Alton Sport Centre’s swimming manager Adele Dollery knows the importance of learning essential water skills more than most.

On a trip to Germany as a 14-year-old, Adele cut her eye while diving into the middle of a lake and, not being able to see properly, believes she could have drowned had she not been a prolific swimmer.

She made a full recovery. But it was perhaps because of her childhood experience that Adele became a swimming instructor – and water safety is now a key component of all lessons at Alton Sports Centre.

To mark national Drowning Prevention Week last month, Adele and her team hosted a series of water safety workshops and rookie lifeguard sessions for youngsters aged five to 12 – all free of charge.

The sessions taught youngsters not only how to look after themselves if they get into difficulty in the water, but also how to swim fully clothed, beach safety, and how to call for help and assist others – including, in the worst case scenario, how to administer CPR.

Adele said: “We essentially tried to create as close to a real life situation we could, without chucking them in a lake with their clothes on!

“We hope the sessions will be a bit of a stepping stone, and encourage them to carry on swimming and think about water safety, and maybe even take full lifeguard training.”

Drowning Prevention Week takes place each June and aims to equip everybody across the UK and Ireland with the skills and knowledge to make the right decisions about water safety.

Adele continued: “Unfortunately, because of Covid, many young people missed out on lessons, and it’s also coming up to the summer holidays where many families will be venturing to the seaside or choosing to go for a swim in the pool, making it even more important to learn these vital skills.”

So what can parents do to make sure their children are safe around water?

“It sounds obvious, but children need to be supervised the entire time they are in or near water – especially at the beach where the tide can take them out to sea so quickly,” said Adele.

“Being able to tread water and float on their back is also a really big thing, and a basic swimming skill parents can teach their children. Try to teach them to move their arms and legs alternatively, not at the same time, which helps with flotation.”

Adele also recommends parents look at the Water Safety Code with their children: see the website https://www.rlss.org.uk/the-water-safety-code

As well as running its weekly swimming classes, catering for all ages and abilities, Alton Sports Centre’s intensive swimming lessons are also back for the summer. The next five-day crash courses will run from July 25 to 29, offering classes for pre-school children and those in swimming stages 2, 3 and 4, as well as breaststroke and butterfly clinics.

Call 01420 540040 or email [email protected] to book in. Courses cost £44 for the week.

Alton Sports Centre is also running the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification course at Alton Sports Centre from July 25 to 29, with an exam on July 31. The cost is £240. Email [email protected] for details.