Vital water safety message to reach thousands of Black Country pupils as scheme is officially launched

Active Black Country staff have been working on a successful pilot programme and say the need for children to be 'water safe' is greater than ever.

This year has seen two open water drowning incidents in the Black Country alone, in Ettingshall and Netherton Reservoir, and one of an eight-year-old boy from Birmingham.

Funded by 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.

The launch, at Bert Williams Leisure Centre Bilston was attended by representatives of all the bodies involved and the headmaster of Bilston C of E Primary School Gary Gentle along with two of his pupils who are already taking part in the programme. There was fun with the message as Commonwealth Games 2022 mascot Perry was on hand to see a demonstration of water safety at the 25 metre pool with pupils on the programme

The programme, which will last until December, will be rolled out across 80 schools in the Black Country and will see around 4,000 pupils taught water safety,

Statistics show that in 2023, 48 per-cent of primary school leavers – 7,884 children across the Black Country – were unable to demonstrate safe self-rescue in water. In Wolverhampton alone, 44 per cent of year six pupils could not perform safe self-rescue.

Amanda Tomlinson, chair of the Active Black Country board said the programme was vital in helping meet National Curriculum targets around water safety for pupils leaving primary education,

She said: "Perhaps more importantly the programme aims to help reduce child drowning fatalities and ensure children are equipped with the vital lifesaving knowledge to allow them to be safe in and around water in the cold winter months ahead."

Chief Executive Ian Carey said: "We have already engaged with partner schools and more will now come on board as the scheme has been officially launched to deliver both an in-water and vital dry side education programme.

"As well as that, trained tutors will work with the pupils on how to cope and deal with an emergency situation whether that is for themselves, a friend or someone they see in trouble whilst in the water."

Gary Gentle said the drowning of a two year old boy in the Wolverhampton and Birmingham Canal at Ettingshall in August had left a lasting impression on him, his staff and pupils at the school.

He said: "When it happens a stone throw away from where we are it hits home and this programme is vital not only to prevent it happening again but for young pupils to leave primary school with the necessary swimming and water safety skills which they can apply as they continue with their education."

For more details on the programme, go to https://www.activeblackcountry.co.uk/news/new-black-country-water-safety-programme-will-benefit-more-than-4000-children