The Splash Break-away Holiday Programme was designed to work with youth aged between 11- 17 years to stop preventable drownings from happening.
The programme focuses on building tamariki and rangatahi water competence, rather than focusing on swimming skills alone. It incorporates a wide range of recreational water experiences and simulations that puts discussion and theory into a practical format so that in-depth learning can take place.
The Statistics
In the period of 2015-2019 there were 93 preventable drownings in Tamaki Makaurau and 408 in Aotearoa. Drowning is the second highest cause of death as a result of unintentional injury among 1–24 years (WSNZ, 2018). The highest age group for preventable drownings are those aged between 15-24 years of age regionally and nationally.
15 Water Competencies
This programme focuses on the 15 drowning prevention water competencies that is a “sum of all personal aquatic movements that help to prevent drownings as well as the associated water safety knowledge, attitudes values, judgement and behaviours that facilitate safety in, on and around water’ (Moran, 2013., pp4).
Splash Break-away helps to increase knowledge and awareness of the different and unique water environments that are abundant all across Tāmaki Makaurau. The goal is to reduce risky behaviour when participants go on to visit specific water environments such as the beach, local pool, and/or fresh waterholes.
Each participant receives a Splash Break-away certificate on completion, along with the Coastguard Boating Education Programme certificate which is delivered in partnership with Coastguard Boating Education.
Equipping tamariki and rangatahi with aquatic skills is not only for their personal benefit but is also so they can become role models amongst friends and family. Drowning Prevention Auckland are confident that this programme contributes to developing a culture of water safety throughout youth and their families.
Splash is designed for those who would not normally attend a holiday programme by removing barriers for the participant and their family such as financial costs and providing our participants with a free basic lunch and a loan rash shirt for the day.
Drowning Prevention Auckland has been delivering Splash Break-Away since 2009 and continues to expand throughout the Auckland Region. The drowning prevention water competencies that are taught are being more recognised in swim schools and through formal education. Children learn lifelong valuable skills while taking part in this programme.
We would like to thank Oranga Tamariki for the continuous support in funding the break-away programme. Without your funding we would not be able to deliver such a beneficial programme to the number of kids who go through it each year.
