Kingswim, one of Australia’s leading swim schools, is proud to unveil its reinvigorated Water Safety Program on National Water Safety Day (Dec 1) – equipping young Australians with the life-saving knowledge and skills they need to keep safe in and around water.
With cost-of-living pressures continuing to rise[1], fatal drownings increasing by 24% in the last decade[2], and 2023 on track to be the hottest year on record[3], the free education-led initiative comes at an important time for Australians.
Starring Kingswim’s mascot, Kingsley the Platypus, the revamped program was developed by a team of passionate expert instructors and industry professionals led by Anne Brown – Area Manager of Kingswim Victoria and the project’s original founder. The new iteration includes a series of entertaining, engaging and informative resources and services – including a catchy song, an interactive story book, and playful games – to help kids aged three to five learn, share and retain fundamental water skills.
The program will be delivered at no cost to early educators and families with two components:
1. Incursions – at early learning centres hosted by accredited Kingswim instructors with select appearances from Kingsley.
2. All-new digital resource pack – including a bespoke water safety song with a supporting music video and choreography, an educational story book featuring colouring in pages and brain puzzles, and at-home water safety games.
Initially launched in 2004, Kingswim’s Water Safety Program has already reached over 50,000 children in its original form. The refreshed version elevates the existing in-person offering and provides new digital assets, communicating vital safety information in an entertaining and memorable way.
In 2007, Anne received the Holt Australia Day Award in recognition of the foundation of the initial program and her ongoing commitment to water safety education within her community. More than 15 years later, Anne’s passion for helping young Australians build strong affinities for water still holds strong.
“I am very proud to reveal Kingswim’s improved Water Safety Program. Over the past 20 years, I have worked with hundreds of educators, policy makers and industry bodies to build and elevate a meaningful program that offers fun and free water safety education to young Australians and their families. Our latest iteration has been carefully crafted to help new generations absorb and retain important information and ultimately keep themselves, and their friends, safe. At Kingswim, we believe everyone should feel confident in and around water. This program will save lives.”
Olympic swimmer and mother of three, Alicia Coutts, has also backed the launch, joining Kingswim as a program ambassador. “I am delighted to join Anne and the Kingswim team to celebrate the launch of their latest Water Safety Program. Growing up around water, I know how important it is to learn strong water skills from a young age and I’m proud to support Kingswim in helping more children feel confident in the pool.”
Kingswim is committed to ensure the safety of its community members and is taking proactive steps to promote water safety through early education. Drowning prevention is a life-long, life-saving set of skills that every Australian child should confidently possess.
Kingswim’s Water Safety Program digital resource pack is now available to download via the website. Incursion bookings are also available for Victorian early learning centres, with expansion across the rest of the eastern seaboard scheduled early 2024.
For more information, visit:
kingswim.com.au/water-safety-program (educators)
kingswim.com.au/water-safety-for-kids (parents/guardians)
[1] https://theconversation.com/higher-prices-have-hit-most-people-but-homeowners-have-felt-it-harder-than-renters-211200
About us:
ABOUT KINGSWIM
Kingswim is a leading Australian provider of swimming lessons and aquatic education, dedicated to helping families develop essential water skills. With a focus on safety, skill development, and a love for swimming, Kingswim aims to create a lifelong affinity for the water. The swim school’s experienced instructors, comprehensive facilities, and industry-leading program ensures a positive and engaging swimming experience for every student from babies to big kids and beyond.
ABOUT ANNE BROWN
Anne Brown is a Victorian Area Manager at Kingswim and the founder of the Water Safety Program. Joining the company in 2001 as a swim instructor, Anne has built an incredible career driven by a strong passion for water safety and equipping young Australians with the skills and knowledge they need to feel confident in and around water.
Following her journey as an instructor, Anne moved into a Centre Manager role at Kingswim Narre Warren before heading up the company’s training arm, focusing on skill and knowledge development of instructors nationwide.
In 2004, after the Mackenzie Falls drowning tragedy in the Grampians, Anne established Kingswim’s first Water Safety Program to help amplify local water safety messaging in early learning centres and local communities. In 2007, she was awarded the Holt Australia Day award in recognition of her community education work. In the two decades since the program’s inception, over 50,000 face-to-face water safety sessions have been delivered to young Australians. Anne is proud to launch Kingswim’s reinvigorated program in summer 2023, inspired by two decades of learnings, trend analysis, and knowledge.
Following in her footsteps, Anne’s four children learnt to swim at Kingswim with three going on to become qualified instructors and assume managerial roles within the business. Anne takes great pride in seeing her children continue to share and celebrate her water safety legacy with future generations.
Contact details:
For all media enquiries, please contact Tide Communications: Zoe Morley, zoemorley@tidepr.co, 0413 408 677