Fitzroy Crossing pool closes out a successful season

Royal Life Saving WA, working in partnership with the Department of Communities, runs eight remote Aboriginal swimming pools across remote areas of Western Australia. The pools have just recently closed down for the season, with pool managers taking a well-earned rest after ensuring children and families in these communities had an important opportunity to learn vital swimming and water safety skills and enjoy the healthy community engagement the pools provide.

One of these pools, at Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley, has seen almost 11,000 attendances over the recent season from late September through to late April. This has included many local children taking part in the important Swim and Survive and Swim for Fruit programs.

Swim and Survive is Royal Life Saving’s swimming and water safety program, which aims to not only teach children how to swim but also when and where to do it safely. It not only focusses on teaching swimming strokes but vital water survival and rescue skills. During the 2020-21 season Pool Manager Adele Caporn facilitated eight Swim and Survive programs for children at local Fitzroy Valley schools and many surrounding communities. Those taking part were then able to showcase these skills at a number of swimming and lifesaving carnivals throughout the season!

The Go for 2&5 Swim for Fruit program works hand in hand with Swim and Survive, encouraging children to attend the pool and put those skills into practice by swimming laps in exchange for a healthy feed of fruit! Swim for Fruit is supported by Healthway and has been running at Fitzroy Crossing for almost a decade. This season Pool Managers Trevor and Adele saw 527 participations in the program, with many children not only enjoying the healthy treats but also taking home prizes for their participation.

Royal Life Saving is pleased to have seen such enthusiastic participation in all the Fitzroy Crossing pool’s activities this year and wishes all the families in the community well during the pool’s off season. We look forward to seeing them all ready and raring to go when the pool opens up again later this year!