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Building on the success of their ongoing partnership, BHP and Royal Life Saving WA have recently signed a new agreement, which will see BHP provide a further $1.5 million over two years to fund a range of swimming and water safety education and youth employment programs across regional and remote WA.

The ongoing partnership between Royal Life Saving WA and its Principal Community Partner, BHP aims to reduce drowning statistics and build resilient communities across Western Australia. Since 2003 they have been working together to drive innovation and positive change for regional and remote areas across the state.

This partnership will allow Royal Life Saving to deliver targeted swimming, water safety and drowning prevention education throughout Port Hedland, Newman, Leinster, Kalgoorlie and Kambalda, as well as the remote Aboriginal communities of Jigalong and Yandeyarra.

Statistics show that people are 1.8 times more likely to drown in regional and remote WA, with Aboriginal people at greatest risk. Aboriginal children drown at almost double the rate of non-Aboriginal children in our state. For this reason, many of the programs to be run during the next two years will target these communities.

Royal Life Saving WA Chief Executive Peter Leaversuch says these programs are crucial as we work to prevent drowning in these at-risk areas.

“Swimming is an intrinsic part of the Australian way of life, which means that Swim and Survive lessons are not only essential – they are lifesaving. Building swimming and water safety skills from young children right through to adults is vital work and the single most important investment we can make as a community to prevent drowning.”

Meath Hammond, BHP’s Head of Corporate Affairs WA, said the new partnership agreement was testament to the success of the long term association shared by BHP and Royal Life Saving Society WA.

“We’ve been working together for nearly 20 years to deliver vital programs to regional and remote communities, training lifesavers and creating safer places. Together we have made a real difference to people across the State.

“We’re proud to continue to support this important work, from swimming and water safety improvements to ongoing support for physical health, education and employment in Western Australia.”

A key focus of the investment will build on the current success of the Talent Pool project, an innovative training and employment program that provides a sustained transition for Aboriginal young people entering the workforce.

Over the next two years, with the support of BHP, Royal Life Saving aims to engage around 120 Aboriginal youth, with the aim of building a sustainable workforce in the aquatics industry for regional WA, ensuring at-risk children have access to vital swimming and water safety education.

Another focus area of Royal Life Saving’s ongoing partnership with BHP is the Cool Pool project, which champions activities that foster cooperation between the entire community, building strong social networks. BHP’s support for this program, which incentivises school attendance through the “no school, no pool” policy, has flow on impacts to truancy rates and resulting anti-social behaviours, contributing to overall community health and wellbeing.

This partnership will also allow for the delivery of Royal Life Saving’s backbone programs including Infant Aquatics, Swim & Survive, Swim for Fruit, Junior Lifeguard Club and the annual Spirit Carnival, offering swimming and water safety programs for all stages of life, as we work together to build a “water loving nation, free from drowning”.

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