Message from the Chair
It has been a busy summer for the water safety sector, with numerous periods of hot weather enticing people to the coast and inland locations to swim and enjoy other water-based activities. The 25 July saw the fifth annual World Drowning Prevention Day, which we marked in the UK by encouraging people to “find their float” and learn and practice this vital lifesaving skill. It was encouraging to see the numerous events and activities taking place across the country, and the innovative ways organisations reached their communities with this essential message. I and several other spokespeople from across the NWSF took part in a series of media interviews to promote the campaign, further highlighting key water safety advice across TV and radio.
As we move into autumn, we begin to look towards 2026 and the new UK Drowning Prevention Strategy. Work is underway across the devolved nations on the strategies for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; we look forward to sharing more details with you in due course.
Professor Mike Tipton
Chair of the National Water Safety Forum and Water Safety England
Save the date: National Water Safety Conference 2026
RoSPA are pleased to be able to share that they will hosting the next National Water Safety Conference in October 2026.
The one-day conference will take place in Birmingham on either 6 or 7 October, 2026. The programme will include keynote talks, poster presentations and parallel sessions on education, communications, policy, and evidence and data.
The theme for 2026 will be “The UK Drowning Prevention Strategy: From strategy to prevention”. Join fellow practitioners, educators and academics from across the water safety sector as we explore the future of drowning prevention in the UK, and how we can work together to action and champion the principles of the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-36.
More details, including how to submit speaker abstracts and purchase tickets, coming soon.
UK Drowning Prevention Strategy 2026-36 Update
Work has begun on the next iteration of the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy, with the four devolved nation leads having met and agreed the principles that will sit at the core of the UK’s future drowning prevention work. A principles document is now in draft and will be shared with NWSF membership in the coming months, whilst England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all begun the process of drafting their own strategies in accordance with the UK principles.
Campaigns
Don’t Drink and Drown returns this September
The Royal Life Saving Society UK’s (RLSS UK) annual Don’t Drink and Drown campaign takes place throughout September.
The campaign particularly targets students, urging them to be responsible for their friends and #BeAMate if they drink too much. It also educates people on what to do and how to help friends return home safely after a night out.
Please help RLSS UK share vital messages online by resharing its #BeAMate posts and tagging @rlssuk – together we can reach this vulnerable age group and prevent future tragedies.
RLSS UK is also planning to deliver an impactful December ‘Don’t Drink and Drown’ campaign so everyone can enjoy the festivities safely this Christmas. The campaign will run from 6 to 12 December 2025.
Support the Don’t Drink and Drown campaign.
Evaluating the “Find Your Float” Campaign and World Drowning Prevention Day 2025
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to a very successful World Drowning Prevention Day 2025. This year’s theme of “Find Your Float” saw a broad take-up by organisations and individuals from across the water safety sector, with more than 20 dedicated water safety events and numerous other float-related activities (including swimming lessons, discounted swims and float challenges) taking place around the UK from 21 to 25 July. Activity also extended to social media, with more than 30 unique “how to float” videos shared on 25 July, with creators encompassing high-profile organisations, search and rescue practitioners, local leisure centres, and individuals with loss to drowning.
The NWSF once again partnered with broadcast media agency Markettiers to ensure coverage of World Drowning Prevention Day and key water safety messages across TV and radio on 25 July. The NWSF provided regional spokespeople, as well as case study interviewees and filming opportunities at various events, allowing us to unlock an extensive level of coverage. We achieved 49 items of coverage (including 30 unique interviews) across TV and radio, resulting in an audience reach of approximately 73.8m. Highlights included BBC Wales, BBC Spotlight, Sky News, BBC East Midlands Today, ITV Wales, multiple syndications across the Global and Bauer networks, LBC, and BBC Radios Cymru, Cornwall, York, Nottingham, and Scotland.
If you have any feedback you would like to offer about Find Your Float and the NWSF’s activity for World Drowning Prevention Day 2025, please email us: info@nationalwatersafety.org.uk
[Image – Crantock Surf Life Saving Club]
Thank you for your support with Drowning Prevention Week 2025
The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) would like to thank all the NWSF members who got involved and supported Drowning Prevention Week 2025, which took place in June. Here are some key successes from this year’s campaign:
- 4m+ children were educated in water safety using our free resources
- Nearly 600 per cent increase in SEND resource downloads
- Participation in Drowning Prevention Week 2025 across the UK leisure sector increased by 97 per cent
- The campaign was featured in 605 press articles and broadcasts across the UK
- Launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Water Safety at Westminster
If you want to be more involved in Drowning Prevention Week 2026, please contact marketing@rlss.org.uk to discuss ideas and collaborations.
Updates from the devolved nations
Water Safety England: Water Safety Education Framework and Water Safety Partnership Guidance coming soon
Water Safety England are in the process of creating two new core pieces of guidance to support the development of drowning prevention work in England. The first is a National Water Safety and Swimming Competency Framework, which provides a strategic overview of the water safety skills, knowledge and key benchmarks that every child should know at each stage of their learning. This guidance is designed to support partners, educators and government in providing consistent swimming and water safety education for all children. It is supported by a Water Safety Education Framework document, which includes suggested lesson plans and guidance for educators on how to develop tailored water safety resources and interventions.
