Youth engaging with community to spread water safety awareness

As we celebrate Youth Week, we shine the spotlight on a few of the amazing young people who are contributing to our work in drowning prevention.

Royal Life Saving WA staff members Tneale Maher, Tom Scott-Jones, and Tiana Cull are passionate about connecting with the community and helping to spread the word on water safety.

Health Promotion Officers Tneale and Tom help to run our Youth Water Safety program which engages with students and young people in a variety of ways, through events such as high school presentations, Uni O-Days and the annual Meelup BeachFest event during Leavers’ Week celebrations in Dunsborough. 

Health Promotion Manager, Blanche Marchant, says having younger staff members such as Tom and Tneale is key to the success of the program.

“The Youth Water Safety program is youth focused and youth delivered, to engage and deliver water safety and drowning prevention strategies to young people in WA,” Blanche says.

Tom and Tneale both enjoy the community-based aspects of their work and the opportunity to connect directly with young people to discuss water safety issues.

“I love being able to chat to the target group, young people, and speaking with them,” says Tom. “I see first-hand through doing community events and speaking to young people, realising the education and seeing the immediate impact.”

Tneale says she decided to pursue a career in health promotion to help people on a broader scale.

“I had a great health studies teacher in high school who was passionate about advocating on behalf of others who couldn’t. It’s strength in numbers of community in health making the difference for populations,” she says.

Also making a difference is 23-year-old Digital Marketing Officer, Tiana Cull, who brings the fresh perspective of youth to the Royal Life Saving marketing team.

As an art teacher for kids and adults with disabilities, Tiana knows a thing or two about connecting with the community.

“Connecting and having fun in the all-abilities art class has taught me so much,” says Tiana. “Though I’m facilitating the class, I learn so much from the students and we all work together.”

Tiana’s creativity and artistic passion shines through in her work for Royal Life Saving, helping to spread awareness of water safety and lifesaving education.

“I have always resonated with creative expression,” she says. “Being able to put this towards the important work that Royal Life Saving does is very rewarding.”

This year’s Youth Week theme of ‘Becoming: with others we dream’ focuses on how young people can dream themselves a better world, and use their skills, care and knowledge with others to help realise it. 

Embodying the theme of working together towards a better world, Tiana takes this approach when meeting up with university peers to work on small business ideas together, each contributing their own set of skills to support one another’s individual businesses.

“I would not be where I am now had I not sought ways to support other people’s aspirations,” says Tiana. “Opportunities spontaneously flow from that. I’ve been so strongly guided by my peers so far on my journey through this approach.”

Royal Life Saving is incredibly lucky to have young, passionate staff like Tom, Tneale and Tiana who are helping to make a positive difference in the community and support the important work of drowning prevention.