RNLI Swim Safe 2023 brings water safety to life to 800 Children in Scarborough
Swim Safe is a free, fun outdoor swimming session with fully qualified lifeguards and swimming instructors which operated in the North bay Scarborough. The program ran over the summer holidays.
Young people love swimming outdoors. Swimming in the sea, rivers and lakes is very different to swimming in a pool. Swim Safe is a community focused programme that gives children aged 7–14 an opportunity to learn how to be safe in and around open water.
The practical sessions are designed to help young people who can already swim 25m unaided to improve their swimming ability and feel more confident in the water.
Donna Loveland, RNLI Swim Safe Officer for Scarborough, says: ‘Swim safe was a huge success, thank you to all the children that attended Swim Safe 2023, just under 800 of you! How amazing is that - well done to each one of you.
'We will be back for 2024, hopefully if we can raise the funds. If you would like to help with fund raising please contact us on the Andrew McGeown Legacy Fund Facebook page. When at the coast, it’s best to choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.’
If there is no lifeguard cover, make sure you know:
where you can enter and exit the water
your location – are there any hazards you need to be aware of?
what the tide and currents are doing - check the tide times before entering the water
how to spot rip currents
what to do if you get caught in a rip current. Don’t try to swim against it. If you can stand, try to wade rather than swim. Next, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore. Raise your hand and shout for help.
More information is available on our website, https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/open-water-swimming
RNLI Media contacts
For more information, please contact Nick Gough, RNLI volunteer deputy Lifeboat Press Officer: [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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