Breaking down barriers to keep kids safe in the water

Daniel Gerrard, chief executive of Water Safety New Zealand believes that more education in schools is the key to preventing future deaths. Carl Newman, SFLT trust manager agrees and says, “Our programme is not about creating Olympic swimmers; it's about helping all kids in our region become competent and safe in the water.”

 Each year about 3200 primary school children from the Tairawhiti region receive 10 free swimming lessons each. “We cover a huge area, working with kids from Motu, all the way up the coast to Hicks Bay.”

 “We start with kids when they’re five and work with them every year until they leave primary school. By then our goal is that they are competent and know how to be safe in the water.”

 Water Safety New Zealand developed the SFLT programme, making sure students are taught the skills needed to become competent in the water. The ‘Water Skills for Life’ programme which provides lessons to 40 schools in the Tairawhiti region costs about $250,000 per year to run and is funded by Trusts and Organisations.

 To help with the ongoing costs, the SFLT board established the Swim for Life Tairawhiti Endowment Fund with Sunrise. The endowment fund donations are invested, and the capital is protected, with the interest from the investment returned to SFLT every year, less a small amount, which is retained to ensure that their fund grows in line with inflation.

 Carl is aware that many parents are unable to pay for extra-curricular activities such as swimming lessons and likes knowing that SFLT is helping teach kids some of the skills they need to stay safe.

 “By providing free lessons we try to take away any barriers for kids and their families that otherwise probably wouldn’t be able to afford it.”