Indigenous Participation

Royal Life Saving WA recognises that time spent in, on and around the water plays a central role in every Australian’s life.  We know the local pool is an important community hub for gathering and escaping the heat of the summer. As we learn how to swim, we are taught the skills that lead to a lifelong appreciation for aquatic activities.  

In regional and remote areas, aquatic facilities can play a crucial role in the community, promoting social interaction and wellbeing. Pools built in remote communities provide safe and cool recreation opportunities for community members living in typically hot locations who have previously relied on rivers and billabongs. Remote aquatic facilities have been found to provide benefits not easily observed in metro locations, including:   

• Further enhanced community cohesion by providing a central location in areas with limited social infrastructure.   
• Promoting good behaviour among youths and increasing school attendance through policies like “no school, no pool”   
• Improving health and well-being in areas of typically high chronic disease such as high levels of skin, ear, nose, and eye conditions 

Drowning affects all communities and regions at all locations in Western Australia. However, children aged 5-14 years in regional and remote areas of WA are at a significantly higher risk of fatal drowning with the rate in these areas being five times higher than the rate recorded in the Perth metropolitan area. 

Overall, 61.1% of all drowning deaths in WA involving children aged 5-14 years occur in regional areas. Royal Life Saving is committed to community development in regional and remote locations across WA, providing training, participation and leadership development opportunities in an effort to prevent drowning.|.

How to Get Involved:

The Royal Life Saving Society has many years' experience working in remote Indigenous Communities; specific swimming lessons and education programs are run by Royal Life Saving with various community and settlement agencies throughout WA. These programs aim to encourage participation in swimming lessons and water safety activities amongst Indigenous Communities.

Programs include:

• Pilbara Spirit Carnival
• Goldfields Spirit Swimming & Lifesaving Carnival
• Kimberley Spirit Carnival
  
• Swim for Fruit
• The Remote Aboriginal Swimming Pools Project (RASPP)
  
• Swim and Survive Swimming Lessons 
• WA Swim and Survive Fund