Swim for Fruit program continues its success in Burringurrah community

The Swim for Fruit program has continued to be a success for the remote Aboriginal community of Burringurrah, with school-aged children continuing to engage in swimming laps to earn a healthy range of afternoon snacks. 

With Royal Life Saving WA Remote Pool on site to facilitate, school aged kids in Burringurrah have been soaking up all kinds of aquatic fun in the latest season of the  Swim for Fruit program. 

Located in the Shire of Upper Gascoyne approximately 460km east of Carnarvon and 300km northeast of Meekatharra, the remote community of Burringurrah embodies a population of 160. Included in their community facilities is a school inclusive of approximately 35 students, some of which regularly take part in the Swim for Fruit program after school.

Having Healthway as a funding provider for the Swim for Fruit program has supported Royal Life Saving WA in increasing access to water safety education, physical activity and promotion of a healthy lifestyle in regional and remote Aboriginal communities. Through the program, Royal Life Saving has been able to provide children with a direct link to aquatic based activities, including competitive swimming and water safety education, whilst rewarding them with a healthy display of treats.

As part of the Remote Aboriginal Swimming Pools Project (RASPP), remote pools in Aboriginal communities such as Burringurrah give Aboriginal children the opportunity to access additional recreational and educational swimming programs. By encouraging aquatic participation in remote communities, Royal Life Saving WA can support the uptake of swimming and survival skills, contributing to reducing the high-risk of drowning and non-fatal drowning in Indigenous groups. 

The Burringurrah remote pool has been recognised as a great benefit for the community not only for offering programs such as Swim for Fruit, but for being more than just an aquatic facility. It provides a place to bring the community together. With students getting to safely learn essential aquatic skills whilst getting involved in a game of 'marco polo' in the pool, the community pool and the Swim for Fruit program have been a great success, with Burringurrah children continuing to engage in the program. 

Our remote Aboriginal Swimming Pool program is supported by the Department of Communities.

To learn more about the Swim for Fruit program, visit the link below.