Published 21 June 2024
West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust (WDLT) have delivered water safety school swimming lessons to 1,100 children and young people ahead of the school holidays.
Young people attended lessons in the Vale of Leven Swimming Pool, Meadow Centre and Clydebank Leisure Centre to develop key water safety skills and gain an understanding of water safety messaging.
Along with the water safety lessons, 200 pupils from eight primary schools attended West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust’s Water Safety Day at Loch Lomond on Wednesday 19th June. The event took place during Drowning Prevention Week and saw WDLT’s Swimming Development Team provide essential water safety information to help the young people stay safe around open water. The children also got the opportunity to go into Loch Lomond to practice these skills within a safe and supervised environment.
The event was organised in partnership with Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water. It was also supported by Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Loch Lomond Rescue Boat, Helensburgh First Aid and local volunteers.
John Anderson, General Manager of West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust, said: “The Water Safety programme has been a real success this year with great feedback from everyone who attended the lessons.
"There are many bodies of open water in West Dunbartonshire and therefore our sessions are invaluable in keeping our young people safe. We are grateful to all our partners who worked with us to raise awareness of water safety on Drowning Prevention Week.
"It was great for our young people to learn how to keep themselves safe and how our emergency services respond to a call out involving someone who has gotten into difficulty in the water.”