Latest news with #swimLessons
The Sun
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Millions of Brits still can't swim – and a third don't feel confident in the water, survey shows
NEARLY nine million British adults are still unable to swim, according to shocking new research. A study of 2,000 adults found 17 per cent have no swimming ability whatsoever, 33 per cent don't feel confident in the water, and 42 per cent will only brave the shallow end. 7 7 Despite swimming and water safety being on the national curriculum, one in five said they weren't offered lessons at school, Also, a further 24 per cent didn't get taught because their parents couldn't swim. Others were put off by a bad experience, or didn't see swimming as important when they were growing up. The research was commissioned by EasyJet, as part of an initiative that offers free swimming lessons to 1,000 adults across the UK ahead of the summer holidays. The programme has been developed in partnership with Triple Olympic Champion Tom Dean, national swim provider Better, and the Royal Life Saving Society UK. Tom Dean, who has spoken to Parliament about water safety, said: 'As an Olympic swimmer, I know the importance of learning water safety skills and am passionate about ensuring everyone across Britain has access to basic swimming competencies. 'Whether it's staying with a buddy, knowing your limits, or sticking to areas where you can stand, it's never too late to learn how to swim.' The research also revealed that 17 per cent of Brits grew up without a local pool. More than 100 public pools have closed across the UK in the past 20 years – with the average pool now 4.3 miles from people's homes. For five per cent, the nearest pool is more than 10 miles away. The new Caribbean island opening to cruise passengers with swim up bars and huge lagoons Worryingly, this gap could grow in the years ahead - with 14 per cent of parents admitting they haven't enrolled their children in swimming lessons and don't plan to teach them either. Of these, 20 per cent say they don't have the time, 15 per cent cite high costs, and 13 per cent believe swimming is too risky. Despite this, 31 per cent of parents worry about their children swimming on holiday because they can't swim themselves. A further 32 per cent fear they wouldn't be able to help if something went wrong, and 18 per cent wish they could join their children or grandchildren in the pool – but can't. Meanwhile, 25 per cent say their lack of swimming ability affects how much they enjoy their holidays. Nearly one in five are too scared to get in the pool at all, and 11 per cent have avoided beach holidays altogether because of it. But now, 35 per cent of non-swimmers would take lessons as adults if given the chance – with 23 per cent admitting their lack of ability makes them feel vulnerable. Top 10 barriers to learning how to swim as children 1. It wasn't seen as important growing up 2. School didn't offer a learn-to-swim programme 3. Parents couldn't swim so didn't teach them 4. Parents didn't have time to take them to lessons 5. A bad early experience 6. No pool nearby 7. Seen as too dangerous 8. No time during school 9. Not part of their culture or religion 10. Too expensive Matt Callaghan, chief operating officer at easyJet Holidays, said: 'We know how much Brits love their summer beach holidays to Europe's favourite destinations. 'That's why it's so important to us to highlight the surprisingly high number of adults who can't swim – something we're determined to help change. 'By improving safety and helping more people fully enjoy the water, we're also offering a life skill that lasts far beyond the holiday itself. 'We're thrilled to partner with Olympic athlete Tom Dean and the Royal Life Saving Society UK to offer 1,000 British adults the opportunity to learn to swim. 'Together, we're taking a meaningful step towards closing the gap and giving more people the confidence and freedom to enjoy the water – on holiday and at home.' 7 7 7 7
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
Nearly nine million British adults are still unable to swim, research reveals
Nearly nine million British adults are still unable to swim, research reveals. A study of 2,000 adults found 17 per cent have no swimming ability whatsoever, 33 per cent don't feel confident in the water, and 42 per cent will only brave the shallow end. The research was commissioned by easyJet holidays to launch Swim School[ – an initiative offering free swimming lessons to 1,000 adults across the UK ahead of the summer holidays. The programme has been developed in partnership with Triple Olympic Champion Tom Dean, national swim provider Better, and the Royal Life Saving Society UK. Tom Dean, who has spoken to Parliament about water safety, said: 'As an Olympic swimmer, I know the importance of learning water safety skills and am passionate about ensuring everyone across Britain has access to basic swimming competencies. Matt Callaghan, chief operating officer at easyJet Holidays, said: 'We know how much Brits love their summer beach holidays to Europe's favourite destinations. 'We're thrilled to partner with Olympic athlete Tom Dean and the Royal Life Saving Society UK to offer 1,000 British adults the opportunity to learn to swim."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Swim expert offers safety tips ahead of Memorial Day Weekend
MADISON, Ala. (WHNT) — Memorial Day Weekend is well-known as the kick-off to summer. Many neighborhood pools and waterparks start to open for the season this time of year. However, a fun afternoon at the pool can turn dangerous in a split second. Gold Star families honored on Redstone Arsenal According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, drowning is the number one cause of injury death for children ages one to four in the U.S. Unfortunately, there were several child drowning reports in North Alabama in 2024. 'Drowning, unfortunately, is usually very quiet, and it happens really quickly,' said Kylie Beckwith, the Deck Supervisor at Goldfish Swim School in Madison. She said, unlike in the movies, the person isn't usually flailing their arms and shouting for help. That's why she says it's so important to teach your children about water safety and to teach them water survivor skills. Beckwith said, knowing where to go to get safe is the biggest thing. 