Lifesavers in the swim

By Casey Neill
BELGRAVE and Monbulk pools will join others around Australia for a fundraiser to help reduce drowning.
Royal Life Saving will hold the BigSplash Swimathon at pools around the nation on Sunday 6 December.
Royal Life Saving CEO Rob Bradley said cash raised through the events would help the organisation with its Swim and Survive Drowning Prevention Strategy.
“It’s all about saving children’s lives,” he said.
“We’ll be providing scholarships to people so they can become swimming and safety instructors and we’ll be initiating research on the causes of drowning in Australian children aged 3 to 10.”
Mr Bradley said latest figures showed drowning was one of the major causes of accidental deaths of children in Australia.
He said 302 people drowned in Australian waterways between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2009, including 50 children.
Belgrave Pool, in Best Street, will host a BigSplash Swimathon from 9am to 5pm. Monbulk Aquatic Centre, in Baynes Park Road, will hold its event from 2pm to 5pm.
Readers can call Belgrave Pool on 9754 2743 or Monbulk Aquatic Centre on 9756 6227.