A LIFE SAVING SKILL We’re delighted that Water Babies and Mini First Aid have partnered for this year’s Drowning Prevention Week (16-26 June) to reach as many parents and carers as possible with advice about how to keep little ones safe around water. Both organisations care passionately about the health and wellbeing of parents and little ones alike, so it made sense to work together on a week where life-saving skills around water are key. As the week unfolds, we’ll be telling you about all kinds of joint activities happening across the UK, including CPR demonstrations by Mini First Aid trainers at local Water Babies classes. Swimming is not only fun and great exercise; but it is a LIFE SKILL everyone should have – very much like first aid. Water Babies is the UK’s leading swim school and is celebrating its 15th birthday this year! Its baby swimming classes are among the most popular activities for families and early years’ children with around 45,000 clients per week across the UK. Every year, Water Babies hears stories from clients whose children have rescued themselves from near-drowning experiences. They tell us with relief, but also pride of how their little one has used their life-saving skills gained from Water Babies lessons. On the eve of this year’s Drowning Prevention Week, we heard a story last week from a family in Wales that shows the value of swimming lessons: “I could not recommend Water Babies enough yesterday, they unknowingly saved my 18 months’ life.” posted Becka Topping on Facebook on 9 June. Based in Anglesey, Becka and her son Jacob have been attending Water Babies classes for 12 months before the accident at her relative’s house.  Becka explains further: “While playing in my Auntie’s garden; my little boy accidently got his ball stuck on the net mesh that sits over the 6ft deep pond. I could not have had my back to him for any longer than 10 seconds, but he climbed the side of the pond wall and made it to the middle of the pond before the net gave in under him. He didn’t panic and got to the wooden beam and pulled himself up onto his belly from there he called out to me. I ran to pull him out and he just gave me a big hug and asked for his dinner. I am so proud of my little boy and thankful to have been taking him to classes since he was 6 months old. His dad is a terrible swimmer and I was determined to take him. I knew it was about much more than just learning to swim and now it has more than justified taking him. Thank you Water Babies, I owe you.” It is stories like this that make it all worthwhile - quite simply teaching babies to swim saves lives. Less than 10 young children die in the UK each year from drowning. But it is still the third highest cause of accidental death among children in the UK. Keeping children safe lies at the heart of what Water Babies and Mini First Aid are about and we are both committed to reducing the number of drowning incidents in the UK. So don’t wait any longer – sign your little ones up for lessons today and download and save our joint guide to water safety here  To find out about Water Babies lessons near you visit http://www.waterbabies.co.uk   [caption id="attachment_1940" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Water Babies shoot - January 17th 2010[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1941" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Water Babies shoot - January 17th 2010[/caption]