It's drowning prevention week!
Hambleton’s campaign to keep families water safe continues as it adds its support to Drowning Prevention Week (June 12 – 19).
Last month the authority’s water safety campaign saw messages on how to stay safe in paddling pools, at the coast and in rivers and becks posted on its social media accounts.
Due to the ongoing impact of coronavirus, personal water safety is more important than ever before in saving lives. The UK’s Drowning Prevention Charity, the Royal Life Saving Society UK, fears that families will flock to beaches and inland water locations this summer, without considering the potential dangers - putting themselves and others at risk.
The charity hopes that through the current campaign, the UK and Ireland will see a reduction in the statistics that see approximately 700 people losing their lives to drowning every year - one every 12 hours. Many more suffer injury, sometimes life changing, following a water related incident.
Hambleton District Council wants to play its part in trying to reduce this figure, and ensuring there isn’t a rise in fatalities because of the current situation. The council and its four Zest leisure centres will be sharing key drowning prevention messages via their social media pages and through the Zest leisure app.
Councillor Mrs Bridget Fortune, portfolio holder for Leisure added: “It is so important to remind people to stay safe and take personal responsibility near water, especially during these unprecedented times and with the closure of the district council’s leisure centres due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The aim of the campaign is to help everybody across the UK and Ireland to #BeALifesaver and take charge of their own destiny to enjoy the water safely. We are only too happy to be involved with Drowning Prevention Week.”
More information: https://www.rlss.org.uk/drowning-prevention-week