'So making sure they're learning to turn to their back to get safe so that they can get air and parents can see or other grown-ups can see them, that they're in distress or calling for help,' Beckwith said. Starstruck: The original Huntsville Mr. Baseball, Don Mincher As a new mom herself, Beckwith recommends getting your child in swim lessons starting as an infant. Goldfish Swim School starts lessons for babies at four months old. 'The importance of starting them young, and I do it for my daughter as well, is just getting exposure to the pool, other kids, how to interact with other children in the water,' Beckwith told News 19. Besides talking to your kids about having boundaries near bodies of water, she recommends putting extra protections in place if you have a backyard pool. 'Please make sure there's a gate around your pool,' she said. 'That it's always closed, locked, whatever you need to do.' Regardless of how strong of a swimmer that your child is, she also recommends having them wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket. She said the color of their swimsuit can also help them be seen in a pool, and a potential emergency. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. 'As cute as some of the light blues, the neutral colors that are really popular right now, as great as those things are, they blend in really easily with the pool,' Beckwith said. 'So if a parent is scanning or a lifeguard is scanning, it does make it a little bit more difficult to see them.' If you're swimming somewhere without a lifeguard on duty, she reminds parents to pay attention at all times and not get distracted by things like cell phones. 'Just keeping eyes on the pool, making sure you don't walk away without communicating with someone to have eyes on them too,' she said. She said to never assume another parent is watching the pool and that it's good to designate a pool watcher. Goldfish Swim School offers a wide range of classes and swim lessons for different age groups. The YMCA also offers swim lessons. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
19-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Thousands of Miami-Dade students learn to swim in life-saving county initiative
In Miami-Dade County, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 14, but a year-old county program is making strides to change that-one swim lesson at a time. May marks National Water Safety Month and local officials are spotlighting the Zero Drownings initiative, which has already provided swim lessons to more than 2,500 preschool and kindergarten students. "Swimming in the water, jumping in the water and splashing in the water," said 5-year-old Jose, who counts swim class as his favorite part of the school day. Jose is learning how to swim, float, and safely enter and exit the water-foundational skills that could one day save his life. A county-wide effort to prevent tragedies The program offers free 30-minute swim sessions daily for 10-day periods during the school day, using 14 pools across the county and reaching students from 66 elementary schools. "We have reached over 2,500 preschool and kindergarten children already from 66 elementary schools utilizing 14 swimming pools all around the county," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. For parents like Sarah Hopkins, the program is a much-needed relief. "Right before the program happened, we almost had an incident where he went under and I thought he was joking around until I realized he needed help," Hopkins said. Confidence in the water and at home Now, Hopkins says her son is not only more confident but also more cautious around water. "He's confident, he doesn't swim with floaties, he understands the severity of being around a pool, he doesn't clown around as much and he's also brought what he learned here to teach his little sister to swim," she said. The county plans to continue expanding the initiative with the goal of enrolling 20,000 children by the 2026-2027 school year.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
World's largest rubber duck is deflated early after 'malfunctioning'
The World's Largest Rubber Duck, affectionately known as 'Mama Duck,' made a dramatic entrance—and early exit—from South Carolina's Myrtle Beach. The towering 60-foot inflatable was intended to stay over the weekend to raise awareness about drowning prevention, as part of National Water Safety Month. But high winds caused a tear in the duck's side, forcing organizers to deflate and pack her up earlier than planned. Despite the abrupt departure, the event's mission continued at Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion Park, where educational activities and safety resources were still offered to the public. Craig Samborski, the event's Head Duck Wrangler, emphasized the duck's symbolic role in promoting vigilance around water. 'You know, I hope seeing the duck, every time they think about seeing the duck it also jars their memory about, 'Hey water safety is important' and it really is, there's a lot of things we can do to prevent water safety accidents,' Samborski told WMBF. Not just with swimming, but with boating and what not, and the duck is just a neat, iconic symbol that might remind us of that a lot when we need to know that the most,' The initiative also included free swim lesson sign-ups for children in Horry, Georgetown, and Williamsburg counties—an effort to make lifesaving education more accessible to local families. David Byrd, CEO of the YMCA of Coastal Carolina, told WPDE, 'Put your phones down and keep your eyes up because as kids come out they wanna have fun, they wanna play, they will enjoy, but parents need to be extremely initiative or a caretaker needs to be extremely attentive with those kids for sure.' The Myrtle Beach Fire Department underscored the urgency of water safety, noting that dozens of rescues and hundreds of hazard advisories are issued each year. Volunteers and city officials echoed the sentiment that Mama Duck helped spark important conversations, even if she couldn't stay the full duration. 'It's disappointing she had to leave early,' one YMCA volunteer told WPDE, 'but people are talking—and that's the goal.' Organizers are already working on plans to bring the duck back next year. In the meantime, residents can access ongoing safety materials through the YMCA's Splash Safe online hub.
