Sport Aberdeen is joining a national water safety awareness campaign to equip people with the knowledge and skills needed to stay safe in and around water.
Running now until June 20th, the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s (RLSS UK) Drowning Prevention Week 2026 campaign will see activities take place across Sport Aberdeen’s pools at Dyce, Cults, Bridge of Don, Tullos, Lochside, Northfield and the newly reopened Bucksburn Pool.
The water safety campaign is designed to educate children and young adults in water safety and lifesaving skills. Sport Aberdeen will deliver a week-long programme of fun and educational activities, as well as promotion of its Rookie Lifeguard programme.
Designed for competent swimmers aged 8 to 12, the Rookie Lifeguard programme is suitable for children who have achieved Swim Skills Level 4 and introduces them to key lifesaving and rescue skills, helping build confidence, develop water safety knowledge and learn how to respond in emergency situations.
With this week’s reopening of Bucksburn Swimming Pool, and several existing Rookie Lifeguard classes approaching renewal, Sport Aberdeen has spaces available in the coming months.
Additionally, plans are in place for Rookie Lifeguard Instructor courses to equip staff with the skills and qualifications required to lead future classes. As part of its mission to support inclusion across the city, Sport Aberdeen is also preparing to launch its first ASN (Additional Support Needs) Rookie Lifeguard class, helping ensure that water safety education and lifesaving skills are accessible to even more children and young people across the city.
Graham Dutton, Lead Programme Coordinator, at Sport Aberdeen, said: “Drowning Prevention Week is the ideal chance to remind people that water safety is a life skill. Whether you’re swimming in a pool, visiting the beach or spending time near rivers and lochs, understanding how to stay safe around water can make a real difference.
“Our Rookie Lifeguard programme provides young people with practical lifesaving knowledge while helping them build confidence and independence in the water.”
Sport Aberdeen delivers 950 swimming classes each week with 244,988 annual admissions across its pool venues. Staff training for the NLA Instructors Course (National Lifesaving Academy) is also ongoing with a view to delivering the Bronze Medallion classes for children aged 12-16.
Families interested in enrolling their child in the Rookie Lifeguard programme can find out more here: www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/activities/swimming
For more information on Drowning Prevention Week visit: www.rlss.org.uk/pages/category/drowning-prevention-week-campaign