by Sam Hawcroft
Three youngsters have raised enough money for three lifesaving throw-line stations through their Humberside Police Lifestyle project.
Rosie, Summer and Lexi, whose team is called the Water Wardens, raised a final total of £2,044.53 during their campaign, giving them enough to buy three emergency throw-line stations.
They are also in negotiations over a possible fourth station.
The project has now come to an end, with Lifestyle teams submitting their logbooks detailing their work over the summer.
A major part of the Water Wardens’ fundraising came from a water-safety day at Kelsey Lakes and Gardens, Burstwick, which combined family activities with practical demonstrations and advice aimed at helping people stay safe around open water.
Crews from Withernsea and Bransholme fire stations attended, alongside John and Anne Hartland from Withernsea RNLI and members of Patrington Mini Medics, who won the overall Humberside Police Lifestyle Challenge last year. Withernsea-based First Aid Skills UK also supported the day, along with a team of volunteers.
Visitors were able to try kayaking, games and other activities, while firefighters demonstrated the use of throw lines and gave youngsters the chance to practise throwing rescue equipment to someone in the lake.
Sheila Logan, Rosie and Summer’s mum, said: “I want to thank everyone who came to support the Water Wardens Lifestyle team at Kelsey Lakes. We had an amazing day with lots of fun and more lessons learnt about water safety.
“We want to thank the fire brigade, the RNLI, the first aiders, the Mini Medics and all the volunteers for helping out. Our day wouldn’t have happened without you all.”
Sheila said the girls had now raised an “amazing” £2,044.53 in total, giving them enough for three emergency throw-line stations, while discussions were continuing over securing a fourth.
An anonymous donation also helped towards the cost of two of the stations.
The stations contain a throw line in a secure cabinet together with instructions and information specific to the location. They are intended to allow someone to help a person in difficulty from the bank rather than putting themselves in danger by entering the water.
Sheila said during the event that the team planned to work with Humberside Police to identify places where the equipment was most needed.
The Water Wardens ultimately hope their campaign can go beyond the local area, with Sheila saying she would like to see more of the stations installed nationally.
It has been a busy summer for Rosie, Summer and Lexi, who also took their water-safety message to Blue Light Weekend in Withernsea, where they challenged visitors with a safety quiz and learnt more about water rescues from firefighters.
The subject has taken on added importance following a series of water-related deaths across the country during the summer.
Sheila said: “It’s just so heartbreaking when you hear of the deaths.”
Water safety also prompted discussion among visitors to Kelsey Lakes, with several saying children needed to learn to swim properly before being allowed into open water.
Others stressed the importance of swimming lessons from an early age and raised concerns about whether youngsters were getting enough opportunities to learn. One visitor said she had made sure her own children could swim before they started school.
Sheila said she hoped to raise the wider issue of swimming lessons with Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart as part of the campaign to encourage more children to become confident and safe in the water.
With their Lifestyle project now complete, the Water Wardens will submit their logbook recording the work they have carried out over the summer, while plans for the throw-line stations continue to move forward.