give young people experience of open water environments that are vastly different from the swimming pools they have learned to swim in.

The fun, structured, 60-minute swimming session includes: open water safety advice on land, and 30 minutes in-water tuition with qualified instructors.

Visit www.swimsafe.org.uk for more details. Visit www.dclt.co.uk for further information about swimming lessons or leisure swimming at DCLT.