New research commissioned by Speedo has revealed that 40 per cent of children can’t swim and a quarter of parents believe that schools and the government should be accountable for teaching children to swim rather than themselves.
In a bid to empower parents and children to have fun and get in the pool, Speedo has teamed up with Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington and her mum Kay to launch a new learn to swim competition.
We want to engage children with swimming through the competition and get them enjoying the water safely, reducing the number of accidents occurring in the water due to a lack of experience
The ‘S Factor’ competition asks kids to create a new character to join the Speedo Sea Squad, a team of cute creatures designed to make learning to swim feel fun and less daunting. As part of the campaign Rebecca and her mum Kay will offer top tips and advice to help parents and kids get swimming.
The research also revealed that despite 60 per cent of parents admitting they worry about their child drowning as a result of not being able to swim, nearly half of the parents questioned didn’t think of learning to swim as an important life skill.
Rebecca Adlington said: “I hope the competition inspires children to get into swimming and learn more about this essential skill in a fun and interactive way. I’d love to see more kids getting in the pool and enjoying learning to swim as much as I did as a child."
Nearly three quarters of children haven’t had a swimming lesson or been taught by their parents. This lack of coaching has resulted in one in ten children experiencing an accident in the water due to lack of confidence and experience.
Sally Polak from Speedo UK said: “We want to engage children with swimming through the competition and get them enjoying the water safely, reducing the number of accidents occurring in the water due to a lack of experience.
"Winter is the perfect time to get to a leisure centre and away from the cold weather and our tips for parents through our Learn to Swim campaign will help build the child’s confidence in the water.”
Parents and kids can enter the competition at http://www.mumsnet.com/microsites/speedo from 1 November. The winner will be chosen by a panel of experts including Rebecca and will win a free pool party hosted by Rebecca herself and the Speedo Sea Squad. The winning design will join the Sea Squad as an honorary member to front the campaign encouraging kids to take the plunge.
For more information about the Learn to Swim range, visit www.speedo.com/seasquadlearntoswim
Do you think learning how to swim is a life skill? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
FemaleFirst
Shabana Adam