Swim Safe sessions for children in Scarborough to return this summer

It's taking place on the North Bay in August

Author: Karen LiuPublished 29th May 2023

A free water safety session for children in Scarborough is set to return this summer.

Swim Safe takes place on the North Bay and educates kids what to do around the sea on the beach.

Donna Loveland, Chair of the Andrew McGeown Legacy Fund, said: "A lot of children will have learnt to swim in a swimming pool and never maybe been in the open water or the sea before. It's obviously a lot colder and the environment's a lot different to when they're swimming in a pool.

"If they did see something that did distract them whilst they were on the beach or something like that to maybe never go near the water. One of the things we teach is that if you're going to enter the sea to do whatever it is you're going to do you always stay within the vicinity of the adult that you're with; whether it be a grandparent, a friend of the family or your parents.

"The major things are is that kids know where to swim and where is safe, not to swim if the red flags are out if anything like that because obviously we teach them all about what the different flags mean, how to float, stay with your adult and who to phone."

Donna says the reason she does Swim Safe is because her brother lost his life and added: "People do what he did every day and don't really think about it. He probably didn't and he went in to rescue his dog when the sea was very rough, and probably didn't think anything of it because it was his beloved dog. It's teaching children if they did see somebody in danger or if they get into danger themselves then it's about how to stay alive or what to do."

Find out more on the Swim Safe website.

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