We are also in the process of finalising new guidance on setting up Water Safety Partnerships in England. Using the successful experiences of the Greater Manchester Water Safety Strategic Partnership as a case study, this document provides both national oversight and regional examples to demonstrate how local areas and regions in England might create and develop their own Water Safety Partnership.
Both documents are due to be published this autumn – more details to follow soon.
Water Safety Scotland: Looking back on Scotland’s Water Safety Open Day 2025
Water Safety Scotland hosted a Water Safety Open Day in support of World Drowning Prevention Day on the 25 July. The event took place at Loch Lomond Shores in Balloch and featured live demonstrations from the Scottish Fire and Resue Service, the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Scottish Newfoundland dogs, as well as water-based taster sessions, including canoeing, stand up paddleboarding and open water swimming. Other activities included a lifejacket challenge, spot the dangers ranger tour, face painting and an art and poetry corner.
More than 30 of Water Safety Scotland’s partner organisations provided information stalls, including Paddle Scotland, Scottish Swimming, RLSS UK, the RNLI, and SSE Renewables. There were around 4,000 people in attendance and the feedback from both the public and stallholders was overwhelmingly positive.
The Water Safety Open Day was able to take place due to funding support from our partners the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Scottish Water, the Darcey Sunshine Foundation, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), West Dunbartonshire council, SSE Renewables, Police Scotland, and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (LLTNP).
Water Safety Wales: A summer of action and rescues
Wales has experienced a busy summer of drowning prevention activity, with lots of hot weather and some periods of strong wind, large surf and rip currents contributing to a high number of emergency incidents and rescues. Members of Water Safety Wales have responded to incidents across the country while continuing to promote vital safety messages and preventative actions.
One of the season’s standout rescues took place off Anglesey, where a sailor was dramatically saved after his vessel struck rocks near the Skerries. His EPIRB locator beacon enabled a swift response from the Coastguard and Holyhead RNLI, ensuring his safe recovery from dangerous conditions. In Penarth, two Cardiff students were rescued after being trapped by the rising tide and cliffs, with coastguards using GPS data to locate them. They later shared their story to educate others. Porthcawl RNLI saved two teenagers stranded on rocks as the tide surged in, later sharing footage to raise awareness. And in Newport, emergency services successfully rescued a man from the River Usk following a multi-agency response led by South Wales Fire Rescue Service.
These stories, which are only a small selection of the many rescues that took place this year, highlight the dedication of responders, who play such an important role in our drowning prevention efforts.
Partner updates
RoSPA and Paddle UK create stand up paddleboarding safety advice supported by OPSS
RoSPA and Paddle UK, with support from OPSS, have produced new stand up paddleboarding safety advice. The advice includes key safety advice whilst stand up paddleboarding, as well as what to look for when buying second hand equipment.
Read the advice here: Stand Up Paddleboarding | RoSPA’s guide to paddleboard safety
[Image – RoSPA and Paddle UK]
Surf Life Saving GB summer updates: Splash School, summer patrols and the World Ocean Series
It has been a busy summer for Surf Life Saving GB with the launch of Splash School, a full-day, beach-based programme for Key Stage 2 pupils that blends interactive learning with real-life rescue skills, beach games, and water confidence. Delivered in partnership with local Surf Life Saving Clubs, the programme is designed to build confidence and teach lifesaving skills in a safe, supportive, and fun environment.
In other news, Surf Life Saving GB patrols over the summer holidays reached over 3,400 interventions along the coast, with over 1,346 volunteer hours undertaken, already matching total numbers for 2025.
For the first time, Surf Life Saving GB also supported the World Ocean Series, held at the famous surfing venue of Fistral Beach in Newquay, UK. This life-saving sports event showcased the very best lifesavers from both across the UK and around the world.
[Image – Surf Life Saving GB]
Introducing the Institute of Aquaphobia: tackling aquaphobia with a science-backed approach
The Institute of Aquaphobia (IoA) is tackling one of the UK’s most overlooked barriers to water safety - the fear of water itself.
Founded by swimming education expert Mike Burman in 2016, the IoA estimates more than 12 million people in the UK suffer from some form of aquaphobia. This fear, often rooted in trauma or negative experiences, can prevent people from learning vital swimming skills and even discourage them from entering leisure centres or water-based environments entirely.
To address this, the IoA developed the Aquaphobia Learning Programme (ALP) - a 12-step, science-backed course designed to help individuals overcome fear through trust-building, gradual exposure, and emotional support. Delivered by certified Aquaphobia Coaches nationwide, the programme is transforming lives and opening access to aquatic activities for people of all ages.
The Institute is now working closely with swim schools, local authorities, and leisure operators both nationally and internationally to expand access and ensure water safety education is truly inclusive. By helping people overcome their fears, the IoA not only supports public health and wellbeing, but also contributes to national drowning prevention efforts.
To find out more, visit www.instituteofaquaphobia.com or email support@instituteofaquaphobia.co.uk.
RLSS UK launches new five-year strategic framework
The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has launched its new Strategic Framework for 2025-2030. The strategy marks a new era for RLSS UK and will focus on three key pillars: engagement, education, and expertise. These pillars aim to prevent drownings and enable everyone to enjoy water safely. There will also be a strong emphasis on culture and collaboration to ensure everyone can access water safety education, regardless of their background.
For more information about RLSS UK’s strategy, visit the RLSS UK website.