As the warmer months of Spring and Summer approach, Freedom Leisure in Powys is urging parents to prioritize their children's water safety.

With many families opting for staycations or traveling abroad, it's important to understand the potential dangers associated with beaches, inland water locations, and non-lifeguarded pools.

Figures indicate that around 25% of primary pupils leave school without being able to swim, and experts fear that the pandemic may have resulted in more young people lacking the essential water safety skills.

Freedom Leisure, which operates various swimming pools across Powys, including Maldwyn in Newtown, The Flash in Welshpool, and Bro Ddyfi in Machynlleth, offers a comprehensive Learn to Swim program accredited by Swim Wales. Thousands of children and adults have benefited from this lifesaving skill, and limited spaces are currently available.

In addition to teaching swimming skills, the program also includes free swimming at any public swim time across Powys. Over 400 people accidentally drown in the UK and Ireland each year, with many more suffering injuries that can be life-changing even if they survive.

Parents can visit www.freedom-leisure.co.uk to inquire about swimming lessons at their local community leisure center and help their children develop the necessary skills to stay safe around water this spring and summer.