P-05-868 Water Safety/Drowning Prevention and the effects of Cold Water Shock to be taught in all Schools in Wales, Correspondence - Royal Life Saving Society to Chair, 05.03.20

Dear Janet,

Firstly, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to respond. I am very sorry for the delayed response.

Our role as an organisation is to actively educate, campaign and prepare the Welsh public to enjoy the water safely, in a safe environment. This includes all water usage whether it be at inland, open water sites in the pool. We support the intended efforts of The Carmarthen Water Safety Partnership to lobby for such issues. Water safety and especially education about ‘cold water shock’ should, without doubt, be communicated to all young Welsh citizens.

We, within our membership of the All Wales Water Safety Group, are currently planning a holistic, strategic approach to being in, on or near water safely.

The group, chaired by the Fire and Rescue Service and supported by RLSS UK, MCA and RNLI are currently drafting an all Wales Water Safety Strategy. As a crucial stakeholder, we plan to actively engage with the Welsh Assembly to ensure that it meets the needs of all Welsh citizens and that the strategies reach, and distribution is empowered to all that are responsible. A key part if the strategy will include how children are proactively educated to enjoy the water, get out and see their beautiful country but to do so with knowledge and with responsibility. A draft strategy will be released for consultation in summer of 2020.

We are confident that the All Wales Strategy will effectively empower and support the number of passionate local groups, such as the Carmarthen Water Safety Partnership to deliver the outcomes that they so desperately desire.

I hope that provides effective insight into our current approach. Please get in touch if you have any further enquiries

Yours Sincerely

Robert Gofton