Published: Wednesday, 10th June 2026
Alive West Norfolk, the leisure and entertainment facilities owned by the borough council, are running free Water Safety Sessions at all swimming pools during National Drowning Prevention Week.
The fun, instructor‑led sessions are designed for children aged 8–15 years and aim to build confidence in the water while teaching essential life‑saving skills.
The free sessions run for 30-minutes and must be pre-booked. Alive Oasis in Hunstanton is holding one on Monday 15 June, followed by Alive Downham on Wednesday 17th June and Alive St James on Thursday 18 June. Book online at alivewestnorfolk.legendonlineservices.co.uk spaces are limited.
These sessions have been created to help increase the level of water safety for young people in the area and will cover:
- Float to Survive: Teaching children how to remain calm and float to increase their chances of survival in an emergency.
- Training focused on getting in and out of the water
- T-shirt swimming - Understanding the difficulty of being fully clothed in water
- Safe Rescue Techniques: Demonstrating the use of equipment like throw lines to assist others while ensuring their own safety.
Cllr Simon Ring, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, at the borough council said,
“Learning good swimming skills early in life can help save lives and is indispensable to the development of young people. This is not the first time Alive have put on these sorts of sessions at our swimming venues. But I feel during Drowning Prevention Week could be more of a fitting time to highlight and I would urge families to take advantage of these free safety sessions and hope that many of our young residents benefit from them.”
Siobhan Cleeve, Interim Assistant Director of Leisure and Culture, said:
“Drowning Prevention Week for us is all about making sure our local communities and those living near our beautiful coastlines feel completely at ease and safe in their surroundings. Whether they're splashing around at the local beach, taking a dip in open water, or enjoying a swim on holiday, we want everyone to have the confidence to truly enjoy these experiences. We hope the sessions make a difference to our residents and empower them to embrace the amazing surroundings we are so lucky to have in the Borough.
These courses aim to give children 8–15 years the confidence and skills they need to protect themselves and others in the event of unexpected water submersion. By participating, they can learn vital water safety knowledge. Also, the junior school swimming lessons as well as the swimming lessons programme for 4yrs+ (including adults) will both focus on drowning prevention and water safety during this week.
- Oasis: Monday 15 June, 4-4:30pm and 4:30-5pm
- Downham Leisure: Wednesday 17 June, 4-4:30pm and 4:30-5pm
- St James Pool: Thursday 18 June, 6:30-7pm and 7-7:30pm
Further information
For more info on any of these free sessions please either pop in to your local centre or give us a call!
- Alive Oasis: 01484 534227
- Alive St James: 01553 764888
- Alive Downham: 01366 36868