Bidyadanga welcomes Swanbourne students

The Bidyadanga Community Pool opened ahead of schedule recently to accommodate the Swanbourne/Bidyadanga Student Exchange visit.

Several students from Swanbourne embarked on the 1880km journey to Bidyadanga, visiting the community pool to engage with local students at Bidyadanga for a well-deserved swim and pool-based games, including lots of fun playing on the Watch Around Water inflatable!

Pool Manager, Bernie Egan, remarked: "It’s a real highlight for the Perth students to visit our community, come to the pool and spend some time swimming with the local students." 

With school holidays starting and the weather warming up, the pool has been well very attended thus far. The Watch Around Water inflatable has been well utilised with assistance from the Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community La Grange Inc. and WA Police to help supervise the activities.

Bernie also added, "The school holiday program has also been running on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to allow kids some extra swimming time with some structured fun and games. The Go for 2 and 5 Swim for Fruit Program has provided the kids with delicious lunches of toasties and yummy fruit – the kids love it!"

The Go for 2 and 5 Regional and Remote Aboriginal Communities Swimming Program (or Swim for Fruit) provides support for an after school and weekend lap swimming program and the expansion of the school-based Swim & Survive programs in regional and remote Aboriginal communities. Children who complete a set number of laps in a session are rewarded with an afternoon tea of fresh fruits and healthy treats.

Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community La Grange Inc and WA Police also put on a fun Pool Party recently, including a disco to keep the kids busy and engaged over the school holidays. Bernie says "with so much happening at the pool already it’s hard to believe we are only into week three of the season!"

We wish the Bidyadanga Community all the best over the coming summer, as they continue to enjoy keeping cool at their Community Pool!

For more information on The Royals’ impact through remote aboriginal swimming pools, please click on the link below.