Community approach to water safety

Back in August, Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon officially launched the community lead water safety group dedicated to protecting lives by making their local waterways safer.

The Carmarthenshire Water Safety Partnership was driven into action following the tragic death of three local teenagers in the river Towy, as well as the countless river related incidents that have occurred over recent years.

The group had been set up to 'promote, encourage and campaign for improved countywide water safety through education, physical improvements and better awareness of issues affecting regular river users/clubs and associations and the wider public' says partnership chairman Adam Whitehouse.

Since August the group have worked tirelessly and just 3 months on from their official launch are already seeing vast improvements in the approach and attitudes towards water safety within their county.

Not only has the group been successfully working with local businesses, including Water Safety Europe, but have also attracted the support of national charities including the RLSS and RNLI.  The group have also been working with members of the Mid and West Wales Fire service, the Police and Ferryside Lifeboat.

The group has had the full support of local press and media, as well as that of the Carmarthenshire County Council.

It is safe to say that this locally run community group is proof that a community lead approach towards promoting safety and improving community facilities works.  The group aim to launch a new joint educational program into the counties primary schools ready for 2016 as well as host a wide range of practical activities to help hone lifesaving skills within the local youth.  Included into the planned improvements include ground work developments on private land giving greater emergency access to the river as well as a review into and systematic approach to Public Rescue Devises, helping to increase bystanders ability to intervene in an emergency.

Attached is a copy of the new PR posters being place throughout the county.

Here at Water Safety Europe, we are proud to be an official partner in the Carmarthenshire Water Safety Partnership and privileged to be able to sit in on and advise on topics raised at partnership meetings, free of charge.  We are looking into ways of increasing our influence on the counties water safety strategy and alongside the Carmarthenshire Water Safety Partnership hope to launch a number of community interest interventions in 2016.