The Top Energy Water Safe Programme, developed by Sport Northland for Top Energy Ltd in consultation with Swimming New Zealand and Water Safety New Zealand in 1997, is celebrating the 200,000th swimmer lesson milestone. This programme, which aims to improve the water safety, swim and survive skills of primary and intermediate aged children and upskill teachers through professional development, is available free to all schools in the Far North and Mid North regions thanks to long time sponsor Top Energy Ltd.

During the past 18 years since the programme began, the Top Energy WaterSafe Programme has evolved from boat safety to in-school delivery growing from three lessons to five lessons per student and now also providing teacher professional development and comprehensive online resources and lessons to support teachers and schools.

The Top Energy WaterSafe programme has been delivered in 61 out of the 69 schools in the Far North district that have year 1-8 students and continues to grow with the introduction of the portable pool supplied by the Pools in Schools Trust which means schools without a pool can now also receive lessons. The portable pool, which has been in the Far North area, will now begin to service the Mid North area in Term 2. Over the 2014/2015 season, instructors will be delivering in 43 schools throughout the region.

Over the years the programme has won several major awards recognizing its contribution to water safety including winning the 2009 New Zealand Water Safety Awards – Prevention Category, 2011 NZ Recreation Association Outstanding Community Recreation Programme Award, 2014 AUSTSWIM Aotearoa Most Outstanding Contribution Award to Louise Collings (Sport Northland Swim For Life Team Leader and Instructor).

Several key instructors have also been acknowledged for their contribution to the programme over the years – Mike Casey, the original instructor who was instructing with the programme up until a year ago; Myra Larcombe who has been an instructor since early 2000, is 87 years old and is still instructing with the programme to this day; and Esther Hone-Moore who started with the programme a year after it began, took on the team leader role and developed

the programme to the current model. Esther now works with AUSTSWIM Aotearoa, and continues to support the Far North in her current role.

On 9 March the official 200,000th swimmer lesson will be celebrated and carried out at Okaihau Primary School.

Picture: Brent Eastwood (Sport Northland CE, left) and Paul White (Top Energy Ltd Director, right) with the trophy presented to Top Energy acknowledging the 200,000th swimmer lesson