Multicultural swimming programs return to Hedland

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease across WA our Port Hedland multicultural swimming lessons are back this July! Both our women’s and men’s only Swim & Survive programs are getting underway soon thanks to our partnership with the Pilbara Community Legal Service Inc and Town of Port Hedland.

Lessons start on the 19th of July and will run for seven weeks at South Hedland Aquatic Centre. They will be taught by experienced local instructor Nicolette Simic who has led a number of these programs in the past and has a good understanding of the cultural requirements of those taking part.

South Hedland and Port Hedland both have high immigrant populations. According to the 2016 census 36.9% of people living in this area were born in a country other than Australia, while 24.4% stated that both of their parents were born overseas. Many of these immigrants come from land locked countries and do not have the opportunity to learn how to swim in their youth like we do in Australia.

Since moving to Australia many realise how popular water activities are here and feel unable to take part due to their lack of swimming and water safety skills. The men’s and women’s only Swim and Survive programs were designed to enable people in these communities to feel comfortable taking part in lessons with people of their own age, and with cultural sensitivities taken into account in the programming and class structure.

42 men and women have been involved in these classes in Port Hedland since 2018, learning vital water confidence and swimming techniques, while also improving their health and wellbeing and meeting other participants in the program. Some of them have said that their motivation to learn how to swim was to gain confidence around water so that they can take their children to the beach or pool. It is always exciting to see the progress they make and the confidence they develop throughout the program.

If you know someone who would like to take part in our Men’s and Women’s Only Swim and Survive programs in the Pilbara please click the link below for more details.

To learn about our Multicultural Swim and Survive programs across metro and regional WA visit this link.