The UK National Drowning Report from the Water Safety All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), authored by RLSS UK and supported by the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF), has launched today.
The report will be shared with MPs at Westminster this evening as representatives from the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) to launch the National Drowning Report during their annual Drowning Prevention Week campaign.
The launch event, sponsored by TWF (The Wetsuit Factory), will see RLSS UK Charity Director, Lee Heard talk through the report findings, highlighting to MPs the recommendations of the report to move forwards with drowning prevention.
Former professional swimmer and Speedo ambassador, Michael Gunning will also be in attendance and is due to speak about his challenges within the aquatics community.
MPs will also have the opportunity to meet with organisations who contributed to the report such as RNLI, Speedo, Water Babies, RoSPA, the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), the Maritime Coastal Agency (MCA), amongst other key organisations in the industry.
Water Safety APPG chair Giles Watling is due to open the launch event.
The report provides a real picture of accidental drownings in the UK and uses data from the Water Accident Incident Database (WAID) and other data sources to provide the UK Government with evidence backed data on why the approach to drowning prevention needs to be improved.
Lee said: “We are looking forward to being at Westminster this evening to launch the inaugural National Drowning Report. The report demonstrates not only the great work which is already being done to combat accidental drowning, but provides a clear picture of where improvements can be made.
“We are hoping to meet with many MPs this evening in a bid to highlight the importance of water safety education in the hope they return to their own constituencies with a plan to begin thinking of how they can improve education and awareness around the UK.”
“The report has been launched during RLSS UK’s Drowning Prevention Week campaign, and therefore helps amplify the messages we have been sharing this week in a bid to reach even more children and their families than ever to provide them with free water safety education ahead of the summer holidays.”
To view the report visit www.rlss.org.uk/national-drowning-report-uk.
Drowning Prevention Week provides free resources to families to provide education for all. Visit www.rlss.org.uk/DPW for further information.