Nearly 200 children in Moree will be set with skills for life by the end of these summer holidays when they complete two weeks of intensive learn to swim lessons.
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This is the first summer Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre (MAAC) has taken over the Moree Swim to Survive program from the Department of Sport and Recreation and so far it has been a huge success.
MAAC is running two intensive learn to swim programs this summer, which will see a total of 190 children, from 18 months up to 14 years, learn the basics of swimming.
A total of 82 children have been participating in the first program, which finishes tomorrow (Friday, January 13), while 108 are booked in for the second program which runs from Monday, January 16 to Wednesday, January 25.
MAAC CEO Scott Hawkins said it has been a huge success.
“It’s been really good, especially given what’s happening with all the drownings lately,” he said.
“I think these numbers are bigger than what Sport and Rec got.”
While a high number of Moree children are learning swimming skills which could save their lives one day, sadly 18 people in NSW have lost their lives to drowning this summer so far.
This number is way too high and has led many people in the state and our region, including Mr Hawkins, to stress the importance of learning to swim from a young age.
“It’s a skill for life and if we can teach it in a contained environment here, if [children] do get into a situation, they’ve got the skills to help themselves,” he said. “We do the Swim to Survive so there’s an element around safety and survival skills.”
In an effort to help boost swimming competence among children in Moree, MAAC is looking to expand on its summer learn to swim program by offering the two-week intensive program in the Easter and September school holidays, as well as weekly Saturday classes throughout the school term if there’s enough interest.
“This is so we can get to more people and give them more frequency because once a year is nowhere near enough,” Mr Hawkins said.
“We’re lucky that we have the facilities to swim all year round in Moree.”
Meanwhile, patronage to the pool has been better than ever these holidays, with MAAC seeing a 28 per cent increase in numbers over the past two weeks compared to the same time last year.