Growing demand for male multicultural swim lessons

In partnership with the Cities of Canning and Stirling, and thanks to funding from the Department of Health, Royal Life Saving WA and the Indian Society of WA are giving men from multicultural backgrounds the opportunity to Swim and Survive.

The Men’s Only Multicultural Swimming and Water Safety Education program provides men from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds, who have little to no previous swimming ability, the opportunity to participate in swimming lessons in a culturally appropriate and respectful environment.

The program helps men to develop water confidence and swimming technique, build on their current skills and improve their overall health and wellbeing. It also provides them the opportunity to engage with other men at their local aquatic facility.

The program is now in its sixth year, with 47 men enrolled this term. The lessons are held in the evenings to make it easier for the participants to attend around work and family commitments, an aspect which has been well received by participants.

The program began at the City of Canning's Cannington Leisureplex following the success of the Women’s Only program, with a high proportion of the City's residents from CaLD backgrounds. The program later expanded to include lessons at Leisurepark Balga in the City of Stirling and an additional program was launched at Riverton Leisureplex this term.

Term 2 lessons for the Men’s only and Women’s only programs can be enrolled in via the link below:

39% of drowning deaths in WA over the past ten years have involved a person born overseas. Royal Life Saving WA is working to address these statistics with targeted programs such as our Multicultural Swimming Lessons. Learn more about our work with multicultural communities at the link below.