On Tuesday 18th June 2024 several young people and their parents enjoyed a fun and educational lifesaving session at Brick House Farm, Hormead.
As part of the Royal Life Saving Society Drowning Prevention Week, instructors Barry and Chantal Ellis donated their time to teach youngsters some basic lifesaving skills. Whilst our own Ward Freman pool is out of action, Helen and Ian Baron offered the use of their private pool for this event.

Barry started the session demonstrating the special equipment he uses when called upon to help rescue people as part of the Herts Boat Rescue Service.

Then it was the children’s turn to try straddle jumps, rescue rope throws, non contact casualty rescue and unconscious casualty rescue.

It was a great summers evening and we hope that our young people never have to use these rescue skills for real, but respect the dangers that bodies of water can hold.

The Ward Freman Community Pool Group hopes that when the swimming pool reopens there will be interest in having our own lifesaving club (fancy going to the World Lifesaving Championships in Morocco 2026?) and we can run Pool Lifeguard qualification courses so anyone aged over 16 can gain the necessary skills to work as a lifeguard.