Nursery children get lesson in water safety from South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade

The group from Nurserytime in South Shields met members of the South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade to learn about keeping themselves out of harm when near water.

Helen Coulson, manager at Nurserytime, said: “We firmly believe that a child's education does not stop at curriculum content.

"It is imperative that we also teach a child life skills. We are therefore not risk averse, but rather solidify the skills that allow our children to make informed decisions and enable them to have the ability to risk assess for themselves.”

Helen said it was particularly important for children living in coastal towns to learn about the dangers of the sea.

She added: “With a location as beautiful as ours, it is inevitable that our children will be taking full advantage of our coastline. The children learnt invaluable life-saving lessons about how to safely play in water and what to do if they find themselves in a challenging situation.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to South Shields Volunteer Lifeguard Club. Their knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm is second to none and we are grateful that they could come along to inform us of the importance of Water Safety.”

The South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade was established in January 1866, and still works to save lives along the coast today, with volunteers called out to all manner of incidents.

The organisation won the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – he highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK – earlier in 2021.

The news was was announced in June by Buckingham Palace, and it was also confirmed that the lifesaving organisation, which has served the local community since it was founded in 1866, will also receive special recognition for its work during the pandemic.

The brigade has been providing a coastal search and rescue unit along South Tyneside's cliffs, beaches and riverside for in an unbroken record of continuous service for over 155 years.

Since its inception has always worked under the auspices of HM Coastguard.

:: Nurserytime South Shields is having an open day on Saturday, September 11 from 10am to 2pm. Everyone is welcome.

For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/Nurserytime-103506091946718/

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.