Charity's founder urges young people to seize the opportunity to take part in water safety training

The largest national water safety and drowning prevention educational campaign has started in Devon - with Torbay next on the list for special training sessions.
They are being held at Torquay Academy today (Thursday, November 16) and are being organised by the charity Above Water and founder Brendon Prince.
In the UK and Ireland, over the last five years, an average of 610 people drown every year , with tens of thousands of rescues conducted on the coastline and inland waterways.  
As part of a national campaign, Above Water will be holding Water Safety 'Young Leader' training in Torbay. Devon is the first county to receive this unique training, with sessions already taken place in Plymouth, Exeter and Honiton.  
Students who are ‘Young Leaders’ undergo two hours of training from Above Water to then go back into their own schools to train their peers in these essential life skills. 
Brendon says: "With nine million school age students in the UK, this is the largest practical solution to training the children nationally. 
"Research shows that students that receive a minimum of 45 minutes training each year in water safety knowledge and practical drowning prevention techniques not only have a greater survival chance but also take these skills into a healthier and happier adulthood."
Water safety and drowning prevention are the two key strands of the training with the sessions at the Academy, in Cricketfield Road, Torquay, from 9.30am to 11.30am.
Training in the South West has been generously sponsored by Torbay-based McCarthy Contracting & Developments Ltd and regionally the programme has been sponsored  by South West Water.
For more information about the initiative or to attend the water safety sessions, please contact Brendon Prince - email - brendon@abovewater.org  or you can call him on 07974243965.