On average, 307 adults and children are drowned in the UK and Ireland each year – 49% of them between May and August.
GLL runs nine leisure centres in Cornwall on behalf of Cornwall Council and is a firm supporter of the annual Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS) Drowning Prevention Week campaign.
Natallie Ashton, GLL’s Area Swim School Lead for West Cornwall, said: “We are proud to play our part in ensuring our families stay safe in the summer and are urging parents to access the free water safety resources available on the RLSS website.
“We’re incorporating the charity’s lesson plans into our school sessions throughout this week because, in a coastal community like Cornwall, being able to enjoy the water whilst also knowing what to do in an emergency is, we believe, an essential life skill.
“All Better leisure centres are focusing on water safety this week with displays and free colouring and puzzle activities for children. We’re also offering a 50% discount on swim school fees until 30 July. Use the SUMMER50 discount code when signing up online.
“Since the start of the pandemic, the RLSS estimates that close to two million children have missed out on the opportunity of school swimming lessons in England alone – an extremely worrying statistic that mustn’t be ignored.”
The RLSS water safety message to anyone in trouble in the sea and inland waterways is:
· Stop and Think
· Stay Together
· Call 999
· Float
As a social enterprise, GLL offers concessionary swim school memberships and all swim school memberships include access to other swimming sessions. For more information, visit https://www.better.org.uk/monthly-membership/better-hf-conc
To access free water safety resources, visit www.rlss.org.uk
