As 47% of accidental drownings occur between May and August, Yorkshire charity Martin House Children’s Hospice is calling on families to be extra vigilant in, on and around the water this summer.
With school holidays starting this week, Martin House is highlighting the dangers of water activities and raising awareness of the water safety code to help minimise risk of drowning.
Vicki Greensmith, director of clinical services at Martin House, said: “Sadly every year in the UK, people lose their lives in the water, and at Martin House we have supported too many families whose child has drowned.
“A quarter of UK parents have never spoken to their children about water safety. We’re encouraging parents to have these conversations about the dangers of open water and making people aware of the resources and advice available.
“We don’t want any more families to experience their child drowning in a preventable accident.
“We all understand the temptation of swimming in open water on a hot day to cool off, but there needs to be more awareness of the dangers involved.”
In addition to providing specialist palliative care to children and young people with life-shortening conditions, Martin House also provides care after death and bereavement support to families following the sudden death of a child.
Vicki added: “Our care gives families precious extra time with their child, and we can help them with memory making, emotional, spiritual and practical support.
“We wish it wasn’t necessary, but sadly every year families find themselves in need of our services following the sudden death of their child – this includes accidental drownings.
In the last three years, Martin House has supported over 100 families following a sudden or accidental death.
Vicki said: “We will always be here for families when they need us most – but we urge people to stay safe and follow the water safety code and have these important water safety conversations with their children.”
Martin House has links to resources about staying safe in the water at its website, at www.martinhouse.org.uk/watersafety.
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Picture: Vicki Greensmith, director of clinical services at Martin House.
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Martin House has been providing family-led care and support for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions since 1987 (life-shortening means the child or young person is not expected to live beyond young adulthood).
Every year we support over 550 children and young people, and their families plus around 200 bereaved family members across West, North and East Yorkshire, at our hospice, in hospitals and in families’ own homes.
The hospice, based in Boston Spa, has nine bedrooms in Martin House, and six in Whitby Lodge, which cares for teenagers and young people. Our services include specialist short stays, symptom control, emergency care, community care and end of life care.
Bereavement support is offered to families who have used Martin House, as well as to families whose child had a life-shortening condition but did not have the opportunity to use the hospice, or following a sudden death.
Martin House has three consultants in paediatric palliative medicine and also hosts two places to train future consultants, one of only around seven training centres in the UK.
There is no cost to any of the families using our services. It costs around £10.5 million a year to provide this care, the majority of which comes from voluntary donations and fundraising.
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