Speedo Swim Generation

Swimwear company Speedo believe that everyone has the right to swim. Tragically however, drowning is the third leading cause of accidental deaths in the world, with an average of 1,000 people dying everyday, according to Speedo. This ‘global emergency’, as it’s been referred to by the World Health Organisation, has been the driving force behind Speedo launching their global initiative Swim Generation, which seeks to reduce these preventable deaths.

Sponsoring life-saving projects around the world, 600,000 people have already benefitted from the scheme. However Speedo wants to do more. By raising awareness and teaching swim safety they hope that people will be better equipped to look out for themselves and others, in, or around, the water.

The concept

Drowning is a problem that affects people worldwide. However it wasn’t until members of the Speedo team travelled to India, that the Swim Generation initiative was born. They met with government officials and community leaders in a bid to teach people the basics of water safety. This inspired Speedo to formally partner with charities in the sub-continent on their return, as well as to engage with those in the UK, to promote these safety standards. Practical support is now given to various projects in the form of donations, in funds, Speedo products, skills and expertise.

The charities

Bangladesh is one of the most areas that needs urgent help with drowning prevention, with statistics estimating that around 46 children die in the water everyday. Informal ways of learning to swim, such as self-teaching or being taught just to stay afloat in lakes by friends, are the main cause of the problem. In response to this, Speedo has partnered with The Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh (CIPRB), to focus on disadvantaged communities around Bangladesh. Children are given proper swimming lessons through the SwimSafe scheme and already 30 Community Swimming Instructors have been trained to teach survival skills.

Closer to home, Speedo works with the UK’s Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS). Speedo helped provide 200,000 children with certificates with key messages about water safety, through schools, youth groups and swim clubs during the annual National Drowning Week campaign this June. A video presentation was produced to target older audiences, featuring real-life incidents to raise awareness in children. This video has been so successful it has been picked up by secondary school students, various Police forces, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Get involved

Speedo believes that spreading awareness of swim safety is like a ripple effect. These ripples could be a face-to-face conversation about Swim Generation, or even a post or share on social media.

If you want to get involved, you could donate to one of the Swim Generation charity partners, learn some safety skills yourself or volunteer somewhere. And for those really looking to make a difference, you could fundraise for a Swim Generation partner by participating in a sponsored swim or by becoming a qualified life guard or advocate for safer swimming.

Every action helps to make a wider impact in Speedo’s bid to highlight the fun of being in the water while reminding us all of its dangers.

Visit speedo.com for more information.