INDUSTRY VIEWS
We’ve been sharing our expertise in water safety, lifesaving, and lifeguarding to educate everyone to enjoy water safely. SINCE 1891 We’re not just experts in lifeguarding and lifesaving qualifications;
SWIMMING POOLS ARE VITAL FOR CHILDREN’S SAFETY AND THEIR FUTURE Swimming pools play a crucial role in helping children learn to swim; however, learning to swim alone is not enough to keep a child safe if they fall into water. Research shows that many children who drown are classed as ‘swimmers’*, suggesting they lack sufficient knowledge of how to self-rescue, which impacts their chance of survival. Therefore, it is essential that, in addition to learning to swim, children develop essential water safety knowledge and skills, enabling them to enjoy the water safely. In recent years, there has been growing concern about declining swimming ability and water safety awareness amongst children and young people. This worrying trend has serious implications for their safety in, on, and around water. Without the confidence to swim, knowledge to self-rescue and the ability to identify and respond to risks, many children are left vulnerable in potentially life-threatening situations. Recent data shows a significant decline in the number of children who can confidently swim 25 metres by the end of primary school. In 2017/18, it was reported that 76.8% of children met this standard. By 2023/24, it had dropped to 70.2%**. This decline signals a serious and growing risk to child safety. In the last five years, the number of children who have lost their lives to drowning in England has doubled**; our sector can help to change this trajectory, but we need to protect the number of swimming pools and prevent more closures. Swimming pools provide safe environments for children to learn to swim, gain essential water safety skills and enjoy the water safely. This data highlights the urgent need to protect the sector’s swimming pools and allow everyone the chance to use them. What can you do to help? ■ Ensure water safety is taught in all swimming lessons, regardless of the pupil’s age or the class they are attending. ■ Teach the Water Safety Code www.rlss.org.uk/listing/category/the-water- safety-code. ■ Encourage schools you work with to use free RLSS UK resources www.rlss.org.uk/listing/Category/water-safety-education suitable for school assemblies and classroom learning. ■ Encourage schools to participate in RLSS UK’s Water Smart Schools accreditation programme www.rlss.org.uk/pages/category/water-smart-schools. ■ Contact RLSS UK at info@rlss.org.uk to support with open days, school fetes and community events. Finally, we, along with others, are campaigning for water safety education to be a statutory part of the National Curriculum for England. We continue to emphasise the importance of swimming lessons to increase water confidence and competency to ensure the lifelong benefits of swimming. Every child should leave school understanding how to stay safe in, on, or around water and know how to respond if they fall in or someone else gets into difficulty. Please support the campaign work that is taking place to protect our children and their future.
we can also help you with everything related to swimming pool safety, from Pool Safety Audits, Pool Risk Assessments, and Mystery Visits to Lifeguard Zone Visibility Tests (LZVTs), Creation or review of Pool Safety Operating Procedures (PSOP)
Learning to swim alone is not enough – children must also develop water safety knowledge and self‑rescue skills to truly stay safe and enjoy the water for life.
JO TALBOT Commercial Director, RLSS UK
* National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) Deaths of children and young people due to traumatic incidents, July 2023. ** Sport England Active Lives Child Survey, 2017-18 to 2023/2. *** The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) Child Drowning Update, September 2024.
www.rlss.org.uk
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023 Contact us for more information at learnmore@rlss.org.uk TRAINING • QUALIFICATIONS • CONSULTANCY • GUIDANCE
26
27
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
27
STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2025
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker