Kalgoorlie Dance Academy spreads water safety message

Kalgoorlie Dance Academy has joined a national campaign which aims to raise awareness and prevent child drownings.

KDA is one of 250 Ready Set Dance studios across the country to join the water safety initiative in partnership with Kids Alive, an organisation founded by prominent swimming coach Laurie Lawrence.

The dance studios will now incorporate the Kids Alive “Do the Five” and “Sunscreen March” safety songs as part of their program in an initiative particularly focused on children aged under five years.

KDA owner Sharon Greatorex said her team was proud to be part of a national campaign and keen to help share the vital safety messages.

“We are so excited about this partnership as we know children learn best through song and dance, and Ready Set Dance endorses the importance of water safety especially for the under-fives,” she said.

“Sharing these wonderful messages with our students all year round is bound to make a difference.”

Mr Lawrence said the partnership was part of a strategy to provide water safety education throughout the year via dance academies, after research commissioned by Kids Alive revealed one in four children attended dance lessons.

The campaign also follows the recent release of alarming Royal Life Saving Statistics which highlighted a rise in child drownings.

“The recent Royal Life Saving Drowning Report showed a 108 per cent increase in drownings in the 0-5 age group, which is a devastating step backwards,” he said.

“Swimming lessons remain one of the best preventive measures to reduce drownings, but unfortunately interruptions due to COVID and a tendency for 20 per cent of families to drop out of lessons during the colder months has had a massive impact.”