BLOG - New Black Country Water Safety Programme will benefit more than 4,000 children

We are officially launching the inaugural Black Country Water Safety Programme in two weeks’ time at the Bert Williams Leisure Centre in Wolverhampton.

It’s a hugely important project to address the critical need for water safety lessons for thousands of schoolchildren.

This was brought into sharp focus following several tragic child drowning deaths in and close to the Black Country over the summer.

Thanks to a £200,000 grant from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Inclusive Communities Fund, the programme is being delivered by a consortium of partners including Active Black Country, Swim England, the Royal Life Saving Society, the Canal & River Trust and the Black Country local authorities and leisure operators.

As Black Country schools welcome pupils back for the new term, the programme aims to help teachers show children how to stay safe around water and provide vital survival skills if they get into difficulty. Teachers will have a wealth of lesson plans and toolkits at their fingertips – via our Resource Hub.

Ian Carey, chief executive of Active Black Country, underlines the importance of the programme: “It’s a direct response to the alarming statistics in our 2023 annual school swimming survey which revealed that 48% of primary school leavers – 7,884 children across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton – were unable to demonstrate safe self-rescue in water.

“Our programme aims to both help reduce child drowning fatalities and, crucially, ensure children are equipped with the vital lifesaving knowledge to allow them to be safe in and around water this autumn and in the cold winter months ahead.”

Over the next few months, the fully funded programme aims to reach more than 4,000 children (years 5 and 6) at up to 80 schools across the Black Country to raise awareness and knowledge of water safety and improve National Curriculum Safe Self-Rescue attainment rates.

Partnering for change

Our partners have provided significant input into the programme objectives in a bid to address the challenges around water safety attainment rates.

Jo Talbot, Interim CEO at Royal Life Saving Society UK, says the Black Country Water Safety Programme “will be all the more relevant as we head into the colder months and the risk of drowning and cold water shock becomes more prevalent”.

Growing awareness of the Water Safety Code is crucial, she adds. “As we see tragic drownings continue to take lives, it’s more important than ever that everybody has the tools to enjoy water safely. More than half of accidental drownings have occurred at inland open water sites – and many of these drownings occur due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of open water safety.”

This view is echoed by the Canal & River Trust, whose learning & skills manager, Annette Simpson, says: “Being next to our canals and rivers can make children feel happier and healthier, but it is important that they know how to stay safe around water. It’s essential that children receive consistent and age-appropriate water safety messages as they grow and become more independent.”

Active Black Country has also worked closely with Swim England on the project.

Its chief executive, Andy Salmon, says: “A key target in our strategy is to increase the number of youngsters who can swim as well as ensuring they are safe in, on and around water. Sadly, we know the Black Country has a high proportion of children leaving primary school unable to perform safe self-rescue or even swim 25m.

“By working collaboratively on the Black Country Water Safety Programme, we can showcase the many advantages being active in the water can bring. Swimming is a life skill that offers huge physical and mental health benefits but it can also improve the confidence and self-esteem of children and help them form new and lasting friendships.”