Water is ingrained in our kiwi way of life. The thrill of boogie boarding at one of our beautiful beaches, the dizzying rope swing into a crystal clear river and learning to dive ( and doing awesome bombs!) at the local pool are all adventures that most adults can relate too.
While many think everyone can swim, the scary thing is, most kids today can’t.
The Issue
Only 1 in 5 ten year olds can swim 200 metres – the benchmark for being able to swim and survive in the water.
80% of all ten year olds can’t swim well enough to save themselves
New Zealand has one of the highest drowning rates in the developed world. Twice as high as Australia and three times as high as the United Kingdom and the United States. Research shows our children simply don’t know how to swim. Changes in the school curriculum mean that learning to swim is no longer an automatic part of growing up in New Zealand and many families aren’t able to pay for private swimming lessons.
Our Solution
Survival in and around water is an everyday part of life at Sealord. We believe learning to swim is essential and we want to do our bit to help. Through our partnership with Water Safety NZ, Sealord is committed to giving children in NZ the chance to learn the skills to swim and survive in and around the water.
Together we’ve created the Sealord Swim for Life initiative.
Together we aim to:
- Increase awareness of the importance of teaching children to swim
- Provide the tools so that parents can teach their children at home or to help support learn to swim programs in schools or local communities
- Encourage kids by making their learning to swim experience fun and rewarding
One great example of this new initiative is the activation of Sealord Swim for Life in Nelson. Sealord has offered every employee the opportunity to nominate a child under 13 to receive 10 swimming lessons, all funded by the company. This will allow 660 extra children to move one step closer to achieving safety in the water.
How does it work?
The Sealord Swim for Life initiative works with regional sports trusts and local authorities to get swimming up and running. The initiative facilitates all work required for schools to get kids in the water, including transport to pools, funding for pool entry and professional support.
The Passport to Success!
As seen on What Now and our TV commercials, each child who participates in the Sealord Swim for Life initiative gets a Swim for Life passport to record all their achievements and learn about water safety.
Because NZ is unique we have developed a special identity to help us create awareness of the seriousness of this issue for our children: Kautiki, the swimming Tiki. Kautiki will guide kids through their targets in the passport and provide them with water safety tips along the way. The passport is to reward children for passing water safety milestones and gives them something tangible to relate to their journey.
Swim For Life Website
