Wyndham children practising their swimming skills during a Swim for Fruit session

Wyndham children build aquatic confidence through Swim for Fruit program

Children in the northernmost town in the Kimberley region, Wyndham, have been getting active and enjoying part of their daily Go for 2&5 intake in Term One’s Swim for Fruit program!

The program, which is designed to support remote and regional Aboriginal communities in providing preventative measures to disease and drowning, has successfully provided children in Wyndham with a recreational and educational activity to participate in after school.  Children regularly attend the Wyndham Memorial Swimming Pool where they immerse in a range of aquatic activities delivered by youth workers from the Shire of East Kimberley to earn themselves a healthy afternoon tea. 

“The Swim for Fruit program has complemented the Junior Lifeguard Club program really well and helped build confidence and the kids’ skills around water,” said Nick Allen, Manager Community Development for the Shire of East Kimberley. “In Wyndham there are limited opportunities for the kids to swim other than the local pool due to the threat of crocodiles, so this program has enabled a group of kids to access the pool and to develop some water skills that otherwise may not have been possible.” 

Aboriginal Australians have been found to experience higher rates of disease and death, as well as being 3.6 times more likely to drown than non-Aboriginal Australians. The Swim for Fruit program, funded by Healthway, is designed to address this by providing an accessible physical activity program within the community that promotes a healthy lifestyle amongst the youth demographic. 

With a population of 780 people, the program and the swimming pool support enhanced community cohesion by providing people with a place to come together to immerse in water activities and enjoy a healthy snack. With the positive impact the program is already having in Term One, we’re sure children in Wyndham will continue to enjoy the health and social benefits for the rest of the season. 

To read more about the Healthway Go For 2&5 Swim for Fruit program and its impacts, visit the link below.