Working with Blue Bell Hill Primary school, EPIC Partners will pilot a new, innovative project called ECAS-DP. The purpose of the project is to enable children of a primary school age to be safe in and around water, increasing their awareness of water safety, swim survival and rescue skills, with the overall aim of reducing drowning incidences amongst children in/from the St Ann’s and Sneinton area. EPIC Partners have worked in this community for many years and are aware that young children are often cared for by older siblings, many of these aged around 11 years. EPIC Partners believe it is vital that these children are equipped with the appropriate skills to ensure that younger siblings are kept safe from harm when around water.

The project aims to do the following: raise awareness of water safety, swim survival and safe rescue skills amongst children and parents. Raise children’s confidence in and around water-based activities. To embed swimming and water safety into children’s lives so that it becomes a life-long passion. To create career paths and livelihood opportunities for children and young people in the swimming and lifeguarding sector. To increase confidence and water safety skills amongst the staff that support the ECAS-DP sessions.

The project offers the following: Two week intensive swimming block to work on water safety, swim survival and safe rescue skills and to enable children to swim more confidently. School resources to complement the practical swim sessions and increase water safety awareness and knowledge. Water safety presentations to schools via assemblies. SABL (Save a Baby’s Life) workshops for parents. Free family swim sessions staffed by Epic swim teachers. Weekly ‘Rookie Lifeguard’ sessions for children. Lifeguard and teaching qualifications for staff and young volunteers.