Pembrokeshire children taking part in a new ‘Rookie Lifesaver’ course at Kilgetty’s 1 Formula Fitness recently added vital first aid skills to those they have learned over their six weeks of training.

1 Formula Fitness has teamed up with Water Safety Europe, a locally based events water safety management company and lifeguard training centre, to develop a new life-saving education project in Pembrokeshire.

The project, which has been specifically designed for the leisure facility (1 Formula Fitness), aims to educate young people of the dangers of different aquatic environments, helping them to make informed and safe decisions. The project also trained individuals in methods of self-rescue, rescuing others, calling for help and administering vital first aid.

During their first aid training, participants discussed the different hazards associated with first aid, where and how to summon professional help, as well as learning basic life support techniques. These included how to check a casualty is breathing, managing their airway, placing them into the recovery position and performing CPR.

“We think it is very important that young people learn these skills and are able to effectively and safely respond to accidents both in the water and on the land,” said 1 Formula Fitness owner, Kate Lewis.

“We hope these young people never have to use these skills they have learned, but are confident in the knowledge that if they ever do find themselves in this unfortunate situation they are able to call upon this training, helping to keep themselves safe and maybe even save the life of another person” said Water Safety Europe’s Angelo Fecci.

The project has been such a success that plans are now in place to expand it and continue to offer the training to even more local children who will soon be able to enrol onto the six-week rookie course. Due to popular demand of both the parents and participants, our existing rookies have also been invited to continue their training and will soon be attending an additional six-week training course, currently being written by Water Safety Europe trainers.

Anyone interested in signing up their children for the next round of Rookie Lifesaver training should contact 1 Formula Fitness direct on 01834 811733.

• Water Safety Europe will be hosting a number of beach lifeguard courses in the Tenby area over the October half-term (October 26-30). Anyone aged 16 or over and interested in training as a lifeguard ready for summer 2016 should visit www.watersafetyeurope.co.uk or contact them direct on [email protected]