HIGH schools across Cheshire are being urged to sign up to a 'groundbreaking' programme designed to help young people stay safe around wild waters.
The Cheshire Water Safety Champions Programme, funded by Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Dan Price, and delivered by Water Safety Matters, will see schools nominate one member of staff and two pupils to become water safety champions.
The initiative aims to move beyond traditional safety campaigns by focusing on changing behaviour and encouraging young people to influence their peers to make safer decisions.
Champions will attend a free training day featuring interactive workshops and practical water safety sessions in a swimming pool before returning to their schools as ambassadors for the scheme.
Organisers say the programme is important because accidents still happen despite young people understanding the risks.
Issues such as peer pressure, social media, wanting to impress friends, and overestimating swimming ability can all contribute to dangerous decision making around water.
Rather than relying solely on teachers or adults to deliver safety messages, the scheme encourages pupils themselves to take the lead in raising awareness.
Dan Price said: “Every state high school in Cheshire will have trained staff and student champions equipped to educate their peers about the risks of open water, and how to stay safe.
“I believe this programme is one of the first in the UK, and it puts Cheshire at the forefront of water safety education by setting an example for others to follow.
Louise Johnson, founder of Water Safety Matters, has spent more than 20 years in swimming education and water safety.
She wants to see water safety education become embedded in school life rather than a one-off lesson or assembly.
She said: “If I have learned one thing, it is knowing how to swim doesn't automatically mean someone knows how to stay safe.
“We can tell young people not to jump into rivers or canals, but unless we understand why they might make those decisions in the first place, how can we expect to change their behaviour?
“We’re not just giving pupils information; we’re giving them a voice, the confidence to influence their friends, and the opportunity to make a genuine difference.
“If just one young person makes a safer decision because of a conversation with a Water Safety Champion, that could be a life saved.”
The scheme is open to schools in every borough of Cheshire
Each will receive resources to help champions organise activities, share safety messages, and develop their own initiatives throughout the year.
Places are still available for the November training sessions, which will happen:
Tuesday, November 10: Macclesfield Leisure Centre
Thursday, November 12: Northwich Brio Leisure Centre
Tuesday, November 17: Alsager Leisure Centre
Wednesday, November 18: Widnes Leisure Centre
Schools interested in taking part are being encouraged to register their interest and nominate their champions ahead of the November training programme, which they can do here.
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