Students learn about water safety ahead of summer break

We joined forces with partners to deliver water safety workshops for more than 100 school children ahead of the upcoming school summer holidays.

A Safe+Sound event was held at the Bescura Family Hubb, Port Vale Football Club, on Friday (7 July) and saw a total of 120 students participate in workshops themed around water safety.

The event covered a number of topics, including: what to do in an emergency by water, CPR and use of a defibrillator, coastal water safety and water safety by canals, rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

The workshops are just one aspect of the Safe+Sound offer from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

On Friday (7 July), we delivered the workshops alongside the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Canal and River Trust and Specialist Group International to pupils from local schools aged nine-years to 11-years-old.  

Red Watch from Newcastle Fire Station also came along and demonstrated their water safety techniques and equipment.

The event also saw Ryan Evans’ father get involved and speak to pupils to get them to think about their safety and the dangers of swimming in open water. This summer marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Ryan Evans at Westport Lake.

Ryan was 13 when he tragically died following entry to the lake in the nature reserve based in Stoke-on-Trent in June 2018.

Helen Wood, Education Manager at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We were pleased to work alongside partners to deliver these workshops where students learned about water safety but also gained life-saving skills. The feedback received from the students was very positive and we look forward to continuing the Safe and Sound initiative in the future.

“It was also a pleasure to welcome Mr Evans to speak to the school children on the dangers of open water and for him to get involved with the workshops. 

“Water safety is so important and hopefully our event will help make the children who attended safer as they enjoy their summer holidays.”

For more information about the Safe+Sound project, visit our website.