Year 1 and 2 students at local schools are able to learn essential and potentially lifesaving swimming skills thanks to additional funding support by the Albert-Eden Local Board.
"We’ve provided additional funding to five schools not currently funded by the Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan," says Albert-Eden Local Board Chair Peter Haynes.
"We want as many young people as possible to learn skills that will help them enjoy swimming as a sport or hobby, and enjoy our beaches and keep themselves safe."
Students from five schools in the Albert-Eden Local Board area Owairaka District School (Mt Albert), Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Maungarongo (Mt Albert), Edendale Primary School (Sandringham), Balmoral School and Marist School (Mt Albert) have benefitted from this opportunity.
Swimming lessons are conducted in term one or term two and each student gets eight lessons, with progress monitored in Water Safety NZ’s database. Swimming lessons are provided by the Mt Albert Aquatic Centre (Belgravia Leisure) which has been operating this programme for local schools in the area since July 2015.
The Mount Albert Aquatic Centre is owned by a local charitable trust and managed through a Council contract on the Mt Albert Grammar School site. Lessons are offered here at the local pool. It is well used, very much in demand, and provides wonderful benefits and well-being to the community.
The Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan (GAAAP) provides lessons to Year 3 to 6 students. GAAAP currently delivers approximately 153,000 lessons per year to 21,000 students, covering 147 decile 1-6 schools.
It is a collaborative project that coordinates 8-10 professionally delivered Water Skills for Life lessons to primary school children in the greater Auckland region, ensuring the development of fundamental water skills for life.
Auckland Sport & Recreation (Aktive), in partnership with Water Safety NZ, manages GAAAP and receives funding from Sport NZ (Kiwisport), Foundation North, Water Safety NZ and Auckland Council.
