14 July 2025
Regional multicultural lessons build skills for life
Multicultural swimming lessons have been making a splash across regional WA this year, with strong turnout in Term 2 across the Mid West, Pilbara and Goldfields regions.
In Kalgoorlie, 27 children and 15 adults took part in our Swim and Survive Multicultural programs, building essential water safety skills in a fun and welcoming environment. In the Mid West, 22 students participated in lessons, and in Port Hedland, 19 adults jumped in to start their swimming journey.
Royal Life Saving WA Instructor Di Crisp has seen first-hand the impact of these programs on local families in the Goldfields since they first began in October 2024.
“Some of the families have been having lessons from our very first term of multicultural swim lessons, and numbers are growing. It’s lovely to get to know the children and their families and see them every term.
“The kids enjoy the lessons, have heaps of fun, make friends, and are swimming superstars progressing through the levels!”
In Geraldton, a successful pilot SAIL program in Term 1 has led to more lessons added for families who may face barriers to accessing traditional programs. We are also working to upskill local instructors with training on a range of disabilities and medical conditions, so they’re better equipped to support all learners in the water.
And just because the weather has cooled down, doesn’t mean the work has paused! Our regional water safety education continues year-round, with schools in Three Springs, Coorow and Eneabba already benefitting from water safety talks and more talks planned for Mullewa, Carnamah, Geraldton and Dongara in Term 3.
Access to affordable lessons in regional areas is vital. In 2023, people living in regional WA were 1.7 times more likely to drown than those in the metro area with more than one in five of these drowning incidents involved a person born overseas. Adults aged 45 to 64 were particularly at risk, with regional adults in this age group twice as likely to be involved in a drowning incident compared to their metro counterparts.
These programs are also creating opportunities for local youth to gain hands-on experience in the pool. Two new instructors joined our Kalgoorlie team through the Talent Pool, and Port Hedland celebrated its first Talent Pool swim instructor, Matilda Thompson, who spent her birthday weekend completing her training. This achievement marks a major milestone for the Town of Port Hedland community!
Royal Life Saving WA is grateful for the support of our community partners in these regions. Thank you to the City of Kalgoorlie Boulder, Town of Port Hedland, Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, Mitsui E&P, and Beach Energy for their ongoing commitment to regional water safety.
Enrolments for Term 3 lessons are now underway. Follow the link below to get involved.
