North Wales kids learn to Swim Safe at Plas Menai

Swim Safe school sessions are being held at Plas Menai between 3-7 July. The hour-long sessions teaches children aged 8 years and over how to stay safe when swimming outdoors, which is often more challenging than swimming in a pool. The free programme is supported by Swim Wales and Swim England (the national governing bodies for swimming) as well as the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea.

Each session is run by qualified swimming teachers, RNLI lifeguards and supported by a team of trained volunteers. Practical, interactive, educational and fun, each session includes 15 minutes of land-based safety with a lifeguard and then it is into the water for practical tuition with a swimming teacher.

The Swim Safe school sessions will be held at Plas Menai throughout the week, teaching young children vital safety tips before the summer holidays.

Hope Filby, Swim Safe Coordinator at Plas Menai said: ‘Children love swimming outdoors; but it’s important that people learn that swimming in the sea, rivers and lakes is more challenging than swimming in a pool, where most lessons take place. We’d like to invite people to sign up and join the Swim Safe team to learn vital lifesaving skills this summer.’

For parents who are keen to sign up their children (aged 8 and over) in the free water safety sessions, bookings are now being taken for the free summer sessions that are held at Plas Menai over the school summer holidays. Swim Safe sessions will be held every Tuesday from 25^th July throughout the school summer holidays.

For more information or to book a space on a session visit: https://swimsafe.org.uk/

Notes to editor

Attached are photos taken from last year’s Swim Safe water sessions. Credit: Alan Dop

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For more information contact Eleri Roberts, RNLI Public Relations Manager on 01745 585162 / 07771 941390 or email [email protected].

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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