Educating young people on enjoying water safely this summer

It's National Drowning Prevention Week this week and the Council and its leisure partner MyActive are helping raise awareness of water safety and sharing potentially life-saving tips.

Recent tragic events have served as a powerful reminder that open water can be unpredictable and dangerous even for experienced swimmers.

The Royal Life Saving Society's (RLSS) annual campaign is designed to educate children and young adults aged 5 to 17 in water safety and lifesaving skills.

Working alongside the High Peak School Sports Partnership, emergency services, schools and community groups, colleagues from MyActive are promoting water safety awareness among children and young people.

Through school assemblies, visits, partnership activities and links to the swimming lesson programme, we're helping pupils understand the risks associated with open water, develop confidence around water, and learn simple actions that could save a life.

Councillor Damien Greenhalgh, Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Regeneration, Tourism and Leisure, said: "Being active should be positive, enjoyable and, above all, safe for everyone. So this awareness raising work with young people is so important as we approach the summer and the school holidays.

"Water safety is also an important part of the swimming lessons programme delivered by MyActive at our pools across the High Peak. Children and young people learn not only how to swim confidently but also how to recognise risks, make safe decisions around water, and understand what to do in an emergency.

"Through Swim England's Learn to Swim framework and dedicated water safety modules, we're helping people develop essential skills that make a real difference in the pool and beyond."

There's more information about swimming lessons on the MyActive website - just select your chosen leisure centre or pool.

Find out more about how to enjoy water safety on the RLSS website and visit the RNLI website for more advice on what to do if you get into difficulty in water.

Published on 17 June 2026